Several hundred dives, or several dives a hundred times?
Yeah yeah.
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Several hundred dives, or several dives a hundred times?
Several hundred dives, or several dives a hundred times?
A couple of months ago I was on a boat as dive staff with a young (25 year old) British colleague who did something just like the UDC training, except that all his training--including his technical dive training (TDI)--was done on the Thai island of Koh Tao, where there are many zero-to-hero cert factories. I have to say that this guy was one of the cockiest instructors I have ever encountered in all my years diving despite the fact that he has never dived outside of Thai waters and has only been an instructor for something like two years. I guess he thought his three tours in Afghanistan made him more eligible than others for the title "Dive God," and he behaved as if he were the repository of all dive wisdom on the planet.I suspect someone at UDC does several hundred dives, not much different than someone doing all their diving in Florida or California. Though I'm not sure who gains the most knowledge, a diver doing 4 dives a week every week for a year, or a diver doing 2 dives a day for 90 days. But your point is well taken. I am shocked sometimes when I hear someone did OW, AOW, Rescue, DM and then Instructor and took every course with the same shop and has only ever dived in the same quarry. There's no way that can develop the same type instructor as someone who has dived in many conditions and has received training form a variety of instructors and shops.
. . .
I am a firm believer in experiencing a variety of dive conditions, instructors, agencies, etc. Without this kind of background, it's apparently easy to think you know it all.
Why do so many new, or not even certified divers think that they could or should move in to the professional side of diving.
I think the answer really is as simple as "I did something new, absolutely love it and want to do it some more".
I've never had a day at my regular job that's been as good as any day diving. Doubt I'm the only one. It's human nature to look for the greener grass. Scuba/diving and pulling a check doing so is pretty green grass compared to a lot of jobs. (not saying it's REALISTIC but green)
Maybe it's a regional thing. I think this may be one of those topics that has two sides (or more) and we'll just have to agree to disagree. But I don't think at all it's as simple as "I did something new, absolutely love it and want to do it some more". I've done a number of other activities that I love. I have non-diving friends that have activities/hobbies that they love and spend lots of time on. I have never come across another activity where it is so pervasive for the thought to become "let's become an instructor". I am totally convinced it is the marketing of it from the shops and agencies that drives it.