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First off, I'm no card-carrying techdiver, nor have I had sushi at Lucy's. Please bear with me and don't brush this off as "irrelevant wimp material". Second, this is deadly serious; put aside the typical techdiver/cavers debates over details away for a minute. Third, there seems to be such a tendency to make everything into a "he's a bone-smuggling stroke with no business in the water" issue when you are addressing people who have accomplished (for better or worse) things that I can not imagine myself doing (for better or worse) that I damn near feel guilty *reading* this list, let alone posting. Finally, I'll be gone for a week doing warm water wimp diving down in the south islands, so feel free to fry my ass for this if you see fit; I'll have plenty of time to prepare :-) With that bovine-excrement out of the way... Here's a "reality check"... I enrolled my stepson (12-yrs old) in a PADI OW course at a shop where I had some respect for the instructor, but in the long run another instructor picked up the class. There is this one obese female in the class, first session they did the swimming/drownproofing tests. She *dog-paddled* the swim test, and grabbed the side of the pool every 10 or so feet, coughing violently anytime water sloshed into her face. Initial scuba gear-up she's clumsy, slow, and last in water (by many minutes). I don't think she stayed underwater more than 30-60 secs without being on top, mask off, reg out, pumping BC. Instructor passed her. Next day, doing giant stride entry; again, she's last. Finally takes more of a "baby step" off pool, bottom of tank bangs on side, she flips forward, off goes mask, reg, fins, and BC goes to some ungodly position. OK, the "good" instructor deals with her nearly *two hours* individually without much of an improvement; next attempt almost the same except instructor pushed her tank off the side. I never saw her perform the pool skills for that class. Instructor passed her. I won't be here for their last two classes, and don't know that I could stand to look. As I watch Tony pass his skills with excitement, I can't help but think about this girl that has no business in water over her head whether swimming, snorkeling, or scuba. I thought I had it easy, but this is wayyy past ridiculous. You want to talk about "blatant strokery"? Sit in on an OW course sometime (not that they are all bad; but this was downright frightening). This is also not an agency bashing either (final instructor does YMCA certs too, so not a PADI wimp). I see you guys discuss rebreathers, gear rigging, gas mixes, extreme cave diving; you get very concerned about the welfare of others when you disagree with their methods or philosophy, but often it comes off as bickering, attacking, or embarassing your opponent. You tear them to shreds while I would probably be judged unfit to carry even their gear. I have come to an understanding this is done "with best intentions" for safety and proven technique, and agree in priciple with the motive, though maybe not the method. In any event, this elitism pretty much reduces me to a "toe-jam" level. Now... to make the point... if you can reduce yourself to my level for a minute (try real hard... single Al80, 30cf pony, and a TDI nitrox card in your hand... really hard core stroke gear here). As awful as you must be, you can still look at this OW class and with no reservations at all sit and think "STROKE!! BLATANT STROKE!! GET THIS BITCH OUT OF THE WATER!!". Then, just as you expect her to be sent to the shower so the rest of the class can proceed... she's passed. If you wish to vent your frustrations in the most productive direction, I'd like to see you address "blatant strokery" such as this. With the current standards in certification, many of YOUR "blatant strokes" are diving gods to the entry level diver (and many levels/dives/years beyond that). But then you guys are bickering with your peers, and I'm likely an unwelcome bystander. In your circle I'm probably missing something. But just reading this (or any other newsgroup/list) is another viewpoint from the "God-like" instructor; not words to live by but at least food for thought. You guys should at least have some respect for the other's accomplishments. Maybe they didn't do it in the most efficient/safe/technological/innovative fashion, but so what; sometimes you have to try. As unworthy as I am to say it, I'm still certain there was only "One True Way" to "Do It Right" before George, though he's pretty much written the current chapter of it, and he has damn good reason to preach his gospel (keep preachin' George). Were you criticized for your current techniques when you first tried them? I'll leave you to continue your discussion and go back to reading. But I do wish you would take a minute to think about what I reported to start with. I will go with him on his OW checkouts and will watch what goes on. If you have any interest I will report back. If you think "get this tripe off the techdiver list" as I suspect, I won't bother :-) If you are *really* worried about diver safety, then take a look at what we're allowing in the water in the first place. Scared hell out of me, and I'd probably scare hell out of some of you too :-) (I don't do caves, thank you, I'll tell everyone now; but I might chase Rich <to a point> after an undiscovered fish in OW). At least think about it with respect to our discussions. It could be your kid one day. Think about it. Talk to you in a week... Jeff Kell <jeff-kell@ut*.ed*>
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