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Bob, I spoke with Andy about these events today, and his statement of the facts is considerably different from yours. There are very few trimix instructors here in New York, and it would behoove you all to work better together. Until proven otherwise (with more than second-hand hear-say) I am chocking this whole thing up to personal rivalry, which is a damn shame, and misrepresents the proper goals of instructors everywhere. Regards, -Will On Fri, 8 May 1998, Raimo4252 wrote: > << Bob, > > I know Andy well - I've dived with him many times, and I've > dived with his students many times as well. Your comments do > not at all jibe with what I've personally observed. Andy > is thouroug in his instruction, and more than once I've > seen him make students who weren't up to snuff do *way* > more dives than are required by IANTD standards before > he'll let them pass the course.>> > > For the record: I like Andy Driver. But right is right , wrong is wrong. I > PERSONALLY caught Andy two weeks or so violating standards after I TAUGHT him > an instuctor course. And you can bet I let him know about it. > > >> As for three students in bad vis - hell, this is New York, > last time I checked - the home of bad vis. All the better > as a challenging environment, provided the instructor > keeps an eye on the student.>> > > Here is another fact: Andy certified a student who completed TWO TRI-MIX > dives, and on the second dive the student was LOST WITHOUT HIS INSTRUCTOR, AT > 180 FEET (give or take a few), in 6 inches of VISIBILITY on the CHOAPA. Give > me a break. Andy was lucky that day. > > << As for one day on the boat - well, yes, two Trimix dives > are the current IANTD requirement. If you've got the > equipment down and are comfortable doing decompression > diving, trimix itself is pretty trivial.>> > > Like you said, if youve got the equipment down and are comfortable. One of > Andy's students was wearing double, two OMS 45's with a dive rite BC Junior. > And the student was asking me why he had a buoyancy problem?? > > >>Andy has alot of integrity, and demonstrates that > consistently while teaching - if there is one > person I know of where charges of sloppy work > and student churning are inappropriate, it's Andy Driver.>> > > Seems to me that he is inconsistent then. And the tow dives rewuired is a > minimum, not a maximum. So where is the integrity?? > > >>And Bob, you *are* universally known as the > Grand Wah Wah Diver Himself - YOU'RE a great one > to be touting standards and safety!>> > > I fucked up. My choice, on a personal, non training dive. And you are raising > an issue that has nothing to do with what we are discussing here. But anyway, > Big deal. I was not with students or with anyone that would have been > influenced by any poor judgment that others may have perceived me making. I > don't train the minimums, and don't cut corners with my students. Hell, I lose > a lot of business to people like Andy Driver. In general, divers are cheap ( > I apologize if I am offending anyone here) and want to buy a cert card, would > rather do two tri-mix dives as opposed to 6 or more, and generally are not > really qualified for the course they enroll in. But for a quick buck, most > (not all) instructors will take the money anyway as opposed to telling a > student they need more experience and training for the dives they would like > to do. > > But I repect your post, and I have nothing personal against Andy. Like I said, > I do like the guy, but that has nothing to do with his training habits. > > Safe diving, Bob > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. > -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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