Hear, Hear - finally someone who gets it.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Metcalfe Kevin J COCA" <kmetcalfe@ns*.na*.mi*>
To: "'Paul Braunbehrens'" <Bakalite@ba*.co*>; "Ian Puleston"
<DiverIan@pa*.ne*>; "Todd Sieber" <todd@un*.co*>;
<techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 3:10 PM
Subject: RE: WARNING - Coffee Alert


> I agree to a certain extent, but let's face it, we live in a consumer
driven
> society.  I got certified in college through NAUI.  It was a full 16 week
> semester course.  I think we'd all agree that I was a better diver after
> that than if I was a two week PADI wonder, or worse yet, a three day
wonder
> at a resort.  But the reality is that people aren't willing to pay for a
> longer course, nor will they take the time to do it right.  If every
> certification agency decided to follow GUE's standards that would be
great.
> But then somebody would come out with what all the lazy bastards really
want
> and make a fortune.  The consumer off the street doesn't realize that he
or
> she is doing themselves a disservice by taking the easy way out with a
> quickie course.  The shops know this and cater to it.  Not to mention that
> the three people willing to do it right won't make up for the 100 people
who
> were too cheap to pay for proper instruction and just wanted the $119.99
> special.
>
> Think how much better our fellow drivers on the road would be if they all
> took the Bob Bondurant driving school at Sears Point Raceway.  But how
many
> people would actually pay for it if they didn't have to?  Diving is no
> different.
>
> Kevin Metcalfe
> kmetcalfe@ns*.na*.mi*
> 925-246-5938
> DSN 350-5938
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul Braunbehrens [mailto:Bakalite@ba*.co*]
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 11:14 AM
> > To: Ian Puleston; Todd Sieber; techdiver@aquanaut.com
> > Subject: RE: WARNING - Coffee Alert
> >
> >
> > Ian, I agree with most of what you say, and I agree that you *can*
> > turn out good students under the PADI system.  But look, it's a
> > simple fact, PADI is the governing body watching over the
> > instructors.   The fact that there is so much substandard instruction
> > *must* be laid at PADI's feet, because there is no one else.  Blaming
> > the individual instructors is pointless, as long as PADI doesn't
> > change who can teach, they will remain the same.  It must come from
> > PADI if we are to see a change.
> >
> > Ian Puleston wrote:
> > ~
> > >But the party line isn't "certify all that pay". The PADI
> > course standards
> > >clearly state that a student diver must "master" every skill
> > before going on
> > >to the next. The skills taught, if mastered by the student, should be
> > >sufficient to bring the student to a level where he/she can
> > safely do easy
> > >dives and start to gain the experience to move on up.
> > >
> > >The question is can a student master those skills in the
> > time frame of a
> > >typical course (usually 4 weeks or 2 weekends). My
> > observations have been
> > >that some can, some can't. If the instructor certifies those
> > that cannot
> > >then it is he that is at fault. Many instructors push out
> > sub-standard
> > >divers because doing it properly would mean bringing those
> > students back for
> > >further training, which would cost them (the instructor)
> > time and money.
> > >
> > >Then you have the question of what level of mastery is
> > required. A student
> > >who wants to go and dive warm water with a dive guide while
> > on vacation
> > >probably doesn't need to master the skills so well as one
> > who is going to
> > >dive unsupervised in a less-ideal environment. That's a
> > judgment call for
> > >the instructor, and again, a good instructor should be
> > prepared to tell a
> > >student that they need to come back for further training
> > where he thinks its
> > >needed.
> > >
> > >We all know that PADI's goal is to make money, and that they
> > want to turn
> > >out as many divers as possible to make as much money as
> > possible - PADI
> > >themselves admit to that. If they are at fault here, which
> > they probably
> > >are, it is in not enforcing the standards that they have
> > published. But it
> > >is primarily the instructors who are not meeting those
> > standards who are at
> > >fault.
> > >
> > >A good instructor can turn out good divers using the PADI
> > system. I know
> > >some very good cold water divers who came through that system.
> > >
> > >>  -----Original Message-----
> > >>  From: Paul Braunbehrens [mailto:Bakalite@ba*.co*]
> > >>  Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2001 5:37 PM
> > >>  To: Todd Sieber; techdiver@aquanaut.com
> > >>  Subject: Re: WARNING - Coffee Alert
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>  Todd, as long as the party line is "certify all that pay", the
> > >>  instructor is powerless.  There needs to be some kind of
> > line drawn,
> > >>  and if you can't cross that line you don't get certified.  The
> > >>  agencies have been loosening the requirements, if anything.  It's
> > >>  true that you can have good and bad instructors in any
> > system, but a
> > >>  good system is one that is able to adhere to a minimum
> > standard.  In
> > >>  my experience, PADI's minimum is not acceptable for diving around
> > >>  here (Monterey).  Then again, maybe it's fine for warm water no
> > >>  stress diving, I wouldn't know.
> > >>
> > >>  Todd Sieber wrote:
> > >>  ~
> > >>  >Paul,
> > >>  >
> > >>  >Look I'm on your side on the issue of some people
> > shouldn't get certified
> > >>  --
> > >>  Paul B.
> > >>  --
> > >>  Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to
> > `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
> > >>  Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to
> > `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
> >
> > --
> > Paul B.
> > --
> > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to
> > `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
> > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to
> > `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
> >

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