PADI divers, rant.

[achris]

I have just returned for a weekend on the boat and had taken a PADI 'qualified' diver. This is the second time I have had to complete their training because they are taught absolutely nothing in the PADI 'school'. Sorry, they are taught one thing, which box to tick on the exam!<br /><br />They are not taught how to correctly weight themselves, they are taught nothing about dangerous marine life, they are taught nothing about bouyancy control, no instruction on any of the risks associated with pressure (like, any of the ear barotrauma, or lung barotrauma, or decompression sickness), they are not taught how to calculate air consumption or no-decompression times. <br /><br />I find it absolutely incredible that this organisation can sit there and say they teach people to dive. WRONG! They take money from people and give them a small plastic card. Then that person must rely on someone else to help them out. What if 2 of these PADI divers go in the water together? Each thinks the other will help them out in an emergency, when they can't even help themselves! <br /><br />20 years ago I was taught to dive, not by PADI, by a proper diving course, FAUI. Unfortunately FAUI went by the wayside about 10 years ago. Why? Because the course was too hard. Hey guys! this is a life we are talking about. I asked a PADI instructor, after having to re-train my first PADI dive buddy, why they weren't taught about the hazards of diving, and how to avoid or recognise them. The answer astounded me! "If we told them how dangerous it was some may not do the course." Meaning they (PADI) would miss out on the money! What does PADI stand for? Put Another Dollar In. Ain't that the truth! <br /><br />You can be a PADI qualified diver in a weekend. The FAUI course took 3 nights a week for 3 weeks to complete. I have recently completed the PADI advanced diver, because I want to dive on some of the local wrecksites that require that qualifaction, and that was still less instruction than a FAUI basic course, and they stung me for over $500! <br /><br />Sorry about that guys (and girls), I am sick to death of these people thinking they can dive, when really all they can do is to get themselves into trouble, life-threatening trouble.<br /><br />Rant over....<br /><br />Chris............

 

[Boomyal]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Me thinks it's time for a trip to Kamchatka for you Chris!

 

[achris]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Boomyal,<br /><br />The second PADI diver I refer to is from there.<br /><br />Chris......

 

[roscoe]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Time to start a school and make some money.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

When they say it's not about money!!!!<br /><br />It's all about "MONEY"!!!!!! <br /><br />It reminds me of the 1st captains school I went to!!! Luckily I didn't pay in advance and after the 1st hr. and had a break I didn't return!!!

 

[PW2]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Sounds like you had a bad experience.<br />I recieved PADI certification years ago and found the training thorough and professional.<br />If the current instruction is generally as poor as you say it is, I suspect there will be lawsuits, and they won't be around for long.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Yeah PW, but before there will be a lawsuit someone will will get hurt or killed. Sad.

 

[JB]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I was snorkeling and SCUBA-ing all over the Pacific in the mid 50s. Oahu, Kwajalein, Guam, Johnston Is.<br /><br />Every bit of "training" I got was from veteran divers and publications. Always formost in my mind was that there are a hundred ways to die doing this and only half of them have been discovered. <br /><br />I dived the way little old lady librarians drive their AMC Gremlins. I suppose it was because of the left handed benefit I had in losing my sense of immortality so young. So many of my peers had this, "Oh, heck. Nothing bad is gonna happen to me." attitude. Not all of them were right.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Originally posted by JB:<br /> I suppose it was because of the left handed benefit I had in losing my sense of immortality so young.

Am I missing something, here, JB, or is it not for us mortals to know?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Originally posted by achris:<br /> Boomyal,<br /><br />The second PADI diver I refer to is from there.<br /><br />Chris......

Well, I'm glad you vented it here then. I want you to tread lightly to insure social tranquility, if ya get my meanin'.

 

[DJ]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I received my certification, many moons ago, from YMCA. (2 nights/week for 5 weeks and a full day of open water diving-Lake Michigan. It's too bad that cert. went by the wayside.<br /><br />I recieved my PADI from a freind, who is an instructor, all in open water.<br /><br />I would not dive today, it's been too long, without a refresher course and much book time.<br /><br />It's not the certification, it's the instruction.<br /><br />I, like JB, never thought of myself as ten feet tall and bulletproof. Much of safety is in the attitude of the diver.<br /><br />I've been on dives where I thought the divemaster should be fired.<br /><br />Much of it boils down to personal responsibility. Unfortuneately, that is something that is sorely lacking in todays society.

 

[JB]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I faced the grim reaper, up close and very personal, at about 20, Boomer. A young Viet Cong spy caught me completely unprepared and announced he was going to kill me. Only luck and very good training made me the survivor. When someone tries to kill you it changes your outlook pretty dramatically. Having to kill a boy solidifies that change.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

Ouch JB! That sure would elicit the premature onset of a sense of immortality, a condition that most of us have to await nature to deliver around the half century mark. Sure glad, though, that you were able to best the Reaper at that early age.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I suspect it varies by site/ instructor. I was PADI certified about 10 years ago. Pretty thorough, including lots of pool time & practice (bouyancy control, mask & regulator torn off underwater, taking off & putting on tanks underwater, shared breathing techniques, etc.) before open water certification part. Manual depth/ time limit/ decompression calculations/ recovery times fully covered, along with other dangers. I know I came away with a healthy respect for the dangers involved in diving.<br /><br />Been years since I dived, & would want a refresher course before I went again, but I'm pretty comfortable that my certification training was pretty thorough (Raleigh, NC).<br /><br />But sounds like at the least PADI has a quality control problem with respect to what different sites/ instructors are teaching...

 

[voodoo]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I too can't understand how a few hours in a nice warm pool and a few short open water dives to 20 feet gets you certified.<br />I certified in 50 degree water with 30 lbs after a freezing 2 hour boat ride. <br />Seperates the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

My certification was by NASDS and YMCA.<br />A few years ago I went out with a friend from work who had recently completed the PADI course at a local lake.<br /><br />When we were gearing up he noticed my dive console which includes tank pressure and diver depth.<br /><br />He was curious about the depth gauge and wanted to know what it was needed for. I just thought Tom was pulling my leg. I told him it was so you would remember how far down you had to go to get Nitrogen Narcosis and could talk to the fishies.<br /><br />He asked what Nitrogen Narcosis was. I then realized my friend was totally in the dark.<br /><br />I sat down and visited with him.<br /><br />He new how to put his gear together, put it on and get under water.<br /><br />He did not know how to clear his mask underwater, how quickly you could ascend, how to figure Residual Nitrogen Time, difference between "K" valves and "J" valves. <br /><br />He had trouble getting his weight right. Class was taught on old steel tanks and his bright, shiny new was was Aluminum.<br /><br />Needless to saw I spent most of our dive time working with him so that he would have a better understanding of the physics of diving.

 

[achris]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

For the record, my first PADI student was 'trained' in Perth, the second in Egypt (Red Sea).<br /><br />Chris......

 

[ZooMbr]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

I'm like DJ; PADI certified, 12 yrs ago. We did 12 pool sessions; miss one you were out. Open water in Puget Sound; burrrr cold!<br /><br />Great instructor! Learned enough to know if I want to dive today I would take a refresher course. Mistakes are costly! Achris, feel for you; I worked with my instructors wife and got to know them quite well, he also took pride in his work and the last thing he wanted was an accident. Very through instructor. I loved the feeling of being suspended, gliding through thew water looking at sea life. Recommend it for everyone - right up there with sky diving.<br /><br />Take care down there!

 

[Realgun]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

OMG what about NAUI thats how I learned at college got a whole credit hour for it. That was 22 years ago. I actually fit in the man small at the time like it was custom. now i would be lucky to fit XL

 

[rudeafrican]

Re: PADI divers, rant.

As some of the other guys have mentioned, it's not PADI per se but rather the quality of the instructor. I'm certified through CMAS and my wife through PADI. He instructor was great and they did many hours of skills training and actual diving before being certified. It all depends on the school and the instructor.