Posted by MHK on October 16, 2000 at 14:28:36:
In Reply to: Re: PADI sells out, yet again... posted by brianc on October 16, 2000 at 12:42:20:
I agree that positive and constructive comments are applicable. I'll take this opportunity to mention that have had made many, many positive comments and suggestions to Steve Clifford and Karl Shreeves ( PADI VP's ) I even went to the unusual step of agreeing to do a tech dive with Karl Shreeves.
The impression that I was left from both of the VP's and after several discussions is as follows:
The courses are written with the mindset that the instructor has limited, if any, room to deviate from the course. The underlying theory is that to the extent then a problem arises any future litigation with put the PADI system on trial and not the individual instructor. So the instructor is precluded from deviating from the course outline. Moreover, it is the agency's responsibility to set the tone and the standards. That starts from the top and trickles down. If the agency heads are ducking from cover under the notion of our lawyers advise us..... then what is left is that the standards have been approved by legal council and can stand up in court.
How about worryimg more about teaching people how to dive and less about the minumum your lawyer tells you, you can do...
I have been less than forecful in my comments with respect to PADI, but I'm troubled by the fact that this mentalilty may expand into the tech market. Tech diving demands more from the student not some set of lawyer reviewed standards that focus on positive reinforcement and dumbed down standards...
Do they plan on telling there students that " In the unlikely event you find yourself in decompression..."
Five years ago PADI was espousing that Nitrox was voodo gas and snake oil now they believe that they can educate the masses in trimix.. Virtually nothing about Nitrox and trimix has changed in the last 5 years, in terms of knowledge and technology, so if it was snake oil 5 years ago why isn't it now??
We hear all the time that it's the instructor, not the agency.. But if PADI won't let the instructor deviate from the course, and PADI sets the standards than they must be held accountable when the standards become inexucusably low..
Regards