Posted by JRM on October 18, 2000 at 16:15:37:
OK. You guys sit back and trash the agencies because they certify people *you* feel shouldn't be. That they don't do enough training. You seem to equate lack of training and lack of experience. You can't teach experience. So exactly how do you remedy this? 20 OW dives to get certified? Who could afford that?
This is going to sound really arrogant, kinda like the GUE folks, but here's a quote from George Carlin: "Think of how stupid the average American is, then realize that half of them are stupider than that, because that's what average means." It seems like some people around here want everyone to have a degree in deco theory before they get in a hot tub (yet the material to gain such understanding remains strangely rare). Besides, all the additional training in the world isn't going to stop the panic reflex when something goes south underwater. That will only come with experience. The average diver Joe wants to dive a couple of times a year, at most, generally in some sort of resort setting. So what's wrong with showing them the ropes, and then a brief refresher before they get in the water with their guide?
And what are you going to do in addition to the major agencies? What are you going to teach? With the exception of buddy breathing (left out by PADI now with the commonality of Octos), what is lacking? You get all the basics. CESA, mask off, don & doff mask, BC, reg recovery, OOA situations, entry & exits, bouyancy, etc. It's all covered. You just don't get a bunch of experience. But you can't train for that anyway.
It seems a lot of people bash OW courses for turning out bad divers. I think you are looking at it wrong. OW courses turn out *inexperienced* divers, by definition. And you can't change that, no matter how many agencies you boycott.
Now I understand that the boycott is a function of the DM requirements, and you have a point there. But don't you have to do a bunch of more difficult stuff as part of DM training, like don & duff everything but wetsuit, and map an area underwater? It seems to me that if you can accomplish that stuff you're not all that incompetent. Or are we complaining because instructors let unqualified candidates slide. If that's the case it doesn't matter how stringent the rules are, because they're being ignored. So that's kind of a bind.
I would someday like to be a DM. I think it's a worthy goal. I figure in a year or two I'll be ready to start. And I'll probably only have two hundred dives max. So which one of you are going to raise the bar on that? Besides, I know a a guy preparing to do his DM stuff who has like 100 + dives, all of them at the breakwater in Monterey. He's never even been anywhere else (except maybe to Catalina a couple of times).
I have a solution to this problem. It's called apprenticeship (or mentorship). If you want to up the experience level of divers, volunteer your time (or even take some pay) and bring up a newbie. Get involved. MHK has been doing this with his Yukon and DIR stuff (someday I'd like to be there, sigh...). But that's tech type stuff. Even the more experienced rec divers can take someone under their wing. There are lots of rec dives I'd like to do, but feel uncomfortable doing without someone much more experienced. And those dives are out of my reach (safely, anyway) until I can find someone willing to spend a little time with me.
The clubs are supposed to be an avenue for this. But for those of us who live in dumpy towns without clubs, we're pretty much SOL. I have a hard enough time getting off work to dive, much less drive to L.A. to hit a club meeting. Heck, I even joined the Wreck Divers, but have yet to make it down for a meeting (hopefully this month, fingers crossed).
I guess I just get really frustrated when I hear people bashing the quality of newbie divers. Seems they forget they were new once themselves. This is probably my hot-button topic, mostly because as a newbie it is one I can offer an opinion on. So instead of doing less (boycott), why not do more (mentor)?
JRM
-- newbie, but trying my best to not be