Posted by Kendall Raine on October 20, 2000 at 18:17:30:
In Reply to: Experience vs. Training posted by JRM on October 20, 2000 at 16:52:06:
JRM;
The distinction between training and instruction is valid. My sense is most people are willing to train provided they've been given instruction as to how to do it and encouragement to always train. That's my gripe with PADI.
As for liability, I once dropped down a stair case on a wreck at 255 fsw in very silty conditions. I was just dropping down to take a look. I left my penetration reel sitting at the top of the stair case. When I came back out, my reel was gone and the viz was absolute zero. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. My dive partner, who was my former instructor and my mentor, had reeled back out of the wreck and mucked up the passage way. It took me a while, but I found my way out of the wreck. By partner was waiting for me just outside the wreck. I was so happy to be alive I forgot to be pissed. After 100 minutes of deco, and time to think, I realized he'd reeled out to teach me two lessons: 1) Never let go of the guideline in a high silt situation, and 2) Never, ever, loose hope. I'm sure he would have come after me in a few minutes had I not found my own way. With all the dives I had up to that point, I was just a little too sure of myself. I'll never forget that lesson. It turns out that one of my mentor's former students-you might say my predecessor as "mentee," had died on the Doria with him two years ealier in very similar circumstances. My partner was more concerned for my safety, and teaching me to dive more defensively, than he was about his "liability." The thing is, my partner never mentioned my mistakes and why he did what he did. He knew I knew and that was enough.