Posted by Kendall Raine on April 25, 2001 at 12:04:12:
In Reply to: Kinderscuba posted by Jim Hoffmann on April 23, 2001 at 14:35:58:
I have a seven year old daughter. She swims like a fish. She wants to try scuba. Is she a candidate for this program. Absolutely. Will I allow her to do it when she turns eight? NFW. When she does learn to dive, it won't be with a PADI instructor. That's certain.
As for PADI, what do you expect? The organization is a disgrace. Funny, but Karl Shreeve's article in Skin Diver about helium is getting trashed on the decompression list. That list is extremely genteel reflecting the fact that many subscribers are hyperbaric scientists and decompression model builders. While people there are too polite to say it, the consensus is Karl doesn't know what he's talking about and is either perpetuating old wives' tales or shilling for PADI's new deep air course, or both.
The point is, PADI is getting it at both ends. I disagree with MHK that PADI has lost its soul, though. I don't think PADI ever had one. I do agree they've lost their minds. The organization has done some good things over the years, but it seems to me that those days are over. I dropped my membership several years ago and threw away my DM card. I have zero respect for them.