Posted by RaiderKarl on June 11, 2001 at 17:14:51:
In Reply to: Thought for today... posted by MHK on June 11, 2001 at 16:32:26:
I dont believe PADI has lowered the bar, Mike.
They have just figured out a way for everyone to Put-Another-Dollar-In while getting over the same bar. If Jack or Jane Recreational Diver spent $750 up front and completed OW1, AOW, & Rescue back to back, then they would be getting truly an excellent diving education. That would entail 4 O/W dives, 5 AOW dives, and 6 rescue dives, over a period of 4 weeks.
The only problem I see is the false illustion that an OW1 diver might have of himself/herself after an OW1 class. The PADI OWSIs try hard to encourage all of their graduating OW1s to take AOW.
And they then encourage all the graduating AOWs to take rescue. And they try hard to get many of the Rescue grads to become D/Ms. Total ticket for such a diver development program: $250 + $250 + $250 + $500 + D/M books (about another $500) = $1750.
Mike, it is not a perfect world with one universal view of diving. GUE and DIR certainly have valid food for thought worth sharing. But whether or not there is truly one view of diving and one way to teach it that is better than all other ways, seems to me to be doubtful.
The PADI OWSI's you met this past weekend are also involved in getting up to speed in order to develop PADI's own "tek" diving program, which is really an extended range on air class, with Nitrox as a deco/offgassing mix. Some of the PADI OWSIs you met have been diving their entire lives. They are committed to PADI, and they do their best to make PADI successful.
PADI's strength lies in the fact that all its materials and procedures are very detailed and standardized for teaching new divers. In that sense it seems to me to have raised the bar. Although I suspect that since they certify 75% or more of all new OW1s that they will always suffer from the illusion and the accusation that they are lowering the bar all the time.
If the dive insurance companies shared your view of PADI, then they would not issue dive insurance to PADI dive leaders. But they do, for a mere $250 to $350 per year, for D/Ms or OWSIs respectively. They must feel comfortable about that. Its like the old joke about putting ones money where ones mouth is. They do it.
I dont mean this to be a FLAME. I hope it doesnt sound like one.
/s/ Karl S.
PADI D/M