Posted by JohnB on June 18, 2001 at 15:07:44:
In Reply to: Re: And Jeff... posted by Jeff B on June 18, 2001 at 14:14:07:
You wanted to compare flight school with OW training so I went there. Really NO comparison. One thing is that those OW students will be certified diver about 45 minutes after that moment. What MHK stated was that why train 'em wrong first ? I think its ok for them to do the mask thing kneeling too BUT in a pool and only to get rid of the water fear THEN to do it right in open water before they are given a C-card. It should not be kneeling as the LAST test before being certified but an opener to the class! I myself (and I believe MHK) might suggest a longer more "in depth" (no pun) teaching format and some real life skills (masks rarely get displaced while kneeling)before a certification is issued and perhaps a periodical Retraining or retesting requirement. This would keep the instructors employed and may help divers get together more instead of HAVING to figure out ways to get new people involved just to break even (money is a fact of life in the U.S.) The classes might take a bit longer and of course the fee's would have to go up some but the re-testing requirement may help offset those costs (also, C-cards do NOT cost 25 bucks to make in fact the price is 34 cents including paperwork so the big orgs could ease some of the money woes there). I (we?) are not suggesting death to the industry, just don't sell the students short, have them REALLY prepared for some common situations before you hand them a license to die. It stands to reason that the FIRST class should be the HARDEST. My PADI advanced OW would compare to licensing grade school kids to drive cars. If I had to rely on the skills taken from a supposedly advanced course in some of the situations I have seen and been in, I would be dead now. They don't have to be "tech" divers just able to handle common things like buoyancy, surprise mask loss, 2nd stage loss, etc., without panic (which IS the worst enemy!) I just want to ease a point across that really most new OW divers are NOT prepared to be in the ocean and lowering requirements is not a good way to improve safety and efficiency (even Proficiency) It is soo obvious, just watch the classes at any beach (Catalina good example) and know that in less than an hour ALL of those same people are going to be able to obtain and use gear ALONE in open water where surprises DO happen.