Posted by Ken Kurtis on June 19, 2001 at 18:02:41:
(Thought I'd make this a new thread so whatever discussion ensues doesn't get lost in an already-long-and-active thread.)
As an instructor, store owner, and boat charterer I confess that I REALLY like Kendall's idea of a probationary card. Personally, I'd be comfortable making the conversion at 50 dives, or maybe even 25 (remember that the "average" diver does 12 dives a year). I think a probationary card accomplishes a couple of things:
1. Underscores to newer divers that it's a lengthy learning curve and helps them not get seduced by titles such as "Advanced", "Master", "Specialist", etc. (I can't tell you how often someone asks to do a dive we feel is beyond their capabilities, and the answer back to us is, "But I'm an Advanced Diver!!!")
2. In a perfect world, I'd be tempted (especially if the conversion level was around 25 dives) to require them to be escorted by a qualified Instructor, DM, or AI. This would give a chance for others to give them pointers and advice, and help their education along in a non-classroom situation. In theory, this should help widen the exposure to educational ideas that the timeframe of the traditional class prohibits.
3. I think I'd also be tempted to prohibit them from taking any additional classes until they'd done enough dives to convert from Probationary. Too often we see people who may have logged 50 dives, but they're all in a very controlled class setting. It would force/encourage them to do actual real-world diving (again remembering it would be surpervised) which I think in the long run would be more beneficial than quickie classes that generate cards.
4. From a business standpoint, #3 would encourage dive shops to shift their focus from business entities that primarily sell classes (to sell gear) and force/encourage them to concentrate more on activities (boat dives, beach dives, clubs) that actually encourage real-world diving.
5. Enacting #2 and #3 will actually in the long run create more confident divers because they'll have actually gotten many more supervised/pseudo-instructory dives than under the curent system. It also potentially exposes them to multiple instructors/DMs (and multiple perspectives) in this learning curve.
6. Since they'd be prohibited from taking additional classes, they'll be more encouraged to spend their money on actual diving and even equipment. In the long run this is better for them (I'm a firm believer that you become a better diver by diving in your own - aka the same - gear all the time) and it's a better deal for stores as well.
7. There's also potential for another income stream for the supervising instructors/DMs as it would seem right to charge perhaps $5/dive or some nominal fee for their time, but something not so prohibitively expensive as to discourage people from doing the get-me-off-probation dives. Also gives stores another hook to sell gear as they could offer that any Probationary diver who buys gear from XYZ gets free escorted dives.
Wha's the liklihood of any of this happening??? Hmmmm. Probbaly close to nil. But it's an idea that merits some thought and discussion, even if it's just amongst oursevles.
The floor is open . . .
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, Ca.