Posted by Wayne on July 24, 2001 at 20:42:32:
In Reply to: A few things that I have been struggling with... posted by MHK on July 24, 2001 at 16:30:40:
PADI has it good points. Let me give an example. On Saturday a young lady came to dive without a C-Card. Hmmm, what to do. She was PADI certified so I logged on the PADI web site, went to the member's toolbox and typed in her birthdate and such and violla, her certification history was on the screen. That is another great thing about PADI, being big can have its advantages.
But these instructors who are doing a poor job need to be weeded out of PADI and all other organizations. Since most instructors are PADI, most bad instructors are PADI (I suppose the same thing can be said about good ones...) it is just the sheer numbers that makes this so.
PADI sends out questionaires to newbies and asks questions that should find gross standards violations (read the one sent to my daughter recently). A problem is that a newbie might not take notice and remember the kind of problems you mention. But without feedback, there is no way that the problem can be fixed from the corporate level. So how do we tell them?
If I had counted 20 students with a single instructor at Casino Point, I would have gotten the name of the instructor and the location of the store (might have had to ask the students). Then I would have writen it up for PADI and sent it in with the demand of being informed of the outcome of the investigation. Same with any improper teaching you see (within the limits of PADI standards, of course*). PADI suspends, discliplines, and on occasion throws out instructors for violations of standards. The latest Undersea Journal had several listed by name as is done in each issue. If a complaint/report is made they will go after it. All of us -- especially PADI members -- want to see continuing improvement. The standards are set by the RSTC (I think thse are the right initials) and followed by PADI and other training organizations. If you see an instructor teaching wrong, go after them. Let's stop the PADI bashing and bash the bad instructors directly. If PADI fails to get them back on the straight and narrow, then PADI is fair game and a fair target.
Wayne
* I mean there are disagreements about how SCUBA should be taught such as GUE's no air >100 fsw, PADI's use of a snorkel on every dive, etc. If you see an instructor teaching the PADI way, don't expect to get PADI t do anything. But, if you find an instructor acting in an unsafe way t doing a poor job of teaching, get on them like white on rice.