Posted by Jim Hoffmann on July 25, 2001 at 11:37:46:
In Reply to: Here is a bit of the problem... posted by Wayne on July 24, 2001 at 20:42:32:
Hey Wayne, The reason I stop teaching PADI was because I didn’t think PADI corporate cared about little details, (like good instruction).
Here are just a couple of examples.
In the mid-80’s we had one store that was doing all their training dives off the dive
boats(that may not seem like a big deal now but it was then), the standard of the
community at the time was that you did at lest one beach dive (we are in SoCal). I call
and wrote a letter to the training director at the time and I was told, to mind my own business
and that any OW experience would do. I ask could I do all my dives a Lake Paris,
PADI’s training director said, yes that was in standards(it wasn’t in my standards, I have not
certified with PADI since).
I use to have PADI Training and Quality Management, supervisor come into the store. I
didn’t know who he was for a long time, but one day it came out. I ask him what he
thought about the 3 day programs, he said he had never done one, but he had done the two
weekend class and the 4 week classes. His take on this was interesting, the weekend
class did better on the written test and the 4 week class had better water skills(that has to
tell you something).
I ask him about what he thought of OW training where the students only did the
check-out skill and surfaced with no marine tour (no diving) he said that was out of
standards. I told him that he could go to Laguna beach any weekend and see this or for
that matter Casino Point( I told him I would be happy to go with him and show him what
I was talking about). We still see these programs, nothing was done.
Wayne I don’t think that PADI cares about the details(good diving instruction) they only
care about the big picture(how to promote their business).
That’s why I went to NAUI. NAUI may not a big business, but they do care about the little
details.
Jim Hoffmann
NAUI 5888
PADI 6301