Posted by randy54 on February 14, 2002 at 11:53:29:
In Reply to: Re: Certification: it's the instructor, stupid. posted by Jim Hoffmann on February 14, 2002 at 10:43:52:
In 1970 I took an SSI o/w class, and in 1999 took a PADI o/w class. In 1970 we did a lot more class room study and pool work, laps and laps everytime before dive gear was donde, but only 1 checkout dive. At the beginning of the class we were told 2 to 3, and when they only wanted to do 1, we got mad, and he relented and added a second, unsupervised dive. He stayed on the beach. In the PADI class, we only swam once, 25yds, the class was less technical, but with the sport tables and dive computers, BC's and even cheap regs be so much better than in 1970, I don't think that hurt. What I liked was haveing to pass 4 open water dives. We had a couple that didn't, and had to redo them. What i realy notice is that once a month or less we hear about a fatality, about the same as in 1970. But there are so many more divers today, something has to account for the percentage change. I think it is better equipment and the emphisis on being a sport diver. I don't recall being taught about recreational limits back then. Everyone was taught to work the navy tables, and off we went.