Posted by Aaron on January 30, 2003 at 17:17:09:
The latest issue of PADI’s Undersea Journal has a disturbing article about the consequences of failing to follow PADI’s procedures.
In a nutshell: warm water, boat dive--an instructor assigns an OW student on his 1st OW dive to a DM (to do the “tour”). The student gets separated from the DM and safely surfaces. Another nearby boat picks up the student.
OK, she can’t read the manual and she works with people who also can’t read the manual. #1 DMs can’t do “tours” until OW dive. #2 any competent buddy (much less a DM) will surface when someone is missing for a few minutes.
The plot thickens: When PADI launches an investigation, our hapless instructor tries to deny she assigned the students to a DM. Instead, she claims that the group somehow became separated underwater. Only when confronted with the statements from both the DM and student does she come clean and admit that she assigned the students to a DM.
OK, so she’s illiterate and a liar.
In the course of the investigation it’ also found that she had a previous confirmed violation of PADI standards.
OK, she’s illiterate and a liar and a 2-time loser.
So what’s her punishment? 3 month suspension and retest. Anyone else see a problem with this?