Posted by Karl S. on January 30, 2003 at 20:24:18:
In Reply to: PADI bashing from a PADI supporter posted by Aaron on January 30, 2003 at 17:17:09:
3 mos and a retest should be long enough homework and detention to help the illiterate lying two-time loser instructor! Unless she is REALLY illiterate! In which case 3 strikes and she will probably be out.
The strength of PADI's rigid system is that they at least achieve a "minimum" standard of diving instruction as long as the instructor follows the required protocols. Granted, the standard is quite low. But it is hard to screw up as an instructor as long as you follow PADI's slates.
A PADI instructor who is a good friend of mine once told me "You can teach a monkey to be a diving instructor with PADI's system." He is a NAUI crossover to PADI, a victim of local politics at one of the local NAUI dive stores in town.
If PADI students Put-Another-Dollar-In for OW1, AOW, & Rescue, then they normally get the dive training equivalent of a NAUI or YMCA OW1. It just costs more, that way.
By the time you get to the divemaster level, PADI & NAUI & YMCA & SSI are probably about the same.
The next benchmark doesnt arrive until the instructor level then.
My 2 Euros worth.