In Reply to: There are NOT 966,000 new divers each year posted by Ken Kurtis on July 06, 2006 at 16:26:23:

Ken,

I must be judicous in my comments since Chris has banned me from this list, and as a result I don't have the customary and usual access my opponents have on this list.

That said, and I swear to God Ken, I'm not trying to split hairs with you. If you feel I am please call me and/or e-mail privately and we can discuss it. I can't get a fair shake on this list.

You suggest that you want are a stickler for attribution and getting facts correct, but yet go on to imply I suggested that 966,000 was new divers in the US. I did no such thing I simply cut and pasted from PADI's very own website. In all candor, I left out NAUI, SSI, SDI. YMCA, BSAC, CMAS, et. al.. The point isn't whether it's "new" divers, the point is that classes such as "advanced", "nitrox", "deep air" et. al. are fataly flawed irrespective of the alphabet soup. I'm teaching an opening night of my DIR-F class Tuesday night, 10 minutes from your shop, I invite you and everyone else on this list to show up and see 1st hand what I teach, what I speak out against, and I firmly believe that in the absence of the cyber hyperbole, you'll see my true intentions.

The salient issue isn't whether PADI brags about 966,000 certs, it's that in addition to them, there are many other agencies certifying way too many divers in areas that are not supported by the respective rating. Ask yourself, at the end of an "advanced class", do you believe the diver is an Advanced Diver? At the end of a "wreck diving specialty" is the diver qualified to be a wreck diver? Is a "Nitrox" class represantative of a diver qualified to dive Nitrox, even if they never got in the water?

I'm not sure if this post will remain on this list, but if it does and I don't respond, please presume that it isn't as a result of lack of will..

Later

• Re: Re: There are NOT 966,000 new divers each year msblucow 00:08:57 07/07/06 (1)
  • Probably Diver Z 06:12:09 07/07/06 (0)