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Posted by Retired Instructor on November 06, 2009 at 21:57:09:

In Reply to: Online SCUBA certification? posted by Chris on November 06, 2009 at 17:11:28:

We live in a society of instant gratification and entitlement. Where the easy way is the way most sought. Where acknowledgement is freely given where no accomplishment has been made. Where failure is the fault of others as there is no longer personal responsibility for one's actions.

I don't have a problem with an on-line learning experience as a supplement to training -if its like studying the physics behind the physiology. But I suspect people will just bounce through these courses, get the "right" answers on any tests and end up as weekend guests of our local chamber... and I don't mean 'of commerce'.

To be honest, any untrained moron can strap a tank on, dive in and with a bit of luck have a dive where they actually live to talk about it. Go out and buy the dive flag shark and smack it on the family SUV. Show the C Card and talk about how many dozens of dives they've done in Carribean waters.

But Lady Luck is a bitch. Eventually she'll call in her chips like when the mask floods or a piece of equipment malfunctions.

Popping to the surface with a mouthfull of bloody froth people will wonder aloud "how could this have happened?"

It scares me to go on an open dive boat. I see too much ego and too little training. Too much fancy gear and an absolute absence of physical conditioning. "Divers" who know enough to do a giant stride but not enough to swim into the current or navigate BACK to the boat. People who couldn't swim a decent distance even if their lives depended on it, well, SURPRISE!!! their lives may very well depend on knowing how to swim. We call them 'statistics in training'.

People will pay a premium for a fast and easy course of certification. What used to take six weeks is now compressed into days. Fortunately most of these will stop diving before their tenth dive and hopefully will have enough fear to stay shallow. They will call themselves "divers".

Yeah, right.




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