Training Agencies

[Andy the Coastie]

OK, who did you first train up with when you first took up diving.

[Mark Chase]

First proper course was PADI OW prior to that I did resort courses with what ever organisation the resort had running.

PADI is a great kick start into diveing but all the courses I took with PADI after that were pants. TDI appear to run the more realistic technical courses in terms of depth qualification and cost but I have no comparison fro standard of training at that level.

Still want to do the GUE course but they wont let me

Mark Chase

[John Gulliver]

My experience of PADI courses is very different from Mark's. I did the old AOW course about a year and 50 dives after OW and thought it was a pretty good course. The Rescue Diver and Divemaster courses were both excellent. I must have had better instructors than Mark. I've also done the Swedish Sportdiving Federation's (CMAS) Basic Nitrox course, which was also very good.

[daz]

My experiences of PADI training have been mixed.  My OW and AOW were both pretty poor really (Resort courses on holiday).

The Rescue diver and divemaster course were both excellent.  Both done with the same group of instructors in the UK.

I do believe that regardless of agency it comes down to the intructor(s).  

For technical courses I think there are better agencies than PADI but I think overall for non tech courses the presentation, media and manuals from PADI is very good.

Daz

[Dr Stevil]

Started diving with the Uni BSAC Club in '97, no way could I have afforded to do the PADI way on that kind of income, for folk on a budget you can't beat a Uni Club   pity that it was spoilt by the stereotypical 'club clique' mentality, but never looked back since binning it  
Chee-az
Steve

[Stu Sheridan]

Started off with an SAA club - SHUG - st helens underwater group.
Left after about eight months cos the DO was one of the biggest tossers i've ever met - scum rises to the top in any broth an all that.
Nowt wrong with the training, just the trainer.
I'm a BSAC nazi now! Down with PADI
Stu.

[sprozman]

Did padi OW and AOW on holiday in Sharm this year.

I'm wanting to join a BSAC club at moment, want to find a good one in Leeds/W Yorks area, if anyone knows one let me know.

[Rob Evans]

Did PADI OW,AOW & RD & some specialities (Nitrox, Wreck, Eqpt) with a great UK instructor. Since then it's been a mix of TDI & IANTD, mostly TDI.  No complaints, but I have had the 'Wanker DO' scenario at a local SAA club.  He wanted to see my logs/quals so I could cross over. No problem.  Went down to pool night, spent an hour in the drink practising stage removal on the RB, then afterwards showed him what logs I had (never been that fastidious). He came out with "Well I've seen this sort of thing before, all those quals you've got we teach in the pool, and the last PADI guy we crossed over had loads of dives, but all in lakes."
He was reminded that neither CCR nor trimix was the sort of thing the SAA taught in pools, nor was a mix&stage loaded RB the sort of thing I would buy to prat about in bloody lakes.
Quickly gave him a run down of the most recent dives stored in me Stinger (eyes widened) then asked him how much he'd done recently.  He went away quietly.  One of the other guys in the club told me to ignore the tosser, nobody pays any attention to him cos he's hardly dived at all in the last couple of years.
Not what keen new members want though is it? Especially as another local BSAC club welcomed me with open arms, 'hideous' PADI training and all.

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (sprozman @ July 20 2003,01:35)]I'm wanting to join a BSAC club at moment, want to find a good one in Leeds/W Yorks area, if anyone knows one let me know.

We've got a couple of Leeds BSAC guys on the board, Paul Beal who is currently Leed Uni SAC DO, and Richard Greenwood(surname ?) who is in a non-Uni leeds club, not sure if I've seen him post here lately though.

I should have said I'm still in a BSAC club and my membership is still current but I haven't dived with the guys yet as it's a kind of 'virtual club' with no club fees - best of both worlds really

Steve

[Richard Greenwood]

Steve, yes I'm still here - just lurking at the moment, as I haven't had much opportunity to get into the fora for a while (been really busy with work etc.).

Anyway, Sprozman (sp?), I'm a member of Leeds BSAC. Drop me a pm & I'll put you in touch with contacts at the Branch.