Rescue course

[chrisch]

Originally Posted by Lou

I would agree entirely with you on this. There is little reason not to include some rescue skills at OW. It would be better even if there could be some differentiation in the PADI course structure for those intending to dive as a serious hobby, compared with those who only want a ticket for occasional or holiday diving. This would allow for rescue skills on the heavy duty path at an earlier stage.
Lou

I think you might start another fight here!

I believe though that we are all agreed there should be some rescue skills early on in diver training. It seems to me that the holiday PADI OW is just the sort of candidate that might need them.......

(As a matter of interest now that IANTD has an OW program does anyone know if it includes some rescue skills - sorry for the tangent).

Chris

[Lou]

Originally Posted by chrisch

I think you might start another fight here!

I don't mean to!!

I thought I was being quite diplomatic

Lou

[darthmoll]

QUOTE=Lou]OK, this was just from my experience, watching the other divers on the RD course that I went on. I felt that some of the other divers, generally those with minimal experience, although completing the individual tasks competently struggled when they had to put them into practise on the final rescue scenario.
Lou[/quote]


I am not sure that has much to do with the individual divers, it probably has more to do with the stressful situation they suddenly find themselves in, not many people respond well under examination, and a well crafted scenario stretches them to the limit when they are normally tired and hungry at the end of a very busy two days.


Lou[/quote]
I bow to your experience. I guess my point was that there are usually greater time pressures with PADI. Again, I accept that it comes down to the instructor (and I have had training by both good and bad) but when you are in a big group the timetable is defined for the weekend and you can fail or pass - there is little scope for repeating and repeating skills within the same session.
Lou[/quote]


Not true, if you are not good enough you fail, rather you don’t pass, and if you require to be certified you must attend another session, any instructor that passes people according to the diary needs to be removed from teaching status.


Lou[/quote]
This has not necessarily been my experience, although this is a sign of a bad instructor the pressures are probably greater on a PADI instrcutor, working for a school/shop.
Lou[/quote]


The pressure may be greater, but good instructors can deal with pressure, no pun intended, and will not certify people that require further training, if you dive with me, and do not finish the course inside the time you have paid for; you pay per session until you are finished/certified, just like learning to drive, you dont get a cert just because you came to the course every day, IMB you have to be able to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.


Lou[/quote]
I would agree entirely with you on this. There is little reason not to include some rescue skills at OW. It would be better even if there could be some differentiation in the PADI course structure for those intending to dive as a serious hobby, compared with those who only want a ticket for occasional or holiday diving. This would allow for rescue skills on the heavy duty path at an earlier stage.
Lou[/quote]


I was agreeing with you until you suggested a two tier certification, all divers should be able to rescue from underwater, IMHO.


Lou[/quote]
Once again this is not a slating of PADI. I think that I have come out of the programme a repsonsible and moderately capable diver. I would still stand by my assertion that taking your training slow and easy, rather than rushing from one ticket to the next is a good way to help that happen.
Lou[/quote]


Ticket chasing for the sake of getting a new badge is not what I am suggesting, RD training on the other hand is very important, after all this person didn’t ask about some weird and wonderful PADI course, as far as I am concerned it is a must have qualification, and the sooner the training is undertaken the better.


Sorry i cant work out how to get the quotes to work the way you did, so i gave up.

[Ratbag]

I called yesterday to find out the cost of the course....OUCH!!!!!

However, I know someone will say 'you can't put a price on safety'...

point taken but still.....it IS a bit expensive...

[darthmoll]

how much is the course, if you dont mind me asking

[Ratbag]

I was told £340 each...that, in my book, is a lot of money....

[Lou]

I see your point entirely, Darthmoll - I just don't often see it happen this way. My reason for differentiation was simpy that it would be another day on the training and I don't know how sustainable that could be worldwide for PADI. The principle that everyone should be rescue trained from the start is probably indisputable - the proacticalites may be different in the world-wide picture. However as instrcutors can add local elements at their discretion (I believe) maybe UK operators should or could consider this as an offering off their own backs at OW level?

When I was looking for RD courses they were mostly £200-£250. I don't know if they are still that level?

Lou

[edward]

£295 at our 'local' in Reading, divestyle.

[Ratbag]

Hmmmmm....maybe I should look for a discount...our local is in Oxford...not a million miles away.

[Simon TW]

yeah, money is a it of a buggar, when you go to the dive centre cash in hand and you intend to book on the RD course...... then in the glass cabinet there is some nice new shiney bit of kit.... what will you do?