TRAINING
Is It Time To Reconsider How We Teach Scuba Diving? by Harry Truitt , Owner, Lighthouse Diving, WA
W E HAVE ALL recently heard that our industry has suffered multiple litigation cases and some might even challenge the safety of the scuba course as well as the standards of teaching. Make no mistake that our scuba industry has taught millions of people to dive successfully and safely. However, is it time to review our standards and procedures and how we apply them to the current customers and diving students signing up today? I remember the days when NAUI, PADI, LA County, NASDS, YMCA, and other certifying groups used to run difficult and extensive washout courses. The student had to prove that they could pass that gauntlet and make it before they were certified, or we would fail them. The types of students we would get were outdoor types, and they seemed to do well in these longer and more difficult courses. However, times have changed.
Today, our customers grew up indoors, playing video games, and are skilled with computers. Many are glued to their cell phones using hundreds of apps. Some even have less physical activity than previous generations. In the late 1970’s PADI had several dive stores in the country that tried out a new outline of teaching scuba that was a shorter version of the old course. Lighthouse Diving Center was one of those dive stores, and my partner, the late Joe Liburdi, taught one of these shorter courses. He thought it was an acceptable way to teach scuba by simplifying the course, eliminating some of the pool training games and lecture material. The thinking was the real training would happen in open water anyway. This raises the question of whether we should review and revise our standards and procedures for open water courses. Should we use the same standards and teaching methods for cold water and warm water, poor visibility and good visibility,
38 | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker