Cowboy Dive Operators!

HI Eryk,

You happen to work for a PADI CDC Center?

Eryk, where you coming up with this stuff? ANY PADI Dive center and indeed ANY PADI instructor has to abide by the same standards and procedures. As stevenl asks.. do you work for/own a PADI CDC/National Geographic center?

Probably some bad experiences in Vietnam.

I've been misled by many divecentres purporting to be PADI centres, when they are not.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and yes I'm aware that standards SHOULD be the same, but get real!

I've found that these awards in Asia seem to actually mean something!

Eryk

Eryk, I have to agree with you however even a IDC or CDC centre can still be cowboys.
I like many others thought I should do a PADI O/W course, I went to a PADI CDC centre, I did a SSI course and recieved a PADI card.
I told PADI by way of email, never heard back from them. The dive center is now a SSI dive centre but still offers PADI certifications after doing a SSI course.
In Australia not long ago I went to a PADI IDC/CDC centre.
They had no pool, no boat and the CDs lived over 5 hours drive away. Yet they held a IDC/CDC centre certification.
The best operator I ever dived with had no affilation with any agency other than the instructors agency. They had PADI, NAUI and BSAC instructors, they were the best.

Hi Eryk

I agree with your sentiments. However, in any & every profession there are unfortunately Cowboys. Everyone looking to take a course or go diving should meet their Instructor before booking. See if you like them and trust them. Don't just meet the 'front-man' who will probably be a brilliant salesperson. Meet the person who will be teaching you!

I run a PADI CDC & Nat Geo centre as you know. Hope you enjoyed your time with us. Where are you now?

Jeremy

Totally agree with above, don't think that because centres can advertise 5 star/gold palm means they are the best, I have kown accidents happen unfortunately, with many of these so called PADI 5 star - sometimes they get too big for their own boots and service/safety goes to the bottom of their priority list compared to income...

Meet the Instructor/check our the equipment, size of groups and dive site they recommend. Some places take novice divers to dives sites I would only go to after having a license!

bullshit post.

You need a PADI instructor who has their credential up to date (= paid their fees), that's all.

Meet the instructor. Use your people judgement skills. Do you communicate well with the instructor? Does he/she seem a responsible person?

The simple fact of the matter is that the DC can only be as good as the people who own/run/staff it. Like anything some will be better than others and the problem with this is that when diving you are putting a lot of trust in the people you use. Talk to as many local instructors as possible, I know when working as a Dive Master myself if someone wasnt going to dive with me I would suggest a few other centres that I knew to be responsible and safe, it should not all be about getting money in the register.!

While working in a backpacking diving town the main obsticle I found to this was people trying to save money on the cost of their diving, this to me was astonishing, especially considering the inexperience of some of the divers.

In an ideal world PADI would operate a "secret shopper" style system to every centre carrying its name but unfortunately with the size of the organisation this is just not possible, it is therefore down to you, the diver, to use every resource and bit of common sense available to you. Next time why not post on here and other impartial forums see where people have been etc.
As above chack out the gear, meet people who have been diving with them, talk to instructors.