4 replies to this topic

[peterbj7]

Walter - a potential student from nearer your neck of the woods than mine (Wisconsin) is visiting Belize in February and wants to learn to dive. She has said she might go to her local YMCA for PADI training.

I don't know whether she means that YMCA now offers PADI courses, or whether she is one of the people I referred to on an earlier thread who uses "PADI" as a generic term for recreational diving. Whatever, if she actually means she will start YMCA training, I want to know if there is such a thing as a "referral" as operated by PADI whereby she can do class and pool with them, and the dives at a resort such as ourselves. If so, can we as a non-YMCA center do those dives for her, such that her home instructor would accept our work and then certify her? If not, can we arrange to be able to?

If that could be done, then I expect YMCA dives are more demanding than PADI's. How many are there (for a basic qualification to dive with a buddy to around 60'), and what skills and other directives are there?

Many thanks. Incidentally, where do you work (as an instructor)?

Peter

Edited by peterbj7, 21 December 2004 - 07:34 PM.

[Walter]

Well, I think everyone is aware that PADI is practically everywhere, while YMCA is much smaller. It's likely that there is no YMCA instructor in her area. While the YMCA of the USA encourages YMCAs to offer Y SCUBA when they offer SCUBA, there are often not enough Y instructors to go around.

Y does offer referrals for open water training. The check out instructor must be either a YMCA Instructor or a Universal Referral Instructor. Unlike in the PADI system, the teaching instructor (not the check out instructor) issues the certification.

Y requires 5 dives - 4 SCUBA and one skin. Required (instructor is required to evaluate the student) SCUBA skills are:

Buoyancy Control, entries, exits, dive planning, navigation, surface snorkeling, snorkel clearing, regulator clearing, regulator recovery, controlled ascents and descents, underwater swimming (evaluate technique - kicking and no swimming with hands), buddy system techniques, body positioning (trim), mask clearing, octopus breathing, (buddy breathing is optional), weight belt removal & replace at the surface, SCUBA system removal & replace (no assistance allowed to pass), ESA, communications (evaluate use of hand signals) and environmental awareness.

Skin diving skills:

Must dive to 9 feet or deeper.

Of course, there are additional restrictions found in most (all?) agencies standards - no night dives, 3 max dives per day, max 60 feet (for all 4 dives - no 40 ft restriction on the first 2), at least 15 minutes, no deco, no penetrations, etc.

Usually, I tell my students what skills we'll be working during a particular dive (of course you should constantly evaluate such skills as underwater swimming, buoyancy control, trim, etc.), then we go have fun with me throwing a skill at them from time to time as we swim around enjoying the dive. I never have my students kneel in the sand anymore, I abandoned that practice years ago, although Y standards do allow it and I suspect most Y instructors still do it. I think this results in a more enjoyable dive for my students and I know it's more fun for me.

[TraceMalin]

The YMCA at which I lifeguard, teach lifeguarding, and assist my master's swimming coach in the off season has a contract with an SSI shop. My boss won't let me teach any scuba courses in the 2 pools even to other lifeguards/swim instructors/coaches for free. I only go in with scuba when they need me to repair tiles and such. When will pools realize they'll make more money if they let more than 1 instructor in the facility? Instructors may threaten to go elsewhere, but usually there aren't many places to go. I've had trouble getting pools in cities like Miami where there are plenty. One of my friends who taught/teaches NASDS & SDI had to become a YMCA instructor to teach at the other area YMCA here.

Trace

[peterbj7]

Is this why YMCA seem to have been left behind in the growth in diving - a rather unimaginative outlook despite admirably high standards?

[Walter]

I don't understand your question.