Posted 20 December 2005 - 11:28 PM
I would anwser the question this way, my OW training was enough to enable one to go out and have a fair chance of staying safe enough to get the experience that one needs. The is the "license to learn" concept that is true in many activities including flying.
However, the flying instructional model is more the one I'd rather see in diving. You know from the start that it will take many hours, some $'s, and many skills to master and knowledge to obtain before you are able to pass. At the end of the process you still only have a "licence to learn" but everyone coming out of this training is at a fairly high level and their behavior is more standardized.
With diving some will come out just barely able to dive, will not be exposed to many essential skills and for those who don't dive often some may never have those skills or even know that they are lacking. Many will however turn out just fine through self-motivation just like in any other endeavor. The things that I found to be missing were probably the same ones already mentioned, gas management, understanding tide/current predictions and applying them, different finning techniques, bouyancy skills, navigation skills, buddy skills, etc.