So Trace what is this PDIC training agency?
Vinny,
PDIC, the Professional Diving Instructors Corporation, originated after breaking off from NASDS (National Association of Scuba Diving Schools). John Gaffney had founded the NASDS in the early 1960's with the idea of quality control in the diving industry. At the time, a diver could become an instructor with NAUI or the YMCA by simply submitting an outline for teaching. Gaffney believed that scuba instructors should be trained how to be instructors and for that purpose started the Professional Diving Instructors College in California. All NASDS instructors had to attend the school to learn how to teach diving from instructor trainers who were trained to instruct diving in the military and most of which were former US Navy UDT, scuba and hard hat diving instructors. Gaffney also believed that instructors should operate retail stores that would provide full service sales, repair and air fills during the infancy of recreational diver training. In the early 1970's, the Professional Diving Instructors College broke off from NASDS and renamed themselves the Professional Diving Instructors Corporation. The headquarters moved from CA to PA. PDIC believed in the complete course concept which meant that we'd teach thorough courses such as rescue in the open water course, and decompression procedures in advanced open water. Unfortunately, the chop courses into the bare bones approach of other training agencies means that PDIC is going to have to start separate certs for rescue, deco, etc.
Many GUE instructors were PDIC instructors prior to the creation of GUE or still are today. These would be:
Jarrod Jablonski (PDIC Instructor)
Andrew Georgitsis (PDIC Instructor Trainer)
Bob Sherwood (PDIC Instructor Trainer)
Dan MacKay (PDIC Instructor)
Marcus Werneck (PDIC Instructor Trainer, Director of PDIC Brasil)
All GUE's South America instructors were PDIC.
~ Trace
