Harvard Vs. Yale. An age old question. I guess it depends on where you went. If you went to Yale I you would probably say that it was better. Of course on the same note if you went to Harvard that would be the better school. So why should divie schools be any different. Oh I bet you thought I was going to talk about college.


I keep hearing about this same old argument about which certification is better. PADI or NAUI of course there are others, but those seem to be the most popular. I was reading an article the other day and at the end it had a forum to discuss briefly the articles. In one of the responses to the article it was said that PADI was "The fast food of diving" not sure what that means exactlly. All right yes I know what it meant. And being a PADI certified diver I was just a little offended by this. I mean really just because (I assume he was a NAUI cert. diver) you went to a different school than I did, it shouldn’t mean that I am less quilified.


I tried looking into the differences in the certifications and as I was I realized something. Although NAUI required a few more dives for open water, There wasn’t much else different. Except the price, and the amount of NAUI certified dive shops. Face it, there are less NAUI dive shops than there are PADI.


I guess the point I’m trying to make is that there has to be a point where the individual is responsible for what they learn. The dive shop can only do so much, the instructor can only do so much. They can make sure that you know and understand the risks, saftey, and instruct you in the safest and best way to use the trainning and equipment. But the ultimate responabilty is on each and everyone of us to conduct ourselves and to use that information.


On another note. If you are an instructor and no matter if you are NAUI or PADI you should have the responsability not only to your dive center, to yourself, and to your students. To be able to determine if that student is ready for the certification you are about to give them. I know I would feel better knowing that my instructor had the concern for my saftey, (in the event that I would have not been ready for my certification) if she had suggested that I do more instruction before she would certifie me.


I think it’s time for personal responsibility. A time when we say I am responsable for my own actions and not the institution or the instructor, But me alone. If I don’t understand I ask questions. If I am not ready for a class I don’t take it. If I do something and I am not quaified it is nobodies fault but mine if something happens to me.


So be safe, be prepared, be resposible. Maybe I will see you on the bottom