From: dave@hpdstma.hpl.hp.com (Dave Waller)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Re: Certification racket
Date: 28 Jul 92 22:24:27 GMT
Distribution: rec.scuba
Organization: Hewlett Packard

In article <1992Jul28.151551.8886@linus.mitre.org>, m16532@mwunix (Steven Bayer) writes:
|> Recently, a woman went with me and nine other experienced divers to 
|> Roatan (CocoView).  She had recently been certified for basic Open 
|> Water I (the organization's name doesn't matter).

Well actually, it does. Differences in the certification requirements for various organizations is becoming greater these days, not smaller. While I am not intending to slam any particular organization, some certifying agencies are tuning their programs with the goal of making certification easier so that more people can participate at the most basic level, stratifying training and knowlege into a variety of courses for those that maintain an interest and want to go further.

Other certifying agencies hold to the view that, once you give a student an Open Water I certification, they are now licensed, in a sense, to dive anywhere under any conditions they themselves are willing to dive in, and therefore an instructor cannot assume the student will adhere to the stricter limitations of their basic certification. Therefore, the information and skills covered in the basic class should prepare the diver to be competent without further training, in most common recreational situations





 they may find themselves in.

|> When one of my dive partners learned to dive many years ago, he had to 
|> go through a very extensive and long series of classes and pool sessions,
|> followed by serveral open water checkouts.  He learned all about dive
|> safety, navigation, had to ditch his gear, swim a bunch, learn to id lots
|> of animals, etc. He is rather appalled at the level of instruction given
|> today.

What you describe your partner having gone through is very similar to what the YMCA standards are still today. Ditch and recovery of gear, basic rescue techniques, a minimum of (from memory) 18 hours classroom work, local environment and life, etc. etc. are all partof the YMCA Standards that MUST be met in any YMCA certification course. There is no latitude for an instructor to leave these things out, but plenty of latitude to include more at their discretion.

With some other agencies, the minimum requirements are quite a bit narrower, and as such the views of what should and should not be included that the instructor has can play a very large role in just exactly what is included.

|> Now, my friend gets certified and is told not to dive below 60 without
|> taking another class,

The YMCA has a similar restriction, except that the recommendation is to limit diving to 60 feet or shallower until the diver has gained a certain amount of EXPERIENCE under their belt (in the form of 10 dives or so -- again, I'd have to look at my lecture notes or the standards to give you the exact number). Of course, student are encouraged to take additional training to learn topics that are outside the scope of the basic course (such as the Scuba Lifesaving and Accident Management course, a.k.a. Rescue





 Diver, Advanced certification to cover things like altitude diving and other topics, etc.), but we feel quite confident that anyone who leaves our class is competent to dive without significant restriction without ever taking another class.

Pleae don't misunderstand me to be saying that this is not the case for other instructors. I am simply accounting our own methodology and opinion.

Dave Waller
YMCA Instructor
Newsgroups: rec.scuba