Should dive training be in the form of a license where one is required to demonstrate proficiency and the license requires periodic renewal?
Yes
No
I'm on the fence
Should Dive Certifications be a "license"
Should dive training be in the form of a license where one is required to demonstrate proficiency and the license requires periodic renewal?
No, it shouldn't be a licence. But there should be some better to "help" those with a LONG surface interval.
Hell no,
I already paid once to get this thing, now you know there will of course be a fee involved. Plus, I am too busy diving to show some schmuck that works part time at my LDS that I know how to clear my mask.
They offer refresher courses and many resort destinations provide or offer a dive guide if you feel the need.
got to say NO, getting a basic OW c card is already a joke so renewing would be even a bigger joke
No. Many divers (and maybe all who frequent discussion lists like this one) have no need to be re-evaluated. And in my experience here in Thailand, divers who haven't been in the water for a while welcome an easy dive with lots of attention to ease them into their dive holiday, as our resident locksmith has pointed out.
However, there should be some procedure for suspending a cert that has been awarded.
Originally Posted by Quero
Oh boy, now that is a job for me. I can't imagine going up to some total tool and asking to see their C-Card. Then confiscate it, talk about a war!
Re-Certs
You all bring up good points... I support a verification process...
What that process should be, how it should be administered, and all the
details that go along with a verification process opens up an opportunity for
someone with the right motivation to organize the neccessary resources.
I also support remedial training for those who are found to need remedial
training through the verification process that enables them to retain their C-card.
Then again what do we gain by the process? I am sure there are none to
little data on divers being injured due to not being proficient in performing a
dive due to lack of diving over a period of time. What will be the gain? If one
divers life is saved, would that be worth it. I belive it is, but we live in a world
were everyting is based on the all mighty buck.
I support a verification process that is fair, just and reasonable.
Lars
Explore, understand, protect
"Let's go Diving"
Every one is focused on how it would inconvenience them and interfere with their diving. How do you deal with the diver who may dive once or twice a year? Who has gear that isn't serviced regularly? The same gear that is life sustaining, unless it is miss-used/abused, in which case, that very same equipment becomes an instrument of death? The diver who will not attend to their gear, will not do anything to sustain the skills learned in class.
So, what to do?
1. Check the logbook of the diver. Sure they can lie about previous dives, but now they are willfully deceiving.
2. Demand a 5-10 minute basic skills test. I have seen this demand exercised
3. Have an expiration date on the C-card. Re certification is by verification of some sort of documentation by an Instructor. This also, is being done at this very moment by a certain organization.
4. An additional level certification card could be presented in lieu of the re certified diver's original card. Showing that additional training has been pursued.
I am sure there are other ideas, thought up by people far smarter than I.
Before every one screams "hang the heretic" or "it is my right to do as I so please". Let me ask you, who guarantees that "right" to dive? How is that "right" provided? We are pursuing a recreational activity, by which numerous businesses have been established to assist us, encourage us, entice us to enjoy. Does not the whole premise of FUN fall flat when the participants ignore the established protocol for exercising and reveling in this recreation? If one is not practicing safe diving habits, how is that fun for the rest of diving population? If you are on the boat, or in the water with one of these individuals, how are you going to enjoy the dive knowing that they are incompetent, unpractised, and a serious danger to the rest of that boat? You see their poor diving could result in an accident, cutting short your dive or just ruining a good time for all others. For what? So that poor diver can exercise their "right" to dive? The rest of the dive boat/community must suffer due that diver's incompetence?
A standard must be set and maintained, FOR ALL.
If there are better ideas, I would welcome them. This prospect is not pleasant to contemplate.
I actually think it is the operators and instructors (anyone collecting a fee for their services related to diving) that should be liscensed. The SCUBA industry has done a rather good job over the years of policing its own ranks, and I think the liscensing of divers would erode that base away. We have driver's liscenses that have to be renewed every so often and look at how many stupid people there are behind the wheels of automobiles; so what makes anyone think that it would be any different with diving? The instructors and operators need to be held accountable for their actions if they accept so much as a nickle from a diver; arguing over whether the diver died due to plain or gross negligence is somewhat stupid in my mind.
I think we certification should be optional. If you want to kill yourself, who am I to stop you?
There have been dives that I called, because I did not feel I had the skills, or equipment, or weather, or whatever to do the dive. If I did and something happened, bottom line is I would be the one to die or become injured and I would be responsiable for myself. Obviously dive operators and such need to cover their rear ends, so they check c-cards and such, but is there really any law that requires you to be certified?
When growing up, my next door neighbor bought some used gear at a yard sale and would go diving in a local river treasure hunting. It was only 10 feet of water or so, but he had NO formal training at all. Even 10 feet can be deadly. He was also a police officer, so he would get his cylinder filled at the fire station.
So really in the end, all it will be is another way for the training agencies to charge for something else.
Reply With Quote
