what makes a diving agency a diving agency?

[Akimbo]

As would an IMCA/DCBC/HSE/ANSI/ACDE Certified Commercial Diver with a Mixed-Gas/Closed Bell Ticket. Go figure....

To be fair, not many people outside the industry know these organizations or the signifigance of a Mixed-Gas/Closed Bell Ticket. I have talked to working dive masters that didn't know what a saturation diver was. This thread was enlightening to me: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/433006-what-do-you-call-gear.html

 

[Moonglow]

Interesting. In practice, it is hard to believe that an active-duty US Navy SEAL or Diver with a valid ID would be denied an air fill.

We'll air fill anyone, with or without a card; the paperwork insures us from any responsibility on how the filled tanks are to be used. We'll give you all the trimix you want, what you do with it is your decision. The c-cards are required for continuing education from our instructors and for diving with our groups.

 

[agilis]

Fixed it for you.

The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) covers the United Kingdom which is comprised of (last time I checked) England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And isn't it Wales/Welsh?

I think it's a splendid idea to self-certify, to create one's own c card. Who else knows your diving skills better than you? A personal custom card is probably better than one from agencies that issue specialty cards that are absurd and idiotic on their face: 'Solo Diving' certification is an example. The logical extension of this kind of thing might be Uncertified Diving Certification.

 

[Hickdive]

The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) covers the United Kingdom which is comprised of (last time I checked) England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And isn't it Wales/Welsh?

The UK is indeed those countries however, as the BSAC well knows, they have no UK governing-body status, much as they would like to think so.

If you disagree then you'll no doubt be able to point me in the direction of the UK-wide organisation that determines governing-body status for all sports and the mechanism by which they appointed BSAC as "UK governing body".

 

[boulderjohn]

You can start your own agency, but one of the hurdles is finding someone who will insure you. Andrew Georgitsis started UTD about four or five years ago -- as far as I know, he is not a member of the RSTC, but he does have insurance, so somebody vetted his standards and found them acceptable to insure.

I know something about that. It was not automatic by any means. UTD does not teach CESA, and that was an issue that had to be resolved before they could be insured. They are insured now, so they were able to satisfy the insurer.

he question of who will recognize UTD (and others) the further you get from Carlsbad has come up - not necessarily a show stopper but it started the conversation and prompted this post.

I was in Florida for a month and a half a year and a half ago, and I ran into exactly one person who had heard of UTD and knew what my certifications meant. It didn't matter because I was mostly taking classes from another agency and so didn't have to explain. When I mentioned my certification, several people thought I was mixed up and meant UDT, a very small local agency (which at least makes the Wikipedia list of agencies).

Witness this:

Our shop has a list of c-ards that we will accept, and we will accept no others. For the most part, the list is determined by the c-card being covered by insurance indemnity.

NAUI, PADI, YMCA, NASDS, SSI, SDI/TDI/ERDI, SEI, PSAI, ACUC, BSAC, CMAS, NASE, PDIC, ANDI, DAN, HSA, IDEA, IANTD, Red Cross, LA County, NACD, NCC-CDS

This list does not include either UTD or GUE.

 

[Hickdive]

I'm sorry you're misinformed.

UK Sport has BSAC as the NGB for Sub-aqua for both the UK and England See here.

This has been the position for at least the last 10 years.

Kind regards

Sorry Edward, that's just BSAC wishful thinking. Someone, somewhere might have asked BSAC "who is UK governing body" when compiling that list to which BSAC have answered, "us". But your list has no statutory basis. You can bet no-one spoke to SSAC, who would have laughed at the suggestion of a "UK governing body". It's a bit like the FA deciding for themselves that they were "UK governing body" for football so they could have a Team GB at the Olympics this summer.

You know, as well as I do, that the only real significance of "governing body" status is when applying for lottery funding and you also know that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish BSAC branches have to have their applications approved by SSAC, WASAC or NIFED. Why would that be necessary if there was a "UK governing body".

It gets really tiresome when BSAC and their representatives continue to misrepresent themselves in this way.

That's why I fixed it for you. Fortunately, you don't have moderators in your back pocket on THIS forum.

 

[Akimbo]

... When I mentioned my certification, several people thought I was mixed up and meant UDT, a very small local agency (which at least makes the Wikipedia list of agencies)...

And all these years I thought UDT stood for Underwater Demolition Team, the predecessor to the SEALs

What the industry really needs is a diver training agency name that isn’t an acronym! Maybe I should go out and copyright DiversEd?

 

[eponym]

I think it's a splendid idea to self-certify, to create one's own c card. Who else knows your diving skills better than you? A personal custom card is probably better than one from agencies that issue specialty cards that are absurd and idiotic on their face: 'Solo Diving' certification is an example. The logical extension of this kind of thing might be Uncertified Diving Certification.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

 

[Edward3c]

The UK is indeed those countries however, as the BSAC well knows, they have no UK governing-body status, much as they would like to think so.

If you disagree then you'll no doubt be able to point me in the direction of the UK-wide organisation that determines governing-body status for all sports and the mechanism by which they appointed BSAC as "UK governing body".

With very little Goggle effort you can find that out for yourself.

---------- Post Merged at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:42 PM ----------

Sorry Edward, that's just BSAC wishful thinking. Someone, somewhere might have asked BSAC "who is UK governing body" when compiling that list to which BSAC have answered, "us". But your list has no statutory basis. You can bet no-one spoke to SSAC, who would have laughed at the suggestion of a "UK governing body". It's a bit like the FA deciding for themselves that they were "UK governing body" for football so they could have a Team GB at the Olympics this summer.

Actually there is a UK FA, without which the Home Country FAs couldn't operate.

You know, as well as I do, that the only real significance of "governing body" status is when applying for lottery funding and you also know that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish BSAC branches have to have their applications approved by SSAC, WASAC or NIFED. Why would that be necessary if there was a "UK governing body".

Fund grants to individual local clubs is as you say done via the Home Country Sports Body. BSAC and SAA clubs in Scotland go via the SSAC, and SSAC go via BSAC for their English Branches and the NI Underwater Federation in NI.

It gets really tiresome when BSAC and their representatives continue to misrepresent themselves in this way.

That's why I fixed it for you. Fortunately, you don't have moderators in your back pocket on THIS forum.

 

[knotical]

Since the OP was talking about C-cards, I’ll offer this:

The following agencies issue C-cards in the UK:
BSAC (throughout UK)
SSAC (Scotland, Northern England, Ireland)
SAA / CMAS (most of UK)
also:
CFT / IUC (all of Ireland)
PADI
SDI
SSI
HSA
and probably others

I don’t think either WASAC or the NI Federation issue C-cards.