Here is an example of why you need to seek distinctive specialty status for your class.
I teach a class called Understanding Overhead Environments. It is primarily an academic class that goes into the full range of overhead environments, from swimming under the anchor chain to entering a deep and complex wreck or cave. It goes into the relative dangers of each and describes the level of training and experience needed for each, starting with none at all for going under the anchor chain.
It is the "none at all for swimming under the anchor chain" that is the problem, for it goes against the mantra that OW divers cannot go into ANY overhead at ANY time without formal training. This means thousands of divers and hundreds of dive operations are violating the rules every day of the year. Since my specialty disagrees with that "just say no to overheads" rule, it is controversial, and many people think I am wrong to offer it. I am therefore at risk if anyone who takes my course then goes into an overhead and has a problem. You can bet your sweet bippy that I had to do some real work to get that course approved. You can bet PADI looked at it very hard and argued with it among the leadership before approving it. You can bet they put some severe limitations on what I can say or do in the class. For example, I can't actually take students into an overhead environment; I can only recommend that they take the appropriate class for the appropriate environment. If they then want to take a wreck diving or cavern diving course from me or anyone else, they can do that, and the rules for that class will apply.
