Technical Dive Guide Certification in 2025 can we ask for Proof ?

[KaptainAddock]

As I see it, there are two types of certification relevant to this situation. One, the guide must have whatever certification is needed to satisfy the local guide requirement. Two, the guide must be certified to actually do the dive in question; not as an instructor for that type of dive, but simply as a diver.

I’m planning on doing some technical diving in Cozumel fairly soon, and I know we need a local, certified and registered DM who is also a certified tech diver, trained and qualified to do the dives. Beyond that, I don’t think there’s any additional certification needed.

Now, if you show up at a site to do something like this and find that the guide can’t ‘legally’ do the dive, I certainly think it’s fair to expect a refund. I suspect that if the dive op did refuse to show the client the certification, it was probably because the guide did not have it. If I read things correctly, in this case the guide allegedly demonstrated a lack of knowledge prior to the dive; and that’s why the whole issue came up. IF that is an accurate representation of what happened, then sure I’d be pretty annoyed! But we never truly know what really happened on threads like this.

You Do read this correctly , and yes i`m annoyed to be refused access just because i want to help the guides risky working situation...."If I read things correctly, in this case the guide allegedly demonstrated a lack of knowledge prior to the dive; and that’s why the whole issue came up. IF that is an accurate representation of what happened, then sure I’d be pretty annoyed!"

 

[Mobulai]

yes the Guides can guides, but the guide cannot plan a Dive, do not understand, TTS , Turning point or set a computer or understand GF`s all of this is just guess work for the guides. The reasoning beyond asking questions to the owner operator, who is by the way never on site and expecting these " guides " to run a Dive operation on his behalf.

This is just a cluster**** of swiss cheese holes aligning together waiting for the „perfect“ incident; I don’t wanna be there for it to be prt of that accident/incident report

 

[boulderjohn]

Dont confuse "passing" with being "qualified".

You've been diving and teaching for years, if a good friend of yours wanted a recommendation for a rec/tech/cave instructor for their child, would you instruct that friend to just "pick anyone", they're all "awesome"?

Wow! The goal posts have certainly moved!

I believe that some instructors are outstanding, most are competent, and some should not be instructing. I believe all of them are qualified as open water divers, and I don't know how else to define that other than saying they would pass the OW course.

You said the majority of instructors are not qualified for the OW certification they teach, and that is simply absurd.

 

[lermontov]

yes the Guides can guides, but the guide cannot plan a Dive, do not understand, TTS , Turning point or set a computer or understand GF`s all of this is just guess work for the guides. The reasoning beyond asking questions to the owner operator, who is by the way never on site and expecting these " guides " to run a Dive operation on his behalf.

thats because they've likely done virtually every route on the Coolidge a thousand times and know within a few BAR how much gas theyre going to use and how long they will take to within a few minutes and know every nook and cranny on the boat, what are you wanting them to plan ?

theyre repeating the same dive over and over

I did the stern on the coolidge with my 'guide' he had a single tank and a 6 litre pony - i was somewhat taken aback at his lack of redundancy but if youve done enough diving in the third world pacific areas youll find its the norm as is penetration diving without running a line. YOU need to decide
what your comfortable with, if your not happy dont do it. If your expecting the 'guides' to meet your requirements you may find yourself sitting a few out

At some point in your diving career your going to find you have more exeprience that most of the guides you encounter then what are you going to do?

 

[KaptainAddock]

thats because they've likely done virtually every route on the Coolidge a thousand times and know within a few BAR how much gas theyre going to use and how long they will take to within a few minutes and know every nook and cranny on the boat, what are you wanting them to plan ?

theyre repeating the same dive over and over

I did the stern on the coolidge with my 'guide' he had a single tank and a 6 litre pony - i was somewhat taken aback at his lack of redundancy but if youve done enough diving in the third world pacific areas youll find its the norm as is penetration diving without running a line. YOU need to decide
what your comfortable with, if your not happy dont do it. If your expecting the 'guides' to meet your requirements you may find yourself sitting a few out

At some point in your diving career your going to find you have more exeprience that most of the guides you encounter then what are you going to do?

i`m only expecting, not to be control by any one pretending to be leader and an activity they cannot responsibly performed themself.Just that .

 

[jadairiii]

most are competent,

Haven't been on a South Florida cattle boat lately and witnessed their students in action?

 

[atdotde]

It depends of course on the legislation. But only on a few places five certifications are regulated by law. Elsewhere you can start your own dive training organization today and start handing out plastic cards.

If things end up in court, the question might come up if people acted according to commonly accepted procedures and a certification by a large agency might be evidence in that direction. But not more.

 

[ofg-1]

To the OP. I don't understand this question. If you are paying this person, you can ask for any damn thing you want. Ask for their blood type, credit rating, mother's maiden name, references, whatever. If you don't get it, go somewhere else. Don't hire them. Dive elsewhere.
If you don't think they are qualified, walk away. If you choose to get in the water with someone you believe is unqualified, that's on you.

And to all the Perry Mason wannabes, if the guide kills you, you wont care what happens in court.

Haven't been on a South Florida cattle boat lately and witnessed their students in action?

Do you expect students to act like anything other than students?

 

[jadairiii]

Do you expect students to act like anything other than students?

Sorry, to clarify "student" meant, post-certification "student". They are technically still the instructor's "student". Point being there are a LOT of divers that exhibit terrible skills and yet there is an instructor out there that taught that and issued them a c-card.

 

[boulderjohn]

Sorry, to clarify "student" meant, post-certification "student". They are technically still the instructor's "student". Point being there are a LOT of divers that exhibit terrible skills and yet there is an instructor out there that taught that and issued them a c-card.

And, according to you, these former students with the terrible skills are still better divers than the instructors who taught them.