Active diver re-certification

[mathauck0814]

It is the whole OW skills set, including swim and float test with an instructor. also in your case after 6 years, that's not a bad idea. But that's not every year.v

All for $10? Why wouldn't everyone WANT to do this? I'm just not getting it, I guess. Clubs are generally fun. I'm envisioning a once a year pool session during a time of year that you probably haven't been diving a lot where you get together with people you know and have a little bit of fun in the pool and then go out for a few drinks and talk about diving... what's the problem?

It's curious, some of the people who complain about bad insta-buddy experiences and diver incompetence are commenting on how this is a bad idea. Coupled with the idea that 3 dive trips/year or ~25 descent/ascents makes one an "active" diver who's clearly not prone to getting rusty... interesting.

 

[nimoh]

All for $10? Why wouldn't everyone WANT to do this? I'm just not getting it, I guess. Clubs are generally fun. I'm envisioning a once a year pool session during a time of year that you probably haven't been diving a lot where you get together with people you know and have a little bit of fun in the pool and then go out for a few drinks and talk about diving... what's the problem?

I agree, sounds like fun. I don't believe Steve said how much it would cost though.

 

[mathauck0814]

I agree, sounds like fun. I don't believe Steve said how much it would cost though.

Earlier in the thread (Pages 1&2)

How much does it cost? If it's nominal or free, why not? Reviewing the emergency skills most of us never have an need to practice for real can't hurt anything.


If it's the cost of an OW certification class, well, that's ridiculous.

I myself do an equipment/buoyancy/skills poll session before every dive trip. My feelings are if you are an active diver with verifiable log book or computer. doing OW pool every year is a little unnecessary. This includes the swim float portion also. I was just wondering if I was over thinking the situation.


TS&M the pool session would only cost $10

 

[nimoh]

Earlier in the thread (Pages 1&2)

oh, missed that

sounds like fun and a great deal to me. Doesn't really matter if it is required or not since I would do it anyway.

 

[luscioman]

I would pass on joining. It doesn't appear the recert course is for "safety" purposes.

 

[diver00014]

The more time I spend on these forums the more perplexed I get when it comes to people asking questions regarding this topic.

The title of this thread is " Active Diver Re-certification" Now to me that's a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron so to speak.

Why does an "ACTIVE DIVER" need Re-certification??????? For that matter why does any diver need Re-Certification.

When I was certified I was told it was for life. Has something changed?? Are we then saying that the training process has failed and we are pumping out divers that aren't competent or properly trained to SCUBA? Has the SCUBA industry ( which is clearly driven by Money) and I mean CLEARLY DRIVEN BY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! made it so easy for people to get certified that we have a population of certified divers that really shouldn't be,???

I fail to understand what all the recent ( by recent I mean the last few years) discussion about refresher courses re-certifications and so on and so on.

Are the dive shops all so slow that they need to come up with a B.S. Re-Certification class for QUOTE " Certified Divers"

For that matter what the heck does ( QUOTE Certified Diver) really mean then and Who the HE-- made someone the SCUBA GOD that decides who needs a Re-certification and who dosent.

Come on people. Get real. WHAT DOES CERTIFIED FOR LIFE MEAN? Because if something has changed and everyone thinks that just because someone only dives X amount of times per How ever many days or months or years then the system has failed. If that's the case then maybe we should re think the whole system over and stop pumping out instructors and divers as fast as the dive shops can take the money, because that's exactly what it looks like is happening.

The simple fact that this even comes up in conversation is a GIANT RED FLAG !!!!!!!

 

[nimoh]

The more time I spend on these forums the more perplexed I get when it comes to people asking questions regarding this topic.

The title of this thread is " Active Diver Re-certification" Now to me that's a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron so to speak.

Why does an "ACTIVE DIVER" need Re-certification??????? For that matter why does any diver need Re-Certification.

When I was certified I was told it was for life. Has something changed?? Are we then saying that the training process has failed and we are pumping out divers that aren't competent or properly trained to SCUBA? Has the SCUBA industry ( which is clearly driven by Money) and I mean CLEARLY DRIVEN BY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! made it so easy for people to get certified that we have a population of certified divers that really shouldn't be,???

I fail to understand what all the recent ( by recent I mean the last few years) discussion about refresher courses re-certifications and so on and so on.

Are the dive shops all so slow that they need to come up with a B.S. Re-Certification class for QUOTE " Certified Divers"

For that matter what the heck does ( QUOTE Certified Diver) really mean then and Who the HE-- made someone the SCUBA GOD that decides who needs a Re-certification and who dosent.

Come on people. Get real. WHAT DOES CERTIFIED FOR LIFE MEAN? Because if something has changed and everyone thinks that just because someone only dives X amount of times per How ever many days or months or years then the system has failed. If that's the case then maybe we should re think the whole system over and stop pumping out instructors and divers as fast as the dive shops can take the money, because that's exactly what it looks like is happening.

The simple fact that this even comes up in conversation is a GIANT RED FLAG !!!!!!!

I think there are certified divers out there that are not as strong in basic skills as they should be, and are not doing anything about it or are oblivious to it. You are of course right, that revamping the entire scuba industry including all agencies to make training longer and more involved would probably fix the problem (mostly by weeding out people that aren't serious about it).

From the Dive Club's perspective this solution is not very feasible, so they came up with this system to ensure their members practice basic skills and can be dependable buddies for other members.

 

[TMHeimer]

semo, I agree as well with all you say. Except that it isn't the shop that requires the re-cert., it's the club (even one associated with the shop). A shop will give you fills whether you are "re-certified" or not. Actually, has anyone heard of a "Re-Certification" course--other than just doing the OW course in full again? Some CPR organisations do have (shortened) re-cert. courses.
Certified for life is another question. I guess this club may be interested in a money grab, interested in making sure members are safe/trustworthy buddies, or both. Interesting to note though, that some states now require seniors over a certain age to re-take the driver tests. Re-doing OW course is probably prudent if you've been away from it for 30 years. I'd still never join that club. I'd have sense to do it on my own.

Our shop's OW course this year is $379 Can. Even at half that, would anyone in their right mind do this every year?

 

[mathauck0814]

I guess this club may be interested in a money grab

Let's think about this assertion. At $10/per. Let's say that because it's not actually an OW course, the "instructor" could handle 10:1 to himself. $100 for at least a few hours' worth of work isn't exactly a "money grab".

Honestly, we haven't seen anything quoted specifically from the club itself; just the OP's characterization of something he saw as unfair and unnecessary. It would be helpful for the OP to link to the club or provide some of the literature where they explain their policies or what exactly the refresher or recert entails.

Insofar as money grabs go, this one is pretty high effort and low yield.

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree. I just said may be a money grab... or... As you said, we have no direct data from the club. I can't really think of a good reason they require yearly OW courses be taken. Even a refresher would be an odd requirement unless a member was very inactive.