Are Deep Dive and/or Wreck Dive specialties necessary?

[rick00001967]

there are more and more shops asking to see peoples advanced training certs before taking them on certain dives.
you may be the worlds greatest diver, but unless someone at the shop knows you or has been diving with you, there is no way for them to know that.
typically what i hear are shops asking to see that a diver at least has AOW. but this may be due to the vast majority of dives being shallower than 100 feet.
but if you are looking to dive deeper than 100 feet, possibly on a wreck (not penetrating), i would not be surprised to be asked for some type of advanced training beyond AOW.
if i was being asked to guide someone, i certainly would not take anyone diving under those circumstances without knowing their qualifications. and i would most likely insist on doing some check out dives before doing the crazy stuff.
if we then add in the possibility of doing penetration.....that takes it to a whole new level.

 

[scubadada]

there are more and more shops asking to see peoples advanced training certs before taking them on certain dives.
you may be the worlds greatest diver, but unless someone at the shop knows you or has been diving with you, there is no way for them to know that.
typically what i hear are shops asking to see that a diver at least has AOW. but this may be due to the vast majority of dives being shallower than 100 feet.
but if you are looking to dive deeper than 100 feet, possibly on a wreck (not penetrating), i would not be surprised to be asked for some type of advanced training beyond AOW.
if i was being asked to guide someone, i certainly would not take anyone diving under those circumstances without knowing their qualifications. and i would most likely insist on doing some check out dives before doing the crazy stuff.
if we then add in the possibility of doing penetration.....that takes it to a whole new level.

Where have you been asked for a certification higher or in addition to AOW for a recreational dive?

 

[LI-er]

i would most likely insist on doing some check out dives before doing the crazy stuff.

Checkout dives, sure. Totally understandable and is common practice from my experience.

My question is specifically about dive charters requiring deep and wreck certifications.

 

[rick00001967]

Where have you been asked for a certification higher or in addition to AOW for a recreational dive?

i never said i was asked. i said it wouldnt surprise me to be asked if i wanted to dive with a shop below 100 feet on a wreck.
i dont really dive anymore, and when i did, 99.9% was shallower than 100 feet.
in fact i would be shocked if any shop just took some guys word for it that they could handle a 130 foot dive on a wreck without knowing their training level at the very least.
as mentioned.....for me, check out dives would most likely be a better indicator of their ability. but insurance may require some shops have documentation of the divers certs.
i am not sure why that sounds odd to anyone.
if it is not common practice, maybe it should be??

 

[Rilelen]

Where have you been asked for a certification higher or in addition to AOW for a recreational dive?

I've been asked (and know instructors/guides who ask) for Cavern certs for recreational cavern dives here in Florida. Many of the state parks require it (Jug, Madison, etc) for access, and for some other advanced dive sites (like Buford) it's a good idea.

I was also asked by Horizon (in Key Largo) about my advanced certs before diving the Spiegel Grove; I was there in a single tank for recreational dives with an OW instructor friend, so technically didn't need anything beyond AOW and nitrox. But on the boat they did chat with us about our dive plan and certification level - when I told them I was Full Cave, AN/DP, etc., they seemed satisfied and left it at that.

 

[Jafo19D]

Deep was cool for me because I feel I actually learned something, maybe not knowledge but experience wise. Before this cert I had several dives in the 29-32m range. In Deep we went down to 40m a couple of times and I learned more stuff about my Mares Nemo Wide.

 

[Aquaviolator]

"credentials" that can't be proven officially are worthless. Like many have said though, only ever asked for AOW and Nitrox. The operators you encountered may have an insurance company trying to decrease liability by requiring those now. This may be become the norm sadly.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Yes, the two dive charters that asked me about those specialties pointed out that I'm only certified to 100 feet with AOW.



Thanks but I'm not looking for information about the courses nor the content, just about whether people have been asked to produce those cards in order to do a deep/wreck dive.

This is actually not correct as discussed in other threads. An OW Padi certification is to the recreational depth limit of 40m. Padi says you should do more training and get experience for deeper dives.

Last week in Cebu I went on a dive with an IDC Course instructor who was teaching a PADI instructor the deep certification course so the instructor can do the deep cert for students.. I asked if I could tag along and take some videos of her training. She replied yeah that would be great for both her and her student.

The deep dive training for an instructor covers also a wreck dive and they had a pony tank and we did an 8 minute safety stop. I am not PADI deep certified. It's not necessary but any dive op can say you need it per their own policy. I have also known this instructor for several years and done many dives with her as well.

Since I got my shearwater Perdix in 2018 I now have 971 dives on it. I've been diving since January 1986

 

[BoltSnap]

Last week in Cebu I went on a dive with an IDC Course instructor who was teaching a PADI instructor the deep certification course so the instructor can do the deep cert for students.. I asked if I could tag along and take some videos of her training. She replied yeah that would be great for both her and her student.

The deep dive training for an instructor covers also a wreck dive and they had a pony tank and we did an 8 minute safety stop. I am not PADI deep certified. It's not necessary but any dive op can say you need it per their own policy. I have also known this instructor for several years and done many dives with her as well.

Did you learn anything new after doing the dives with the instructor while she was teaching a deep diving course?

 

[Blackcrusader]

Did you learn anything new after doing the dives with the instructor while she was teaching a deep diving course?

Not really. But it was nice to watch the IDC course director teaching a PADI instructor a deep specialty course. The student may have got his first experience of being narced though. What was interesting was watching Koz the IDC Course director be perectly still in the water and the student instructor still using fins as he hasn't quite mastered peak buoyancy that comes with lots of diving. He'll get there.