Bahamas PADI dive shop problem

[Ydiverdown]

Has anyone heard of this?

A former student of mind just wrote me and told me that she was required by a dive outfit in the Bahamas to have an instructor with her and her boyfriend while they dove because she wasn't certified by PADI. I really don't want PADI bashing to start from this because this sound like the work of a dive shop not PADI. But I need facts. Has anyone else had this happen to them? If so, let us know. I'd like to know the names of the shop or shops that did or do this. Shops like this need warning labels. Not to mention they just give diving a bad name.

David Cain
YSCUBA Instructor

 

[mike_s]

might help if you say where in the Bahamas this happened....

 

[Ydiverdown]

I wish I knew. I've e-mail the person that this happened to and I've asked her for the name of the shop or outfit. As soon as she tells me, Believe me I'll be posting it. But have you ever heard of such a thing?

 

[Doc]

I wish I knew.

Me too.

I've e-mail the person that this happened to and I've asked her for the name of the shop or outfit. As soon as she tells me, Believe me I'll be posting it.

Shoulda' been the other way around

But have you ever heard of such a thing?

Until then, it does sound like PADI bashing.

Ask her for the name & level on her cert card, too. I've seen the ones that you can buy on the internet attempted to be passed off.

And then... ask her... did they do anything totally bizarre that made the dive op insist that one of their instructors/dm's accompany them in direct supervision on any further dives?

Oh, yeah, I've heard of that.

Until then, yes. It does sound like bashing.

Facts, man. Names, dates, places.

 

[Web Monkey]

Sounds a little strange. Maybe she didn't have her card with her?

OTOH, if she fell for it, she probably needed someone to keep an eye on her anyway. There are worse things than having a DM go with brand new divers in new locations . . .

Terry

Has anyone heard of this?

A former student of mind just wrote me and told me that she was required by a dive outfit in the Bahamas to have an instructor with her and her boyfriend while they dove because she wasn't certified by PADI. I really don't want PADI bashing to start from this because this sound like the work of a dive shop not PADI. But I need facts. Has anyone else had this happen to them? If so, let us know. I'd like to know the names of the shop or shops that did or do this. Shops like this need warning labels. Not to mention they just give diving a bad name.

David Cain
YSCUBA Instructor

 

[Ydiverdown]

She told me in the letter she wrote that she had her card and they had been there for a couple of days diving already with the same outfit. On the third day when she arived at the boat or shop (it wasn't clear to me from how she phrased it in the letter) they again checked cards and they told her because it wasn't a PADI cert she was required to have one of their instructors with them. She's been certified for 6 months now and had about 15 dives logged. The boyfriend had been certified for several years and has god knows how many dives logged.

I agree new divers need a watchful eye. But something sound fishy to me here and I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else.

 

[Doc]

I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else.

Then go edit your posts and remove the agency you weren't bashing.

 

[Walter]

This isn't PADI bashing. It has nothing to do with PADI. That is not a PADI policy, it's a stupid shop policy.

 

[Web Monkey]

Sounds weird.

The DM isn't going to get rich on a few hours work, and I don't think the shop would risk getting labeled as a sleazy operation for the few bucks they would make off the deal.

Maybe that after watching for a few days they were afraid she'd get herself (or BF) killed, and it was just an excuse.

Maybe on the 3rd day she wanted to go somewhere outside her training and experience?

Something is missing.

Terry

She told me in the letter she wrote that she had her card and they had been there for a couple of days diving already with the same outfit. On the third day when she arived at the boat or shop (it wasn't clear to me from how she phrased it in the letter) they again checked cards and they told her because it wasn't a PADI cert she was required to have one of their instructors with them. She's been certified for 6 months now and had about 15 dives logged. The boyfriend had been certified for several years and has god knows how many dives logged.

I agree new divers need a watchful eye. But something sound fishy to me here and I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else.

 

[timle]

yeah more details are needed.

This isn't a PADI policy and doesn't even sound like a shop policy as they dove the 2 previous days. Did the person that checked their cards and made the decision see them on the 2 days before?

If so sounds like an excuse to buddy them up with an instructor for some reason - maybe they saw something they didn't like or were going to a more advanced site. They should have been up-front and honest, if this was the case.

If it was a person they hadn't seen before it may just be an honest mistake for not recognizing the YMCA card as an accepted certification in leiu of a PADI one. If this is the case the shop just needs to educate their employees.

PADI lists on their web site different YMCA levels as qualifying certifications, so the PADI policy is quite clear.