Basic Scuba Diver

[ddornfes]

Back in 1974 I took a full open water Padi course and was awarded the Basic Scuba Diver certification. Three years ago, I decided to change out my card since they did not assign Padi numbers in 1974. If I lost my card I would not have any proof of certification. Padi assigned me a diver number but the new card is still titled Basic Scuba Diver. I'm afraid a dive site might confuse this with Padi scuba diver certification and restrict my diving. Did anyone else have the certification and got it changed. When did PADI change the certification to Open Water. If I knew when, I could argue that my certification predates Open Water.

 

[covediver]

As I recall, the decision to get rid of basic scuba divers was made across the board by most of the agencies (PADI, NAUI, SSI) about 1987 or thereabouts. I too have a basic card from 1984 which is now retired because of its age and I look nothing like the picture. Before I retired it a few years back, I did not have a problem with the restricting dives because I am able to tell folks I have been diving continuously since then.

 

[AfterDark]

I have one from NASDS. I found that some charters said they would restrict my diving with them and some wouldn't. I ended up taking AOW to satisfy the cert nazi's at various charters. Be prepared to be totally bored if you go the AOW route. I could've past that course the day after I got my NASDS cert. I learned a lot more in the NASDS basic class then was taught in the AOW class. AOW seems to me to be the least that should be taught to be a certified diver.

 

[supergaijin]

AOW seems to me to be the least that should be taught to be a certified diver.

Once upon a time it was. Learning to dive was a lot more intense and took more time. I wasn't diving back then (born in '77) but from what I gather, learning to dive 'properly' was done over the best part of a summer season with experienced divers- often ex military, who were trained for a different kind of diving than today's 'go to the Caribbean and see some pretty fishes'. Due to various factors (such as time), the wheat was cut from the chaff and only the most dedicated continued diving- usually locally and passing down their knowledge over deco-beers.

But then certain agencies were created (PADI for example). With international travel becoming affordable they saw a new market for diving. They modularised the teaching progression, created a version of conservative repetitive diving tables, and began dividing the teaching process in to 'vacation-sized' pieces and lo, the SD- OW- AOW- Rescue progression was born. PADI in particular completely revolutionised scuba diving.

And now Mickey Mouse has a lot of broomsticks to try to control.

 

[oly5050user]

I have one from NASDS. I found that some charters said they would restrict my diving with them and some wouldn't. I ended up taking AOW to satisfy the cert nazi's at various charters. Be prepared to be totally bored if you go the AOW route. I could've past that course the day after I got my NASDS cert. I learned a lot more in the NASDS basic class then was taught in the AOW class. AOW seems to me to be the least that should be taught to be a certified diver.

The Op has completed less than 50 dives over something like 38 years.So thats less than 2 dives a year! I surely doubt that he/she would be bored. The card would be most likely looked at as a "scuba diver" card along with its restrictions, thats how I would rate it. I do not go by what a card says as its the abilities and total amount of dives/experience the person has. ..I would suggest getting an upgrade to standard ow by completing academics module 4 and 5 at a minimum, along with ow training dives 4 and 5..then take advance course.

 

[AfterDark]

The Op has completed less than 50 dives over something like 38 years.So thats less than 2 dives a year! I surely doubt that he/she would be bored. The card would be most likely looked at as a "scuba diver" card along with its restrictions, thats how I would rate it. I do not go by what a card says as its the abilities and total amount of dives/experience the person has. ..I would suggest getting an upgrade to standard ow by completing academics module 4 and 5 at a minimum, along with ow training dives 4 and 5..then take advance course.

Completely disagree. OW would probably be a down grade from what he has now. I don't know what the OP classses were like but I do know what mine where: 12 weeks 2 nights per week 4 hours per night. We learned a lot. The Physics of diving including memorizing and understanding all the gas laws. The medical aspects of diving. Water conditions, currents, waves, wind, tides.... IMO the OP could probably pass AOW without a problem.

As I stated I could have passed what is called AOW the day after I got my NASDS card back in 1968, except PADI was just getting off the ground and hadn't dumbed down diving instruction at that time.

 

[knotical]

This thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/238199-basic-padi-cert-ow-aow-question.html
indicates that Basic Scuba Diver was less than Open Water Diver.

 

[boulderjohn]

For those of you who do not want to go through the thread knotical cited, the gist of it is that the concern that a dive operator might confuse an old card that says Basic Scuba Diver with the current certification of Scuba Diver is well founded, and not because of any confusion. The old certification of Basic Scuba Diver really is about the same as the current Scuba Diver certification. If I understand it correctly, the OP is not OW certified at the moment, and the best action would not be to take AOW but rather to complete the OW certification process.

 

[scoobydrew]

OP - if you PM me your full name (including middle initial) and date of birth I will tell what you are listed as on the PADI database, that will then anser your question as to what replacement card you will get

Scratch that... I just re-read your post and see you already have the card. Sorry for confusion.

You are probably best off putting your question to PADI

 

[AfterDark]

This thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/238199-basic-padi-cert-ow-aow-question.html
indicates that Basic Scuba Diver was less than Open Water Diver.

As I posted mine was NASDS so maybe it was different. Or option number 2. The instrucrtor that I had went way above and beyond what was required?

I'm going over my wife's PADI OW book and find it to be lacking. I have a lot to teach her after she gets her OW cert.

When I took the NITROX course I pretty much slept thru it and passed. PP, PPO was something I learned in my NASDS course back in 1968. I don't see it in the index of the PADI OW book, maybe I just haven't got to it yet.