Cert diver never took a course

[lsudive]

I recently learned that a friend of mine, who is OW certified, nitrox certified, and has completed AOW checkout dives (but no class time) never took the actual class to get certified. She took a resort course while on a cruise, came home, watched a video, took the test, and did her checkouts. Is this common?

 

[Brian Gilpin]

I recently learned that a friend of mine, who is OW certified, nitrox certified, and has completed AOW checkout dives (but no class time) never took the actual class to get certified. She took a resort course while on a cruise, came home, watched a video, took the test, and did her checkouts. Is this common?

Isnt this one of the regularly offerred options with PADI for BOW? If I remember correctly it even costs less this way.

 

[lsudive]

Maybe, but she certified through NAUI. She has yet to sit through an actual class for anything. If I didn't feel like I had a stronger background as a result of taking the class, I'd be P O'd that I had to sit through it!

 

[SpawnOfZena]

I recently learned that a friend of mine, who is OW certified, nitrox certified, and has completed AOW checkout dives (but no class time) never took the actual class to get certified. She took a resort course while on a cruise, came home, watched a video, took the test, and did her checkouts. Is this common?

Even PADI is changing the way they look at the basic courses. Most people who aren't yet certified, but want to, just don'y have the time to travel and sit through classroom sessions. So, they are making more homestudy available for the time-strapped consumers. My DM course has mostly home-based studying.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Which agency?

PADI has no AOW test. The only written work is to complete the knowledge review for each dive and those are not required to be completed before the dives. They just have to be done prior to certification.

 

[Walter]

Even PADI is changing the way they look at the basic courses.

Even? Hell, they've been making this type of change for decades.

 

[diverryan]

MikeFerrara - NAUI also does not have a written test for the AOW class.

 

[pt40fathoms]

MikeFerrara - NAUI also does not have a written test for the AOW class.

Yeah, but that would not be in keeping with the "PADI is EVIL" drumbeat that is so very common on this board. PADI is big, so it's an easy target, pointing out something NAUI does and criticizing it just doesn't have the same warm a fuzzy feeling to it.

 

[MB]

NAUI also does not have a written test for the AOW class.

Not correct. NAUI has and requires a written test for the Advanced Scuba Diver course.

 

[diverryan]

Not correct. NAUI has and requires a written test for the Advanced Scuba Diver course.

Hmmm, well I should have said that when I took the course they did not have a written exam. That was about 6 years ago. Sorry for the outdated information.