Certification in the 70s
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Allison Finch
Contributor
I was certified 69/70. There were no specialized certifications. The "basic" course was very long and quite rigorous. Most of the training offered in specialized courses was part of the basic criteria. PADI decided to split the main training into many subsections in an effort to make the initial training MUCH shorter. Too many people, in their opinion, did not want to train as long as the courses of that time. It was a pity, as divers come out poorly trained in what I think should still be basics. That is simply my opinion.
Not sure what the minimum age was, but it was much higher than now.
All of the air stations, in my memory. already required cert cards to fill tanks. I don't remember diving with uncertified divers.
Not sure what the minimum age was, but it was much higher than now.
All of the air stations, in my memory. already required cert cards to fill tanks. I don't remember diving with uncertified divers.
captain
Contributor
I think it was 15 or 16 with parental consent. I certified in 1970, there were only two certifications, scuba diver and instructor. I was diving for 13 years before I got certified.
In 1970 there were no BC's as we know them today and no safe seconds. You learned buoyancy by correct weighting and the use of the lungs, air sharing was done by buddy breathing from one regulator. We also did limited amount of rescue training. Not everyone that started the course was guaranteed to pass.
I know many who started without certification but eventually got certified.
In 1970 there were no BC's as we know them today and no safe seconds. You learned buoyancy by correct weighting and the use of the lungs, air sharing was done by buddy breathing from one regulator. We also did limited amount of rescue training. Not everyone that started the course was guaranteed to pass.
I know many who started without certification but eventually got certified.
I know quite a few people who were diving in the 1970s and I don't think any of them were certified.
I started diving (mostly Tennessee cave and lake diving) in the mid-70's. Never thought about certification. No BC, no octopus, no depth gauge, etc. I was finally certified in '83. As one of the other writers said, it was a tougher course, somewhat military-like, and we had (I think) one or two who didn't finish the training. Not too tough, just more emphasis on gear failures and emergency situations (remember having your gear thrown to the bottom of the pool and having to dive in and get suited up before returning to the surface?) and less on recreation.
Thanks, all. Just to clarify, I am wondering particularly about kids (under 15), whether they could be certified, or were diving without certs (I'm sure some were, if diving was in the family, say). When were the first Junior certs issued?
The dive shops in California were starting to get testy about selling air to people they didn't know by the end of the 1960s. I recall that most people who started diving that I had contact with took a course.
I started free diving in 1979 and that same year started scuba diving on the sly so to speak. It was very much a mentored activity, and while not up to the standards of the day for instruction, was probably a lot more thorough than the average OW course today. I still have issues with what passes for instructor development and the incredibly low level of skill (both in terms of diving ability and teaching ability) demonstrated by many instructors today.
I'd have taken a course if it was an option but it wasn't as my mother was incredibly over protective about all things water related and would never have given permission despite the fact I was a working life guard by that time. As it was I kept her pretty much in the dark about everythng I did in terms of swimming anywhere outside a pool.
I did not get formally certified until I was in college in 1985. I remember what amounts to a transition occurring at that time from old school instruction with heavy empahsis on strogn swimming skills, neutral buoyancy, an expectation for well devleoped freediving skills (referred to as skin diving at the time) and much more intensive academics as well as in water skills. Octos and SPGs were standard but buddy breathing was taught and proficiency was expected and demonstrated with lengthy horizontal swims while buddy breathing. Doffing and donning gear was taught and a common excercise was to dive in and on one bretah sort your grear out from a pile of gear on the bottom of the pool. It taught you to think and to prioritize and if you did that, holding your breath was not required for longer than about 15-20 seconds.
I was fortunate in 1985 to still have instructors who believed in the old school method and in the context of a collefge class, there was ample time to stay with that approach.
In contrast, the direction PADI was taking was to eliminate the "Basic" certification in preference to OW and AOW classes. It was also clear that the intent was to "dumb down" the courses significantly in terms of both academics and water skills to allow a much larger potential population of people to become divers. It was in short part of a much larger effort to move diving from a local dive shop centered activity to a much morelucrative dive travel focused industry. It's just my opinion but I think divers are much the lesser for it today.
I'd have taken a course if it was an option but it wasn't as my mother was incredibly over protective about all things water related and would never have given permission despite the fact I was a working life guard by that time. As it was I kept her pretty much in the dark about everythng I did in terms of swimming anywhere outside a pool.
I did not get formally certified until I was in college in 1985. I remember what amounts to a transition occurring at that time from old school instruction with heavy empahsis on strogn swimming skills, neutral buoyancy, an expectation for well devleoped freediving skills (referred to as skin diving at the time) and much more intensive academics as well as in water skills. Octos and SPGs were standard but buddy breathing was taught and proficiency was expected and demonstrated with lengthy horizontal swims while buddy breathing. Doffing and donning gear was taught and a common excercise was to dive in and on one bretah sort your grear out from a pile of gear on the bottom of the pool. It taught you to think and to prioritize and if you did that, holding your breath was not required for longer than about 15-20 seconds.
I was fortunate in 1985 to still have instructors who believed in the old school method and in the context of a collefge class, there was ample time to stay with that approach.
In contrast, the direction PADI was taking was to eliminate the "Basic" certification in preference to OW and AOW classes. It was also clear that the intent was to "dumb down" the courses significantly in terms of both academics and water skills to allow a much larger potential population of people to become divers. It was in short part of a much larger effort to move diving from a local dive shop centered activity to a much morelucrative dive travel focused industry. It's just my opinion but I think divers are much the lesser for it today.
A boy I went to school with was an active diver at age 12 or 13, around 1967. His father was a diver, and I don't know if they were certified.
In 1977 (when I got certified) divers without certification could get fills. The dive shop knew them and they were like "grandfathered". I don't recall divers age 50+ back then. Everyone that certified with us was in their 20's. The certification was "NASDS safe SCUBA Diver", and was good to 132 feet.
Nobody was particularly enamored by equipment, at least not like today. I bought most of my stuff at a discount store and used it for years.
In 1977 (when I got certified) divers without certification could get fills. The dive shop knew them and they were like "grandfathered". I don't recall divers age 50+ back then. Everyone that certified with us was in their 20's. The certification was "NASDS safe SCUBA Diver", and was good to 132 feet.
Nobody was particularly enamored by equipment, at least not like today. I bought most of my stuff at a discount store and used it for years.
Late 60's early 70's certification in PA. was FSDA Florida Skin Divers Association. Most diving that I was familiar with was associated with volunteer rescue squads.
Avatar photo was taken in 1970.
Pool photo is a final SCUBA exam early 70's. that I DM'd for, Students final to pass and get certified was was to jump off low board into deep end with gear in hand, submerge don gear, clear and U/W swim to shallow end.
Buoyancy Control in those days was a physical feat not a mechanical one.
Avatar photo was taken in 1970.
Pool photo is a final SCUBA exam early 70's. that I DM'd for, Students final to pass and get certified was was to jump off low board into deep end with gear in hand, submerge don gear, clear and U/W swim to shallow end.
Buoyancy Control in those days was a physical feat not a mechanical one.
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