Certifying Agencies

[Pelagic Hero]

Through a lot of reading through Scubaboard, I've found no mention of the ACUC in terms of scuba certification.

Is the ACUC considered inferior compared to PADI, for example?

 

[ScubaJewel]

Through a lot of reading through Scubaboard, I've found no mention of the ACUC in terms of scuba certification.

Is the ACUC considered inferior compared to PADI, for example?

Most people who know of te ACUC consider it superior in its intent but once again it is up to the individule instructor to create the better divers. All agencies produce great instructors and all agencies certify great divers the same as all agencies produce bad instructors and .... get the point.

Julie

 

[Walter]

Julie,

That's a cop out.

Some agencies are clearly superior to others. PADI is one of the best at marketing. It's not so good at teaching diving. Do all agencies certify poor divers from time to time? Of course. OTOH, some excel at it.

While I have no personal knowledge of ACUC, it has an excellent reputation. I'd love to see their standards. It is considered inferior to PADI only in terms of quantity, certainly not in terms of quality.

 

[DandyDon]

I had to search them out... :headscrat

http://www.acuc.es/standsd.pdf

don

 

[ScubaJewel]

Julie,

That's a cop out.

Some agencies are clearly superior to others. PADI is one of the best at marketing. It's not so good at teaching diving. Do all agencies certify poor divers from time to time? Of course. OTOH, some excel at it.

While I have no personal knowledge of ACUC, it has an excellent reputation. I'd love to see their standards. It is considered inferior to PADI only in terms of quantity, certainly not in terms of quality.

My point was that to try to simply decide who is superior and who is inferior can't really be done effectively on many levels. I will always maintain the a good instructor will turn out better divers than a bad instructor no matter what agency they teach for... Additionally I know many scuba instructors from many different agencies and I can tell you that the agency has little to do with how good or bad they are...

Julie

 

[Walter]

I agree, anyone looking for a quality class should look at more than the agency. I know good instructors from various agencies. OTOH, good ones from some agencies are pretty rare, so I'll continue to disagree with your last statement. Very few instructors progress beyond the system in which they were taught. The vast majority teach what they were told and how they were told. Agency, while far from all important, does matter.

 

[Pelagic Hero]

I was concerned 'cause it seemed like no one ever spoke of the ACUC. Shortly after posting though, I noticed a discussion that involved the ACUC in another thread...

For appx. the same cost as the PADI program here in St. John's, Newfoundland, you get a few more lectures and several more open-water dives.

I figured I'd spring for the extra 50 bucks for more experience. I met the instructer a few days ago, and he seems genuinly concerned about dive safety, which is comforting.

As well, they do a lot of beach clean-ups and stuff over the summer -- perfect for satisfying the ecologist in me

 

[DiverBuoy]

PADI's program is solid despite Walter's rants

Instructing a million students a year is bound to involve some bad instructors. In answer to the original poster's true underlying question: Rather than seeking an agency, seek divers, then seek a concensus from them on the best instructor. Whatever agency that instructor happens to be with - who cares. That's my opinion.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Hvae to agree with Julie and diverBuoy, people should ask where an instructor has been certified and also how many certs that instructor has.

 

[Walter]

DB,

Solid? I agree. It'll be around for a long time. It's very solid. The quality of the program is a totally different issue.

Good instructors are found in all agencies. OTOH, a concensus on who is the best is not likely to be the best course of action. Interviewing instructors is the best method of selecting an instructor. Ask what is included in the course and how much time is spent in the pool. The more skills the better; the more time, the better. Ask how long the class will take to complete. A good course is stretched over 3+ weeks. Number of students certified is important. Run away from anyone with really high numbers unless he's been teaching a very very long time. High number indicates a mill with low quality. Avoid the quanity instructor, look for quality.