Checking Dive Guide Certification

[Evan Soon]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Pulau Weh, Bandar Aceh, Indonesia and according to a frequent diver there, he suggested a dive center on the island. From some reading on Tripadvisor it seems that there are some "safety" issues for the DC but I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt since it was only a few post talking about it.

But my friend told me that the DC's dive guide might not have the proper DM certification and some might not even have a diving certificate. This lead me to think, DCs always check our certification cards but in the other hand we do not check our guide's certification cards too. Or do you?

Anyways. Would anyone dive with them after hearing such things with the dive guides and what would the impact be if I did.

 

[DevonDiver]

I think it's wise to differentiate between a 'dive guide' and a 'dive master'. One is a job role, the other is a professional qualification. I think dive operators have a duty to make that differentiation and communicate it to customers. Anything less, or to deliberately allow that confusion, is fraudulent.

If you pay for a 'Divemaster' qualified supervisor, then that is what you should get. If you pay for a "underwater tour guide", then the same applies.

In the case of 'dive guides', it is beneficial to ascertain their actual qualification and/or experience. Doing so permits the diver concerned to make important decisions on their dive safety, particularly if they feel that professional supervision is necessary.

That said, we're all qualified to "dive independently, without supervision, with a diver of equal or higher certification".

 

[Evan Soon]

Sorry if this is a totally noobish question, because I've just started diving recently and normally dive guides here in Malaysia are DMs.
Just worried about medical attention and emergencies if things really happens. Or another bad thing that pops up my mind is are they really qualified to be our guide (in terms of experience or certification) as they could have just started diving a few days/weeks/months ago.

Worried mainly in term of safety.

 

[Agility]

You are responsible for your safety.

If you feel you are not up to the planned dive, don't do it.

Dive in conditions you know you can master and slowly increase depth or difficulty of entry/exit with a buddy you trust.
If you want to go faster, get more professional training.

Back on topic: I do not check a guide's certification, a guide is supposed to show me around, know where the creatures live I would miss on my own

 

[Diver0001]

But my friend told me that the DC's dive guide might not have the proper DM certification and some might not even have a diving certificate. This lead me to think, DCs always check our certification cards but in the other hand we do not check our guide's certification cards too. Or do you?

Evan,

You can, and it's a good idea. If you have ANY questions about the qualifications of a PADI dive pro you can ask them for their PADI number and put it into this webpage:

PADI Pro Chek

You can try it out with my number: 958679

It will show you my qualification level, which is "Master Scuba Diver Trainer" and that I am renewed (meaning I paid my fees and insurance) and qualified to teach.

If either of the two little green checkmarks on the right are red X's then there is an issue.

No dive pro whose credentials are in order would refuse to give you his/her number. Therefore if they refuse you can assume there is an issue.

Anyways. Would anyone dive with them after hearing such things with the dive guides and what would the impact be if I did.

There is not necessarily a problem. With these kinds of things there are two issues to consider.

1) what you heard
2) the truth

What you heard should certainly give you a reason to want to check it out.

If you have any concerns about the dive centre then you can also mail PADI at QM@padi.com with your questions or concerns. They can tell you if it is an authorized PADI dive center (which just means that they paid their fees) and if there are any major concerns.

Together with checking the credentials of the dive guide and checking with PADI about the status of the dive centre then you should be able to form a picture of whether or not there are any major concerns.

BTW, you can also mail QM@PADI.COM if you have a compliment. People like to complain but mailing compliments (if you have them, of course) also helps PADI get a picture of which dive centres are offering their customers good service.

Obviously this all only applies if the dive pro and/or the dive centre you're dealing with are from PADI. For other agencies, I recommend to visit their website and look for a link.

Hope that helps.

R..

 

[Hickdive]

Just as divers' paper qualifications can be misleading as to actual ability so can DMs'.

Some dive centres like you to do a check out dive with them before letting you on their trips and you should view your first real dive with them after that as your check out dive for the guides/DMs. If they behave in obviously unsafe manners or don't do a good job of guiding then change dive centre.

You could find yourself under the supervision of a freshly-minted PADI DM with qualifications up the wazoo and less than a hundred total dives, very few of which have been outside training and her/his online resume will look just peachy. Or, you could find yourself with a local who has been guiding dives since the year dot, has more dives than hairs on your head and has seen and dealt with every permutation of underwater foolishness by clients you could ever dream of but who hasn't got a PADI qualification to their name.

What's on paper or online can only ever give you a rough idea of a dive centre. Your personal experience is a much better guide and be prepared to move to a different centre if your experience isn't to your satisfaction.

 

[Diver0001]

What's on paper or online can only ever give you a rough idea of a dive centre. Your personal experience is a much better guide and be prepared to move to a different centre if your experience isn't to your satisfaction.

You're absolutely right, of course. With experience he'll be able to "see" things.

In this case, however, Evan is a fairly new diver so he has to have *some* handle to hold onto. While it's true that there can be vast variations in the quality of individual dive pros, knowing if someone is qualified by the agency is still a good start.

R..

 

[Evan Soon]

Thanks guy. I guess I'll give the place the benefit of the doubt and since I am going with a good and more experienced buddy I'll be more confident in terms of our safety.

 

[flylow47]

I like the way you phrased it - dive guide. That's exactly what they are. Don't rely on them to bail you out, and take care of yourself and your buddy. Much better plan than follow the DM.

 

[Mustard Dave]

Never be embarrassed to ask a dive professional to show their credentials. The same goes for anybody who is a member of some sort of trade or professional association. If they have nothing to hide, they should not be bothered. Any decent professional will want to weed out those who lie about being members of an organisation that they have had to demonstrate competence to and pay a membership fee to; checking credentials and avoiding (and even better, reporting them) those that don't check out is of benefit to genuine members.