Definition of Open Water certification

[Peter Guy]

Captain -- Like you, my 1967 university class did not include any open water dives. We did our time in the classroom and the pool and got our cert card. The instructor suggested (urged) that we do an open water checkout dive before we "dove in" (so to speak) but it wasn't required. I suppose the biggest difference was that we had a LOT of pool time -- more total in water time than a standard OW class now has.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Originally Posted by SteveAD
The Living Sea at Disneys Epcot is an indoor site that has been qualified as an open water training site.

Which agencies have lowered their standards to allow that?

Actually it is the Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon. and it's NAUI.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Offers NAUI Instructors Unique Experience (May 04)

 

[bfw]

At what point will the agencies allow the OW certification to be completed in such a facility?

In PADI's case as soon as two things happen:

1. They find a way to ratchet up the supervision level required for holders of an OW certification such that the loss prevention people are happy.

2. The MBA's running things decide it will increase profits.

 

[bfw]

you begin to wonder what defines "confined" and "open" water. Certainly an open sky overhead shouldn't be the determinent.

Given the number of factors including waves, current, lighting, etc. that are caused by that open sky, I don't see why not.

 

[BlackDevil]

NEMO 33 in Belgium is roofed and is used for open water training all the time

But certifying there does not qualify you to do open water dives.
You still have to do a supervised 'adaptation dive' in a real open water environment before you get your cert.

 

[Doc]

Captain -- Like you, my 1967 university class did not include any open water dives. We did our time in the classroom and the pool and got our cert card.

And my AOW, as well.

... "Giant inland scuba them parks". I know of such a project in the planning stages but DO NOT want the details of that project to be on the discussion table.

There are several of these already operational. In the NE, there is a deep silo like structure for HSA divers. Outside of the NBL for NASA in Sugarland, In Bikonaur there is a similar facility for Cosmonauts. Both facilities have been used for certifications, albeit of spacemen.

None have landscaping or objects underwater. There is a facility in England that is an underground pool BSAC club facility.

A few years ago there was some guy who went around to the various retail dive shows with his diorama of such a proposed project.

Dive Dome l Frequently Asked Questions

As long as the facility is deep enough, and additionally had shallower "hard bottoms" that would keep trainees from plummeting to the maximum depth of the facility, there should be no problem in doing the OW portion of dive certifications.

If you have enough money to do this, more than one agency will have no problem being associated with it.