diving non-certified

[pjomm]

It's a bad idea on a variety of levels. Some of the lawsuit issues, granted. How about a personal responsibilty. Assume that things go wrong and your friend dies or gets seriously injured. Where does that leave you? What will your mutual friends think? I would suggest leaving the training to a professional. You could possibly find an independent instructor to go out with you guys and ensure the proper training is complete.
If your friend then gains a belief that he is now capable of being a dive trainer where does all that liability fall?

Simply put it takes number of dives (at least 100 for PADI), A minimum expereince level ( months ) a variety of courses (OW,AOW, Frist Aid &CPR, Rescue Diver, DM, AI, Instructos course) in order to get certified. There is a reason for this.
I guess my final suggestion is if you really want to teach your friend become an instructor.

All the best,
Paul

 

[Gary D.]

Say your a licensed pilot. You going to let someone who has never been at the controlls fly you around with no training?

Same thing, just a difference in ambient pressure.

Gary D.

 

[triton94949]

If I'm just a basic certified open water diver, that is not a dive instructor, what are the rules on taking a non diving buddy to the lake for a shallow dive. Is this a complete no no? Can you get in legal trouble?

Thanks,
Steve

Since you are not a scuba instructor, you are not qualified to do this. Your friend could easily die, if you do, and then there could be a state prosecution as well as a civil lawsuit for sure. You would lose everything you own, including your job.

 

[Rookie_J]

If I'm just a basic certified open water diver, that is not a dive instructor, what are the rules on taking a non diving buddy to the lake for a shallow dive. Is this a complete no no? Can you get in legal trouble?

Thanks,
Steve

are you mad? i guess you were sleeping when you were being taught about all the things that can go wrong while diving.

i honestly can't believe you would even entertain such an idea..

 

[Rick Inman]

Some non-instructors are absolutely qualified to teach people how to dive. One of the ways you can tell who they are, is that they'd never ask this question on ScubaBoard (it's like that old saying, if you have to ask how much something cost, you can't afford it).

The second way you can tell is that they're too smart to do it.

 

[Hank49]

I did my first dive with a very experienced diver, who some say they won't dive with because he's a bit, uhhh, non conforming? But, I had been surfing, snorkeling in blue water etc, so equalizing wasn't a problem. We went to about 60 feet. Looking back with what I know now.....I would tell your friend to get certified. Once I took the course it really opened my eyes, 15 years after my first two dives.

 

[jonnythan]

There are lots of nice LDSs in the St Louis - Belleville - St Charles area that will legally take your friend for a dive for little recompensation.

You imply that taking a non-certified buddy scuba diving is illegal.

Heh.

 

[Maya]

My very first body recovery was just the scenario you described, Steve. Only in that case, the non-certified diver actually survived and the certified diver drowned.

Is anything worth that kind of risk?? Don't do it.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Say your a licensed pilot. You going to let someone who has never been at the controlls fly you around with no training?

Same thing, just a difference in ambient pressure.

Gary D.

Happens all the time.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I did my first dive with a very experienced diver, who some say they won't dive with because he's a bit, uhhh, non conforming? But, I had been surfing, snorkeling in blue water etc, so equalizing wasn't a problem. We went to about 60 feet. Looking back with what I know now.....I would tell your friend to get certified. Once I took the course it really opened my eyes, 15 years after my first two dives.

My first dives were long before I ever took a class. I thought spending a few hundred bucks for a class to swim and breath was about the stupidest thing I ever heard of. LOL About 10 years later I decided to get certified so I could dive whenever and wherever I wanted.

There were no revelations in my OW class or most of the other classes I've taken.

For most people a class is the best option but there are LOTS of uncertified divers out there and even more who dived for years before getting certified.

I guess what surprises me is the shocked reaction so many have concerning diving without certification. I guess it's part of living in an age when people have everything handed to them and pieces of paper are given so much weight.