I had a bit of a chuckle here, 'cos back in my day you sort of learnt on your own anyway.
I was 14 when I first ever "dived" in a murky quarry with a mates father who also had never done a formal course, he also had never heard of a BC and gauges.!
Thinking back, yes, it was stupid, and I dont quite know how we didnt kill ourselves, but I know many folk who learnt this way as well -I guess theres nothing like "on the spot problem solving"
Many years ago when I was still instructing divers, I had just one such fella on the course - he had been diving for umpteen years but never got formally qualified, and, as it became more difficult to get air fills etc without a "license" he decided to get formally qualified.
Problem was, over the years he had sort of developed his own way of doing things, which were not really endorsed by NAUI and PADI, all his gear was ratty and falling to pieces, and whenever I would painstakingly explain to the students how to do something by the book, like say a giant stride, he would just jog down the ramp and make a kind of flailing jump into the water, it worked, but it wasnt very effecient!
One lesson we were doing mask clearing and I was going around to each student as they removed and replaced their mask, when I got to him he flung off his mask, shook it around a bit and put it back on, as I watched I could see he was really having difficulty clearing the mask and was getting frustrated but was well in control, then as I looked a bit closer, I could see one of the masks lenses had fallen out and he didnt know............!!
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
- of course he was never gonna clear that mask.!!
Sticking my finger in his eye made him realize what was up, and I recall, he grudgingly bought a new mask.!!
But, yeah, the worlds changed and I agree, get certified and be safe, theres no need to take chances today,..... but..........hang it was fun.!
![Winking :wink: :wink:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)