Hey there, new here, new to the sport...

[sooneron]

Hey everyone! I'm surprised I didn't hit this place up when I got certified a couple of years ago, but here I am! Interested in gaining knowlege from you guys. I originally hail from Oklahoma, but now reside in Bergen County NJ.
Now my question...
I am PADI certified scuba diver and I want to get upped to open water in a couple of weeks while briefly in PR. Can anyone recommend the better place from my narrowed down choices?
Scuba Dogs or Sea Ventures

TIA!

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy and welcome to SB! :admingreet: Sorry for being late, but I just came across you post.

Hope you found the help you needed. NJ is probably better diving than OK, but challenging.

 

[diver 85]

Howdy and welcome to SB! :admingreet: Sorry for being late, but I just came across you post.

Hope you found the help you needed. NJ is probably better diving than OK, but challenging.

1st time I read his post was about 5 minutes ago(probably cuz your reply came up in "What's New?".).......&-----don't follow this part of his post "I am PADI certified scuba diver and I want to get upped to open water "...Any idea what he means???.......

 

[DandyDon]

1st time I read his post was about 5 minutes ago(probably cuz your reply came up in "What's New?".).......&-----don't follow this part of his post "I am PADI certified scuba diver and I want to get upped to open water "...Any idea what he means???.......

I'm guessing the old Padi Basic Diver, with just two check out dives?

 

[They call me Tater]

There was a Padi "Scuba Diver" card. You were certified to rent and dive on your own but only for inland lakes if I remember correctly. I had that card but don`t recall the rules as I upped it as soon as I got back into diving.

If I werer the OP I would upgrade before going on a trip. There are many who never heard of the card and it could present problems. Do it before you go!

 

[DandyDon]

There was a Padi "Scuba Diver" card. You were certified to rent and dive on your own but only for inland lakes if I remember correctly. I had that card but don`t recall the rules as I upped it as soon as I got back into diving.

I think a diver with that card can dive the ocean but only with a DM.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I cannot answer the original question but can answer what a PADI Scuba Diver is:

From the PADI Instructor Manual:

The PADI Scuba Diver course is a subset of the Open Water
Diver course. PADI Scuba Divers are trained to dive under the
direct supervision of a PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor
or Instructor to a maximum depth of 12 metres/40 feet. PADI
Scuba Divers have more theoretical background and better
developed water skills than Discover Scuba Diving participants,
however, they are not qualified for independent diving.

All Open Water Diver course standards apply, with the
following modifications.

Certification Requirements
• Complete Knowledge Development 1-3, including
quizzes.
• Complete Confined Water Dives 1-3 including Dive
Flexible Skills:
– Equipment Preparation and Care
– Disconnect Low Pressure Inflator Hose
– Weight System Removal and Replacement
• Complete a 10-minute swim/float demonstrating
comfort in water too deep in which to stand prior to
Open Water Dive 2.
• Complete Open Water Dives 1-2 including Dive
Flexible Skills:
– Snorkel to Regulator Exchange
– Cramp Release
– Inflatable Signal Tube/DSMB Deployment
– Emergency Weight Drop
• Read and sign the PADI Scuba Diver Statement
(10062).

 

[mrose]

PADI Scuba Diver is a certification that completes the first two sections, including pool sessions and open water dives, of the full Open Water certification. Most PADI shops will recognize that certification for a year. However, after a year, you will not be able to upgrade to Open Water Diver and will have to repeat all of the requirements of the first two sections.

I did my Scuba Diver certification in Roatan and then completed my Open Water course 11 months later in Cancun. If it's been over a year since you completed your Scuba Diver certification, it's probably a good idea to go through those sections again anyway.

Good luck!

 

[Scott]

Most PADI shops will recognize that certification for a year. However, after a year, you will not be able to upgrade to Open Water Diver and will have to repeat all of the requirements of the first two sections.

Not sure where you obtained your information.
While it is a shops decision to not honor a certification, there is nothing in the standards about not being able to upgrade to a Open Water Diver after a year and have to repeat the course.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I'm guessing the old Padi Basic Diver, with just two check out dives?

No, it's treated differently. I got the old PADI Basic Diver in 1978. I had all the pool and classroom work, it turns out that I didn't have dives 3 and 4 of Open Water Diver. I did hundreds of dives, got Nitrox certified and even dove the Blue Hole with my Basic Card. It was not until I wanted an AOW that I had to complete my OW dives 3 and 4. The Course Director at Ocean Divers even called PADI about it and all they required was dives 3 and 4.

From Padi Pros Blog:

[h=2]Basic Scuba Diver History[/h] There were two entry-level PADI certifications prior to 1987 — Basic Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver. A Basic Scuba Diver met the course knowledge development and confined water performance requirements of Open Water Diver training, but the course required only two open Water scuba training dives. Some skills, such as the controlled emergency swimming ascent and buddy breathing ascent, may not have been demonstrated in open Water as part of the course.


Because the Basic Scuba Diver course was discontinued more than 20 years ago, some dive centers and resorts are not familiar with the certification. In fact, some confuse the Basic Scuba Diver certification with the current PADI Scuba Diver certification.

Scuba Diver is a pre-entry level certification that allows divers to dive with a PADI Professional to a depth no greater than 12 metres/40 feet. This restriction is printed on the certification.