How is a diving agency aknowledged or accepted?

[PoseidonSv]

When I start my own agency for diving training, is there any law or other things other then to have all legal things covered that is needed?

How did some of the newer agencies start out when there was just one member?

Which agencies exsist and which ones might not be accepted by the bigger ones and why?

How can a boat ir divestore know about all existing agencies and such?

In my country there is no law about how diving education should be done or who has the right to say which ones are valid or not.

Im very curious about this issue!

 

[Doc]

No dive agency ever started out with just one member. They all had to come from two guys, I mean~ you can't sign your own card, can you?

Gaining agency acceptance is roughly akin to establishing a country. You have to get other countries to accept your postage stamps- that is the big one. http://www.sealandgov.org/

Get a cubic meter of US $100 bills, not of that Euro funny money stuff. Buy yourself some insurance policies that weigh 16 pounds. Then, after writing all-inclusive manuals with complete disclaimer package, design the patches and c-cards.

Go get another cubic meter of cash.

If you are serious, get those folks at Poseidon to get into it with you, look at the DIR / Brownies model. Skip the Kool Aid, go straight for the Svedka Vodka.

In all seriousness, I think Poseidon would be a superb partner in a technical level dive certification agency. They'd never do it, but they should, and it would be a winner. I have owned several of their products and the cult mentality is apparent at every step, beginning with trying to get them to tell you who will sell you something.

You're going to need another cubic meter of hundreds at this point.

 

[WJL]

http://www.sealandgov.org/

Get a cubic meter of US $100 bills ...

Go get another cubic meter of cash.

....

You're going to need another cubic meter of hundreds at this point.

I think you're overestimating the cash needed. A stack of $100 bills one meter high, according to my sources (a quick Google search led me to this, which I'd guess is about as reliable as Wikipedia) is $1 million. A cubic meter would hold 84 such stacks, with room left over. So three cubic meters of $100 bills would be $252 million.

I would be willing to set this whole thing up for the OP for only half that.

 

[Thalassamania]

Establising a new agency is no big deal. PADI started out by requiring that you send in $25.00 and nothing more than a letter claiming that you were already teaching diving somewhere. After collecting money on that basis for some time PADI required that you be certified by another agency.

 

[PoseidonSv]

I already started my own agency and i certified myself for diving my own built and designed rebreather with use of trimix as diluent.

Now i have a certification with my name for my rebreather for the diving i like to do so now I have no odd issues with not being cerified for the diving i actually do.

So I can not sew myself, right?

 

[mudhole]

In the beginning, there was Cousteau and his 2- hose regulator, and he came back from all his dives, often with fish. The second guy asked him questions, the third guy asked both of them questions. These diver to diver questions lasted until someone from another town wanted to learn. When diving moved to the U.S. Cousteau sold regulators to a couple of sports stores, who were not divers. Local free divers bought the gear and taught themselves. . . survivors taught what they had learned. The sports store started recommending some of their customers to other customers. When one of the original sporting goods store owners, became the distributor for U.S. Divers company, they spread the word through sports stores, when they bought equipment. This grew to the National Association of Skin Diving Stores. They set standards with the guidance of those divers who were surviving. Other businesses came along, and the old group split. . .

To start your own. . . impress everyone around you that you are a "Great" diver. Find your European standards association. And make your standards equal or exceed their requirments. And send out thousands of new divers you've trained, that exceed the quality of the existing agencies. EASY!

 

[Doc]

So I can not sew myself, right?

A dead guy can not bring a lawsuit. I'd say you're safe. Go for it.

What do your certification emblem patches look like?

 

[mudhole]

Establising a new agency is no big deal. PADI started out by requiring that you send in $25.00 and nothing more than a letter claiming that you were already teaching diving somewhere. After collecting money on that basis for some time PADI required that you be certified by another agency.

Thalassamania. . . you've burst my bubble. I received one of those letters about being an exceptional diver. I thought they learned about my being considered as an instructor from SCIP, the Southwest Coucil of Instructors Program. . .One of their considerations was placing in the top 10 spearfishermen. I was impressed with my notoriety out in southern Oklahoma. . . The only other "exceptional" diver I new took their offer and bought their instructor card. The "exceptional" part was we were the only two divers subscribing to Skin Diver Magazine in our community.

 

[Thalassamania]

Thalassamania. . . you've burst my bubble. I received one of those letters about being an exceptional diver. I thought they learned about my being considered as an instructor from SCIP, the Southwest Coucil of Instructors Program. . .One of their considerations was placing in the top 10 spearfishermen. I was impressed with my notoriety out in southern Oklahoma. . . The only other "exceptional" diver I new took their offer and bought their instructor card. The "exceptional" part was we were the only two divers subscribing to Skin Diver Magazine in our community.

That's a story worth retelling. Thanks.

 

[cdennyb]

I started in 1976 with NASDS. I wonder why they split up or got swallowed by SSI?
Any ideas?
db