Is anyone familiar with SDI Supervised Diving certification?

[Mr. Ed]

I've completed a good potion, according to dive instructor, of my contained water dives, but need to demonstrate better buoyancy below and at surface of water. which is not overly difficult for me. With supervised certification I only need 2 open water dives, but must always dive with a scuba professional, which seems a little vague to me. I can only dive to 40 ft whereas OWC allows me to dive to 60 ft.

I would not be able to get my dry suit or nitrox certification until I complete OWC and if I don't complete OWC within a year, I would have to take the entire course over again and spend more time and money to be where I am today. I don't see that the supervision certificate is in anyway advantageous to me.

Thanks for letting me work this through, I guess writing things down is helpful.

 

[Marie13]

Sounds similar to the PADI scuba diver cert. Depth limit is 40ft and must dive with a dive master or instructor. I know someone who was having issues during OW. Got two dives done and was issued the scuba diver cert. Finished the last two dives with a different instructor a few months later and got OW cert.

Perhaps a different instructor might be a solution for you, as well?

 

[VikingDives]

@Marie13 is correct. Supervised diver is just like PADI's scuba diver cert, just named more appropriately.

This cert is for the diver who can't complete all the skills of an open water course. I've never issued one myself for either agency.

The only time I've heard of this cert being issued is when you've done most of the skills but there's something (usually mask removal) holding you back from completing the course AND you are going on a dive vacation.

 

[VikingDives]

Rereading you post, I'm not sure if your instructor is offering you supervised diver and open water scuba diver once you've finished your open water dives, but it kind of sounds like it... If that's the case, it's just more money out of your pocket and it's useless.

If you've finished your open water dives and you are going back to work on buoyancy with your instructor or another instructor until you can complete open water, I don't see the utility, unless it's cheaper somehow to do one or the other.

Good instruction is much more important than saving money at your level of diving. If your instructor thinks you need more buoyancy work, do the work.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Along the lines of training, has sharing alternate regulator for training purposes, with out-of-air dive buddy changed because of COVID?

 

[VikingDives]

Along the lines of training, has sharing alternate regulator for training purposes, with out-of-air dive buddy changed because of COVID?

It has with SDI I believe (I know PADI changed it). I just sanitize the mouthpieces and train the usual way. If you're going to catch covid, it will be breathing in your buddies face at the surface.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I thought it was a silly question in that your buddy is out of air who will likely die anyway without air support whether COVID is involved or not.

 

[tursiops]

I thought it was a silly question in that your buddy is out of air who will likely die anyway without air support whether COVID is involved or not.

You asked about alternate use during training; now you appear to be commenting on its use in real life.

 

[Mr. Ed]

now you appear to be commenting on its use in real life.

No not at all, my bad.

 

[Mr. Ed]

My dive trainer does not tell me what I have accomplished nor does she tell me the skills I need to be complete. Is this common practice among dive organizations and trainers?