Is certification necessary for shallow water diving?

[CT-Rich]

That's like saying why pay a driving instructor to tell you to turn the wheel and step on the gas.

You need to pass the driving test. The State says you have the minimum competency to drive. You could, theoretically get dive gear and go in the water yourself and self instruct. That was how it was originally done. BUT... If you hand someone your gear and tell them what to do to dive and they get hurt.... It won't matter why, they or their heirs will come after you, and probably win.

I taught my kids to drive, but the state issued the license. I am off the hook if they do something stupid. The OP's son was given substandard instruction. He can work with him on improving that. If they want to go on charter boat, the Captain can claim the kid was certified and the agency was responsible for the kid's lack of skills. If you don't have the card, their heirs can ask, "why did you let him on the boat?"

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Your class did not meet standards. Are you holding it up as an example of a good class or a bad class?

An example of certification without adequate training for me to be competent and comfortable. Learned and did the required demonstration of enumerated skills, but ....

So a not-good class.

 

[tarponchik]

The minimum requirement for a good class is that it meets the standards. Do you think otherwise?

So any class that meets the standards is good?

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Bottom line....per the title of this thread.

Is certification necessary to scuba dive in shallow water? There is only one possible answer and that answer is NO.

Is certification a good idea or strongly advised for diving in shallow water.......or in any depth of water?

Yeah, sure.....duh!

 

[boulderjohn]

So any class that meets the standards is good?

Read the sentence carefully. He said meeting the standards was "the minimum requirement for a good class." That implies that there are other additional requirements to qualify as a good class.

 

[Miyaru]

....
BUT... If you hand someone your gear and tell them what to do to dive and they get hurt.... It won't matter why, they or their heirs will come after you, and probably win.
...
...the Captain can claim the kid was certified and the agency was responsible for the kid's lack of skills. If you don't have the card, their heirs can ask, "why did you let him on the boat?"

This.

It all comes down to attempts to blame somebody else but the diver him/herself.

Why?​

• Holding the agency responsible for lack of skills is typical heir-behaviour after a fatality. A diver could have been trained and certified years ago, when the diver's skills met the standards, but were sadly lacking at the moment of a dive incident/accident.
• Holding a captain responsible for letting such a diver on the boat is even more reality-detached. Because the validity of that question implies that every captain has to evaluate a diver's skills before allowing boat access. Unrealistic.
• You can also sue the dive center. Very unlikely that the heirs get the money they ask for, but maybe they can bankrupt the dive center like was done 4 years ago.

One likely answer to the question Why? is the fact that heirs can make money in countries with an adversarial justice system. The agency is held responsible because that's where the money is.

But.......if the diver isn't certified, it's hard to blame the agency (unless the incident/accident happened during a course dive).

Make sure your family members are certified. It's not necessary for shallow water diving, it's absolutely necessary after fcuk-ups.

 

[tarponchik]

Read the sentence carefully. He said meeting the standards was "the minimum requirement for a good class." That implies that there are other additional requirements to qualify as a good class.

Then he did not define what the good and the bad classes are.

 

[tursiops]

So any class that meets the standards is good?

You either don't understand "minimum requirements" or you are being a jerk. Which us it?

 

[boulderjohn]

Then he did not define what the good and the bad classes are.

Correct. He did not. He was not trying to. He was only talking about the fact that meeting course standards was the minimum. He did not intend to go beyond that.

 

[Micko1974]

Training is super important at all stages of your dive journey. We never stop learning, and this is definetly true for beginners.