Is certification necessary??

[chrisch]

... the consequences and liability are just beyond crazy

While the liability issue is not in doubt, the consequences are not for you to say. It is possible that a person can get adequate training without a PIC card from one of the big agencies. That's how diving started, there were no agencies and people learned from a "knowledgable" person. Without knowing more I would simply offer the advise that the PIC card will make life easier and at least you have had a recognised training. Life is not wholly black and white. More information is needed before adopting a position of absolutism.

 

[NAM001]

you position is really a moot point.. the op was asking if there was a legal requirement to have a divers "license". that answer is an absolute no. AS with everything every sword has 2 edges. In this case. in application it is a yes because of the reasons you have stated. for almost all .... no card - no service is in effect. That position is not your personal [posotion it is a business liability one. it is the work of lawyers and the no card no service is a self protection measure and not a legal based stance like no license no driving 18 wheelers with hazmat. other countries do have such regulations and you are arrested or fined for diving with out a certification. Much like hydro requirements... every 5 years or every year varies around the world.

yes you do. because no operator i work with, nobody i dive with, nor i would even think about diving with you. the consequences and liability are just beyond crazy

 

[redacted]

While the liability issue is not in doubt, the consequences are not for you to say. It is possible that a person can get adequate training without a PIC card from one of the big agencies. That's how diving started, there were no agencies and people learned from a "knowledgable" person. Without knowing more I would simply offer the advise that the PIC card will make life easier and at least you have had a recognised training. Life is not wholly black and white. More information is needed before adopting a position of absolutism.

While a "dive professional", acting in that capacity, may have a liability issue, I doubt others would. I have never had a buddy try to check my C-card, and I never would.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Do you have any objection for getting certified? If so, why?

 

[chrisch]

While a "dive professional", acting in that capacity, may have a liability issue, I doubt other would. I have never had a buddy try to check my C-card, and I never would.

I meant the liability to the uncertified diver in terms of his life assurance and so on. Since the world's largest training organisation allows people without rescue training to buddy up together and dive I think the liability in terms of the responsibility to a dive buddy is a grey area. My understanding is strictly from a European viewpoint (although we now are moving toward a propensity to sue each other that is near to the US model). The more trained you are the greater the buddy's expectations. So someone without formal training would not be expected to be highly skilled in rescue techniques. It's all a bit of minefield really. A "professional" will have to look to what his/her agency expects of them. S/he should be able to dive with an uncertified diver if acting as a tutor. But I do agree with your viewpoint - no one ever asked to look at my C card nor have I ever ask to see theirs. Just watching someone put their gear together is often the best way to work out if you are going to have a good dive with them or are effectively solo.

 

[knotsmart]

Do you have any objection for getting certified? If so, why?

no, not at all.. I was simply posing the question to define the parameters..

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

no, not at all.. I was simply posing the question to define the parameters..

Fair enough. I'm a big believer in training. My first 100 dives were a fairly even split between training dives and fun dives. I don't push my luck (a subjective term) that much, but I do a fair bit of solo diving now for the sake of photography (and always dive with a 30 cu ft pony). Personally I recommend at least going through a rescue class as well as an introductory tec diving class if you want to solo dive a lot. Even if you have no intentions of diving twins, doing deco stops, etc., I feel that the concept of self-rescue is well presented. That is how I feel about the PADI tec 40 course, which I have read the material, done the homework, but haven't done the dives (yet). But others may have different opinions.

 

[knotsmart]

my interpretation of all this from a newbie's perspective is there is a "dive at your own risk" factor. which was my assumption from the start. the buddy system coupled with all the different certs can mitigate that risk to a certain point. considering that economics is always a factor (ie cost of training classes) I wanted to know the feasibility of solo diving. knowing that the best way to gain knowledge and experience is by having bottom time I wanted to pose the questions. i have downloaded various links and have been studying all the written aspects. when the weather breaks i do have access to a pool and there are plenty of places to dive in shallow water to get more comfortable. my current training(a very loose term) consists of a couple "BS" classes taken in key largo on vacation. between that and the 200 youtube videos of all the different drills i plan on jumping in both feet first in the spring. hope to see you out there

jason

 

[knotical]

Self-teaching scuba can work. Evidence: many of my generation who learned from the little booklet that came with an AquaLung.

But is it efficient? No.
Is it wise? I don’t think so.

After two decades of diving and reading, I took a course and was amazed at how much I learned. Not academics, but skills.

I strongly recommend you connect with a good instructor. Not just an experienced diver / mentor, but an actual instructor who is trained in training. At this point, you don’t know what you don’t know. With a good instructor, you’ll avoid learning bad habits, and will learn the skills more rapidly, for a net reduction in effort to reach the level you apparently want (solo diver), which is well beyond a basic certification.

 

[Lorenzoid]

my interpretation of all this from a newbie's perspective is there is a "dive at your own risk" factor. which was my assumption from the start. the buddy system coupled with all the different certs can mitigate that risk to a certain point. considering that economics is always a factor (ie cost of training classes) I wanted to know the feasibility of solo diving. knowing that the best way to gain knowledge and experience is by having bottom time I wanted to pose the questions. i have downloaded various links and have been studying all the written aspects. when the weather breaks i do have access to a pool and there are plenty of places to dive in shallow water to get more comfortable. my current training(a very loose term) consists of a couple "BS" classes taken in key largo on vacation. between that and the 200 youtube videos of all the different drills i plan on jumping in both feet first in the spring. hope to see you out there

jason

My prediction is that you're going to do all this self-education and then eventually, when you start encountering hassles from not having a certification card, end up going through the certification process anyway.