'Maximum' dive depth based on certification

[Snoweman]

That's ridiculous. They are (IMO) just trying to squeeze more money out of the people they certify, hence PADI = Put Another Dollar In. There is no reason whatsoever to try to restrict someone like my wife, who has a PADI OW cert and who has been diving for more than 20 years, to not go deeper than 60'. No reason other than trying to get more money from us, that is. I assure you that she is far more "advanced" than any diver with the minimum number of dives that PADI requires to get AOW certed, even after they get the cert.

When she was certified the "rule" was only a guideline. Thankfully, we have never had a dive op try to tell her she has to stay shallower than 60'. They would get an earful if they did.

The agency that certified me (PDIC) never tried to foist that crap on me.

There are no PADI police at the dive sites. It's more to the point that there's more liability to the dive companies if someone is taken past their training limits. BTW..., I looked up the PDIC website. They have two levels above open water training before you get to Rescue Diver certification. That's one more than PADI. All certification agencies are businesses first.

 

[Snoweman]

Well, of course they all want to sell more certs, but no one at PDIC ever told me never to go deeper than 60' until I got another cert after OW. Also, as we all know, 60' at Cozumel is a very different environment than 60' in, say, the St. Lawrence seaway. An arbitrary catchall depth limit makes no sense.

I didn't make up the rules, but PDIC does have "deep" as part of their AOW 1 dive cert.

 

[buffdiver]

That's ridiculous. They are (IMO) just trying to squeeze more money out of the people they certify, hence PADI = Put Another Dollar In. There is no reason whatsoever to try to restrict someone like my wife, who has a PADI OW cert and who has been diving for more than 20 years, to not go deeper than 60'. No reason other than trying to get more money from us, that is. I assure you that she is far more "advanced" than any diver with the minimum number of dives that PADI requires to get AOW certed, even after they get the cert.

When she was certified the "rule" was only a guideline. Thankfully, we have never had a dive op try to tell her she has to stay shallower than 60'. They would get an earful if they did.

The agency that certified me (PDIC) never tried to foist that crap on me.

I’m PDIC certified also. OW PDIC cert does not have a 60’ limit. Only the rec limit of 130’. I know, off topic. I’ll dive with Jorge, Julio, Edgar anytime.

 

[ggunn]

I didn't make up the rules, but PDIC does have "deep" as part of their AOW 1 dive cert.

Your point? PADI cannot make rules for divers. They could say that their OW cert is only good for 30' and everyone would ignore it just as they do now. This all started because you saw Jorge take PADI OW certed divers deeper than 60', and that somehow wronged you. I disagree.

PADI OW certed divers dive deeper than 60' at Cozumel literally every day. Lots of them.

 

[mediumone]

It must have been much longer than 5 years ago. I did my IDC seven years ago, and I know the PADI depth advice (for OW, juniors, AOW, etc) has not changed since then.

No, not much longer.

Aaah, operative word: advice.

Just skimmed their site. Only depth that I saw mentioned was for an introductory open water course, (not the full OW certification), where the limits are 40'.

Got a link to any other depth advisories?

Edit to add: And the site has become even more sophomoric.

 

[Snoweman]

No, not much longer.

Aaah, operative word: advice.

Just skimmed their site. Only depth that I saw mentioned was for an introductory open water course, (not the full OW certification), where the limits are 40'.

Got a link to any other depth advisories?

Edit to add: And the site has become even more sophomoric.

I did my OW course seven years ago, and I was told 60' was the max (and subsequently take to about 89' for my checkout dive). I also published a link to PADI that showed divers were certified to 60'.

 

[Christi]

I haven't bothered to read this entire thread, but PADI depth limits apply to training dives with the exception of Jr. divers.

If you are operating as a PADI Instructor/DM or shop, then depth limits for Jr. divers must be adhered to for a variety of reasons.

For adults, the depth limits are required during training dives, and recommendations post certification.

If you were to make a report to PADI that a PADI Shop/DM took you to 80 feet in Cozumel as an OW diver, they would say "And the problem is?"

 

[yle]

Got a link to any other depth advisories?

No, because I don't care. Depth limit recommendations by PADI or any other agency do not affect my diving, and I'm not angry at the agencies for issuing the recommendations that they do. If others want to get upset about those depth limit recommendations and spend their time debating whether or not the cert agencies should issue such recommendations, I don't mind either.

I wish you well in your quest to find links to other "depth advisories."

 

[Colliam7]

This thread has been created based on posts moved from another 'trip report' thread, to facilitate focused discussion.

 

[covediver]

All are correct. These are not "hard" limits as there is not enforcement. The selection of 60 feet (or 40 feet for jr divers) seems more arbitrary or customary rather than based on any hard science or experience. (Was 60 feet selected because of the onset no decompression limits or because of free swimming ascent depth of old? There is a lot of mythology that goes into the proverbs of diving) AAUS requirements for scientific diving certification has depth limits.