Onlinescubalessons/Aquatrophics/SDA/David Holt

[offroadr1]

You got scammed, and apparently it's everyones fault but your own. how can we take you seriously?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Wow you people are WAY too full of yourselves to be taken seriously

Then why are you? You don't like the answers you received after your little tantrum and attack on those who had absolutely nothing to do with your failure to verify the information you received. I don't know how old your son is but if he's over 18 why are you doing the complaining and not him? If he's not over 18 why didn't you vet the outfit before handing over your credit card? Just who is the adult here? We don't see him using the terms and language you are. Or vigorously refusing to take on any responsibility for the tiny fiasco that has taken place.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks for happy wishes, I contacted my credit card, and of course I will take care of it, I was looking for input on legitimacy of this provider, instead I got: "So, your son wanted to get certified and you, what, found the cheapest and easiest online class available that you could do from the comfort of your home, didn't do much research, if any, because you chose an SDA certification, and when you google SDA, the third and fourth hits are folks questioning the quality of the agency, and now you want to know if it's legit? Take some responsibility here for yourself. It's what diving is about"

How dare you. Who do you think you are saying "take some responsibility", guess what, I am a licensed psychotherapist and give advice on parenting- and my son found the course for himself, and I applaud him looking for the best deal, cause guess what, it is identical, the online portion. And YES< I absolutely do take offense to your irresponsible comments.

Glad you took it up with your credit card. It'll be good to get your money back and good to zing the crook. More people need to do that and try to press charges. Looks like fraud and would come under FCC, but maybe not big enough to get attention.

I'm on your side sorta, but you could have simply explained how your son got scammed.

good luck

 

[Ayisha]

guess what, it is identical, the online portion.

No reputable instructor or agency will accept it, no matter how identical you think it may be.

Scott made it abundantly clear that if you had not begun with insults in your first post and continued the repugnant behaviour in every post thereafter, one of the reputable instructors on this board probably would have helped you and your son out with at least that portion of the course.

I am not an instructor and have no horse in this race. I have been diving and know enough instructors for more than long enough to know that most instructors are not in it for the money. Most instructors, particularly on this board, are dedicated, take pride in the courses they teach and spend time and effort to help students become proficient divers. They do it for the love of the sport, not oodles of money or "corruption".

You and/or your son did not do the research required and he got a dud. He could have chosen any of the well-known, well-publicized training agencies that it was clear he would have to get certified through anyway. But he didn't. And you didn't. Your venom is misdirected.

Your behaviour is very unbecoming of anyone, but especially a professional in your field. I hope that none of your clients or prospective clients come across your tirades on this board.

 

[Wookie]

Thanks for happy wishes, I contacted my credit card, and of course I will take care of it, I was looking for input on legitimacy of this provider, instead I got: "So, your son wanted to get certified and you, what, found the cheapest and easiest online class available that you could do from the comfort of your home, didn't do much research, if any, because you chose an SDA certification, and when you google SDA, the third and fourth hits are folks questioning the quality of the agency, and now you want to know if it's legit? Take some responsibility here for yourself. It's what diving is about"

How dare you. Who do you think you are saying "take some responsibility", guess what, I am a licensed psychotherapist and give advice on parenting- and my son found the course for himself, and I applaud him looking for the best deal, cause guess what, it is identical, the online portion. And YES< I absolutely do take offense to your irresponsible comments.

How dare I? You walk into a situation where you admit you don't have a clue and you get your rocks off insulting our profession, being rude to professionals in the field before you even look or ask for advice, and soundly reject the advice with more insults. Idon't care if I offend you. Everything you have demonstrated in this board is nothing more than a cry for sympathy. Do yourself a safety favor. Take up golf. There isn't anyone to hear you whine and cheese at 60 feet.

 

[boulderjohn]

cause guess what, it is identical, the online portion.

How did you make the comparison?

 

[pabrand]

Jan, I'm sorry you and your son were the victim of this operation (SDA, etc.). As noted by another poster, this has been a problem for some time and nearly all diver training agencies (members of the Recreational Scuba Trainng Council - RSTC), including PADI, have denied approval to this operation. In addtion, I know Mr. Holt has been communicated to, repeatedly, but he continues his fradulent practices. As noted above, consumers, such as yourself, become angry with the industry or with the particular agency that denies acceptance of this online training. It is not the agency that has been defrauded, but you - the consumer. The agency cannot bring any action against Mr. Holt, other than to continually demand his cease using the varoius agencies trademarks, and cease misrepresenting approval by the various agencies.
Good luck to you and your son. I hope you will seek out legitimate training - either at your local dive shop or through the credible agency offerings online (most of them have an online component for the academics). This is a wonderful sport, a great lifestyle for your entire family, and a sound and responsible industry.

 

[flots am]

I have not seen the SDA content, but I can almost guarantee that it is not the same. I have worked with the people who created the PADI online course material. It was created at an enormous expense. It has all sorts of embedded video, graphics, check quizzes, and the most modern technical benefits to improve student learning we now have in online education.

If the training materials were obtained in the same way as some of the website images, it's entirely possible that "they're the same" as PADI. Although I'm not sure how appreciative PADI would be.

A reverse image search on google from the FAQ pictures was quite entertaining.

flots.

 

[Quero]

Is the content of his course the same as the PADI one? It appears to be, in that case, there would be no "danger" in taking it, it is just PADI who is corrupt and inbreed. Jan Falk, LCSW (actually a regulated and credentialed industry)

Hi Jan, I understand your frustration with our members, but you have hit a sore spot amongst us with this particular training option (one we've been dealing with the fallout from for a number of years), and most of us are entirely fed up with it. That's not your fault of course, but you're feeling the effects of it.

You call our industry and PADI corrupt and inbred. In fact, that's not the case. Let me try to explain, but without the emotionally-laden language that has been bandied about in this thread, both by you and by some of the other respondents.

Far from being "inbred", there are a large number of competing scuba training organizations that have built their reputations on creating learning materials and providing professional development to create a corps of instructors, all in order to deliver training of a particular, published standard. In contrast to this process, and in the case of Mr. David Holt and Aquatrophics/SDA, the learning materials he offers have clearly been plagiarized, and most likely from an organization through which the "developer's" professional credentials were obtained. So to begin with, this particular individual has been operating in a wholly unethical and dishonest manner. We can hardly expect such a person to hold to ethical standards of practice and honest interaction with his clients if this has been his demonstrated mode of operation in relation to his training agency and his colleagues. As a matter of fact, there have been repeated issues with students who have been bilked out of their fees paid to him because he makes claims that cannot be sustained and ultimately prove to be false. How can the falsehoods, fabrications, lack of ethics, and dishonesty of this person be laid at the feet of PADI specifically or more generally of any of the competing certification organizations recognized in the industry?

As to the notion of corruption in PADI, there are those amongst the professional ranks who find PADI as an organization lacking in one way or other, and those who feel that PADI's learning materials are lacking in one way or another, but I've never heard anyone call the agency corrupt because it sells its textbooks and courses at a higher price than SDA does. That would be like saying Wegman's supermarket is corrupt because it sells its coffee (or whatever) at a higher price than somebody who has stolen the same coffee product from a delivery truck and is selling it cheaply from the trunk of his car. It's a ludicrous claim.

In any case, it should be enough to consider that the owner of SDA was once a NAUI instructor but was expelled from that organization for cause. If his own former colleagues refuse to even associate with him, is this really the person you want to entrust your son's physical well-being to in terms of learning the essentials of a potentially risky pursuit?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

... I did call SDA personally, pretending to be a potential student, and I was clearly told that PADI would accept the program. He lies on the web site, and he will lie to your face..

I hate people that lie to my face, I much prefer it when they lie over the phone....