Open Source Instruction for Entry Level Scuba

[boulderjohn]

Our first supported diver was a challenged Iraq vet paralyzed from the waist down. Liability is no more of an issue for us than anyone else, and we are insured. We have certified instructors from two of the major organizations but we are not going to use their material, name or anything connected to them. The exception would be to offer an experienced diver course and let them cross over to whatever agency they choose if they wanted to spend the extra money.

OK, I just reread this and am thoroughly lost. If you have certified instructors from an existing agency, why not just use that agency's materials and certifications? Is there something wrong with getting people certified through an existing agency? What is the benefit of using the experienced diver program? The existing agencies' prices are not your concern--you control it. If you are a nonprofit, you should be able to offer an existing agency's certification at whatever price you want.

 

[awetmedic]

Yes tiggerman, I am sure it happens. At the businesses I have worked at, we had people from all over the world coming some with cards some without. We would always verify if possible and give a checkout if we couldn't. We would also never assume that just because somebody has a card, that they know what they are doing. Quite often our resort divers were much better than divers who hadn't dove in 5 years since getting the card.

 

[awetmedic]

We have a 12 foot pool and a compressor onsite. We are next to a lake and have boats.

 

[Doc Harry]

No. No. No.

A better (but not necessarily more practical) solution would be to expand the certification curriculum and actually pay the instructors for their time.

 

[awetmedic]

A short time ago I was sent a link of a great free online diving program from Austrailia. I am wondering how many other great programs (NOAA and DCIEM both have public domain info) are out there. Right now, my students can browse 3 great free sources for information, I wonder how many there are.

 

[mathauck0814]

I think you probably need to find a way to give your certification credibility otherwise you're likely to find yourself in some uncomfortable spots.

Hope is not a strategy.

 

[Rogersea]

I have read your last two posts concerning this subj, and was a little confused by your statement concerning the "High Cost of SCUBA Instruction. Do you really think Instruction is over priced? if so where?
Second, our industry has taken great measures to ensure that we dont become an over-regulated activity. What I mean by that, is we police ourselves relatively well and I can not imagine your proposal doing anything to help further the industry in any way...

Perhaps you have not articulated what you are trying to achieve clearly. From what I have read in the last two threads I would not get behind something like this..

Cheers,
Roger

I

 

[awetmedic]

Every agency started someplace. We do have a couple of strategies that will probably make us huge, not as a diver agency, but as a sports nonprofit, but who knows. We are not looking for global domination in scuba, we simply want to service our own people. Like the YMCA.

 

[boulderjohn]

The OP has two threads going on this topic, and I assume he does not know he is not supposed to do that. In the other thread, he said he has two certified instructors on his staff but does not want to use their agencies' materials. In summary, he has the ability to provide legitimate, recognized certifications at whatever price his non-profit wants to set, but instead wants to put divers in the water without certification in the hope that they will get enough dives without certification to have one of the agencies that could have certified them in the first place certify them through the experienced diver program, which is almost totally obsolete.

Is that a fair summary?

Does anyone have questions about this?

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Threads merged

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[awetmedic]

We do have experienced instructors on staff. Walmart is legally able to issue diver certifications, anyone can. A certification card does not always prove the diver who hasn't dove in 5 years knows what he is doing. The point about the experienced diver program was in response to somebody saying that our certification won't ever be good enough.