Open water cert in a pool?

[ZzzKing]

Like This?

I just got this from Rowan at work......what great timing to get this photo.

Looks like a balmy spring evening swim for you Canadians. I get shrinkage just looking at it!

 

[DiveAlberta]

I've personally dove the lagoon at WEM and the idea that this could qualify as an open water dive is absolutely crazy. I don't know where in that lagoon you can even get to 24 feet. When we dove it, the deepest my computer read was about 14 feet. There was a deeper part in the middle that we were not allowed to enter, but even that was maybe another 4-5 feet deep. You're not dealing with a real life open water situation. Where are the waves, the currents, the thermocline, the silt, the weather..... This is a pool. And as for marine life, well its behind glass. The fish are not swimming around in the lagoon. They are inside glass tanks around the perimeter of the lagoon. Dirty glass tanks that you can barely see through. Oh, and the "coral".... yeh, that's pretty much either dead or fake. You can even see the glue where they stuck the stuff to the walls and the floor.

Once again it's seems it's all about the numbers. Just push them through. Get them certified. Who cares if they're really ready to dive on their own without an instructor. I believe PADI was asked about the qualification of WEM for OW a few years back, and even they thought it was a bad idea and didn't approve it. That's gotta say something.

 

[boulderjohn]

Just for comparison, here are two sites accepted for OW training by a number of agencies:

http://www.utahdiving.com/crater.htm

http://www.dtmag.com/dive-usa/BlueHoleStRosaNM.html

 

[plot]

But a pool has a comfort level associated with it, that a lake/pond/qaurry/river/ocean simply does not have.

 

[BrianO]

Most training agencies have a contingency for this type of situation. One agency qualifies an open water dive as breathing 50 cubic feet of air or spending 25 minutes or longer at a depth of 15 feet or deeper. This is subjective, of course, but it does address the issue of not being close to a larger body of water or the ability to travel to it.

 

[aquakiwi]

My thinking is that a pool lacks some of the conditions of the ocean eg current, tidal flow, surge, surf etc. Sooner or later divers are going to encounter these. I've just this
last hour returned from conducting OW Dives 2 & 3, a sheltered bay about 5-8 metres
deep but it did have a bit off tidal flow, chop and surge. The best way to learn is to experience.

 

[friscuba]

At least a few training agencies allow Open Water intro dives to non-divers specifically because of "pool like" conditions. You are allowed to certify students in those exact same dive sites. I see little difference here. I bet if a dive shop approaced any of the major agencies in this country, they'd approve it.

 

[nadwidny]

I'm hoping the other shop was doomed because you had to already be certified to dive there unless you wanted to snuba. WEM is doing up a package for us showing what they want out of us as far as commitment & cost. I only have my AOW & some specialties so I am more of an investor right now. I think there would be a lot more buisness if you could intro & complete classes. Diving off a full size pirate ship won't hurt either. I don't expect to get rich but it might pay for a trip or two a year.

I've been around the scuba business in Edmonton for about 16 years now. In that time I've learned that if you deal with WEM you're going to get screwed. Period.

And there is no frickin' way in hell that the sub tank is a substitute for OW. Give your head a shake if you think it is or could be.

We're having a get-together Monday evening for a bunch of us local divers. Nothing fancy, just a beer and wings type of night. One of the attendees has a ton of knowledge about the SNUBA guys and dealing with WEM. If you're really intent on spending money you should talk to her first. If you're interested PM me and I'll send details on the time and location.

 

[beejw]

Nemo 33 looks a little dangerous....3 caves? even without the dangers of outside natural caves, thats still a little dangerous! no acess to surface etc. grnated it may only be cavern diving in the definition, but yeah.

 

[String]

Nemo33 i can see would be excellent for checking out new kit/winter training when real diving is blown out. Its a pity theres nothing in the UK similar to that or id be tempted to use it in the winter.