Open Water Question

[TheDivingBear]

I am behind in my confined water diving and we are getting ready for our vacation. We would love to dive while we are there in Hawaii and had planned on taking out open water dives there. I doubt I will be able to catch up completely in time, but have an idea. Is it possible to use my dive log to show the skills I have done and take the "refresher" confined dive to get the other skills, then take my OW? Is this allowed?

I'm not trying to cheat the system, but I really would like to dive in Hawaii.

Bear

 

[Walter]

Bear,

What agency are you using?

 

[TheDivingBear]

We are going through PADI

 

[cabrerad]

Bear,


You can ask your instructor to fill out a referral. Then call some of the outfits where you will be vacationing to see if they will accept it. Most major shops/agencies should. With the referral, you can complete the skills that are not complete with another instructor. The instrcutor can be PADI or not. If you plan to certify with another agency, make sure they will accept the referral. Have fun!



DMC

 

[DivingGal]

Yup a referral from your PADI instructor will do the trick. I've been told that some shops in the warmer destinations can charge a hefty amount to finish your OW off. You might want to check ahead of time. Just my 0.02

 

[DivingGal]

From the PADI manual:

"... the Instructor will have to complete the couse referral from, and/or portions of the PADI Training Record Sheet in the diver's personal logbook.

a) attach copies of student diver documents for the receiving instructor - student's Medical History Form (physcian's approval), etc."

So make sure you take a copy of this at the very least.


"If receiving a referred student diver, verify that the student has the proper referral documentation and that the referral has not expired.

a) preassess the student's prerequisite knowledge and skills as necessary before any open water training."

The instructor must make sure you're ready for the OW dives.

Hope this helps.

 

[WreckWriter]

Bear says he is "behind in my confined water diving". a standard refferal letter assumes classroom and pool are complete and only o/w dives are required. Therefor classroom and pool, at least pool, has not been completed so he isn't eligible for a referral.

My suggestion is to contact a shop at the destination and see what they're willing to do. Also speak to your current instructor as to what they're willing to do. Perhaps you can finish your pool work before you go somehow? If so then a refferral is the best option. If not, resort course is all that will really fly (assuming everyone on both ends follows standards).

Unless of course things have changed since I stopped teaching, in which case none of what I said may be valid

Tom

 

[DivingGal]

From the manual....

"You may refer a PADI Open Water Diver course student who has completed any Knowledge Development session, Confined Water Dive or Open Water Dive to a PADI Instructor in another location to compete certication requirements. A Knowledge Development session, Confined Water Dive or Open Water Dive is considered complete when the student diver has demonstrated mastery for all its listed performance requirements.

For example, a student diver may be referred after completing Knowledge Development Section One, which includes independent study, academic review and passing the quiz, or after mastering the skills during Confined Water Dive One, or after completing both.

It looks like if you've complete part of your training successfully, you can be referred. But I agree with WreckWriter first before you go if you want to complete the training, or you may end up with just doing a Resort course.

 

[WreckWriter]

I stand (actually sit) corrected! The only refferals I ever did were o/w dives only. Other sorts may have always been allowed but I never saw one so I ass-umed that it wasn't done!

It'll still be much easier getting the pool work done at home. Diving in a pool in Hawaii will be a bummer I think.

Tom

 

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by WreckWriter
... It'll still be much easier getting the pool work done at home. Diving in a pool in Hawaii will be a bummer I think.

Tom

As I said - I had to look it up (I'm only a DM, though have dreams of moving on up).

I totally agree with you Tom, pool and class on this side of the pond... OW on that side. Recently in Barbados, I remember one poor soul siting in a class room for all those videos, and class stuff while I went diving --- yuck!