Open water referral check out dives in Maui

[KrisB]

Here's what the PADI OW Instructor Manual says about receiving referral students from non-PADI instructors:

You may complete training for referred entry-level students from certification
organizations other than PADI by using the following procedures:
1. The Teaching status PADI Instructor receiving the student:
• Reviews the referral document to verify that the student has completed the knowledge and skill development portions of an entry-level scuba course.
• Verifies that the student has completed a water skills assessment (at least a 200
metre/yard swim or 300 metre/yard mask, snorkel, and fin swim and a 10 minute
tread/float).
• Verifies that the training completion date listed on the referral document is not
older than 12 months.
2. The student completes a PADI Medical Statement, Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding, and Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement.
3. The receiving Teaching status PADI Instructor ensures that the student successfully completes the entire PADI Scuba Review program along with the PADI Open
Water Diver Final Exam. Remediate the student’s knowledge and skills, as necessary, before any open water training occurs.
4. Use the PADI Skill Evaluation to assess student skills. In addition to the skills listed
on the PADI Skill Evaluation Grade Sheet, the student must also demonstrate mastery of the following skills:
• Underwater swim without a mask
• Air depletion exercise
• Air depletion/Alternate Air Source (AAS) combined exercise
5. A student referred from a certification organization other than PADI must complete
Open Water Dives One and Two for Scuba Diver certification, or One through Four for Open Water Diver certification. For instructional consistency, it’s recommended that
the receiving instructor/dive center conducting the preassessment and required remediation complete the open water training.
6. Students may be referred any time between Open Water Dive 1 and Open Water Dive 4. Issue a PADI Open Water Diver Referral Record, along with other referral documentation attached when referring students between open water dives. Preassessment and remediation, as necessary, is required before any open water training occurs.
7. The Teaching status PADI Instructor who completes the final open water dive certifies the student. The certifying instructor submits a PADI Positive Identification Card (PIC) envelope to PADI for processing. The certifying instructor retains the student’s referral documents along with a signed Medical Statement, Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding and Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement.

So, basically, considering that you'd have to do the entire Scuba Review program before doing your OW dives, you're essentially redoing the part you've already completed.

In the 2nd Quarter 2003 Training Bulletin, two other options are presented:

2. If you hold an instructor qualification from the original referral agency in addition to your PADI rating, you may complete the referral per that agencyÕs standards.

3. You can complete the open water dives as outlined in the "Universal" or "Global" guidelines and send the diver back to the original instructor for certification.

Please note that, if you choose option three, in some cases certifications have not been issued by the original instructor. This results in an understandably disappointed student with a negative impression of diving. Further, the temporary document issued may or may not be recognized by other dive centers or resorts and can, again, lead to disappointment.

Now some local information: Lahaina Divers and Maui Dreams are both very highly respected dive shops here as far as training is concerned. They are the only two on Maui that are authorized to conduct PADI Instructor-level training. With that in mind, it's also important to realize that they *only* do PADI instruction, and they are very keen on following standards.

Your best bet would be to seek out a current NAUI or SSI instructor (I'm not aware of the other agencies involved having a presence here on Maui) that can receive your "Universal" referral on its face and just do the diving with you.

My only concern for you this this -- if the receiving instructor can't sign off on some sort of certification card (temporary or otherwise), other places are likely going to treat you as uncertified divers (liability reasons and such). In this case, perhaps the PADI route is the better way to go anyways, as it gives you a card-in-hand as soon as you complete your last dive.

If you would like, I can get some contact info for a NAUI instructor I know and an SSI instructor I know.

 

[DiveMaven]

Sounds like a good plan to do your referral dives with B&B, then book dives to Lanai with Lahaina Divers since you know they'll take your completed paperwork as proof of certification. They will take good care of you and you will enjoy the ride over to Lanai on those 46' Newton boats.

I've never felt they were a cattle boat operation just because they have big boats. They give personalized attention to each diver and have very good customer service. Their groups are broken down to around 6 divers with a DM, and they offer lunch and warm cookies on each charter. They are simply an operator that caters to beginning and/or occasional divers, which doesn't match a lot of folks on this board.

 

[Tax Dude]

Of course, couldn't you just take the PADI card when you finish your checkout dives and then go home and get your original instructor to issue you a NAUI card as well. Then you'd have no problems with whoever you wanted to dive with while still in MAUI and you'd end up with both.

Or am I missing something?

 

[kidspot]

that would mean paying extra for an uneeded PADI cert card... which I think is the point

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

As well as completing the Scuba Review pool session (14 skills?) and passing the PADI OW final exam. I would be more comfortable with the student in open water after seeing them in confined water, but if it was a seperate pool session the price of the referal would be higher. Best bet, certify with an instructor from same agency as refering instructor. Second choice, follow universal procedures and bring all your paperwork with log book to the operator for the certified dives. Getting a PADI card is a hassel for all involved.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

that would mean paying extra for an uneeded PADI cert card... which I think is the point

Yes it's how the world learns to dive

Gotta keep those numbers up.

B&B won't play the "have to have a padi card game".

Kris many of us could care less what padi says in their literature. Matters not to me. In fact recently I did checkouts for a padi instructor and guess what, that person did not get a ssi card, they got a padi card.

Some of us manage to show respect, some are just idiots.

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

hmmm I wont even ask where half the thread went off to....it was just getting fun and irrelevant

 

[justleesa]

You are just too fast, I'm working on it....PM you shortly

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

You are just too fast, I'm working on it....PM you shortly

uh oh, I didn't do it...I swear

 

[justleesa]

show me your hands