SDA - Scuba Divers of America (Fact or fiction)

[Bhtmec2]

I ran into this company on Amazon and went to their web site and after reading their listing I see them as a scam but I have been wrong in the past about one or two things. What are they (Fact or Fiction) I searched the forum for their name but could not come up with any results.



Their instructions look like a way to make money. The only thing that made me wonder is they listed some dive shops here in PR and I would not think they would be affiliated with a shady org.

Some one much smarter than I please verify or correct my error.
ADMINS if I am wrong please edit this post.....
Thanks..........

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It is a scam. One of their addresses is or was a vacant lot. It is no surprise some shops in PR are listed. They do that. Look up some names of shops, list them as affiliates to sell their on line BS classes and the shops have no idea they are even on the site. Why not go to the shops down there and make them aware of this. There are numerous threads on this outfit.

 

[Bhtmec2]

Thanks Jim

I will make sure they are all notified. I knew they were a scam but in todays society of litigious people you have to check first.

So what I take from this is they are committing mail fraud........

Who waves the magic wand and makes your society/program legit? IE: I decide to open a program and start teaching. I know we are self policing but if big brother wanted to look into them who is the regulatory agency to approve the program?

 

[diversteve]

some threads on the subject:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...iving/242958-onlinescubalessons-com-scam.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...diving/182651-catastrophic-aquastrophics.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/192712-online-nitrox-sda.html

There's more - search for aquastrophics - or SDA* - the asterisk is needed since our search doesn't work on three letter acronyms.

 

[Bhtmec2]

some threads on the subject:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...iving/242958-onlinescubalessons-com-scam.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...diving/182651-catastrophic-aquastrophics.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/192712-online-nitrox-sda.html

There's more - search for aquastrophics - or SDA* - the asterisk is needed since our search doesn't work on three letter acronyms.

Thanks That answers why when I did the SDA I got nothing.

 

[diversteve]

You can also use our Google custom search - or Google: SDA site:scubaboard.com

Since there's a newer UEMIS computer by that name - it will probably be most of the recent hits.

 

[Cap335]

Thanks Jim
Who waves the magic wand and makes your society/program legit? IE: I decide to open a program and start teaching. I know we are self policing but if big brother wanted to look into them who is the regulatory agency to approve the program?

Anyone can start their own scuba certification agency. The trick is to get other people, stores and resorts to accept these certifications. The RSTC Recreational Scuba Training Council has recommended standards for beginning scuba classes but from there its all about reputation. If you can build a good reputation you can have a successful business. UTD is probably the latest example of this