So you’ve completed your OW Scuba Certification….now what?

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So you’ve completed your OW Scuba Certification….now what? (Short or Extended Version)
This popular briefing is a summary of the final advice I give to all of my OW Scuba Certification Course graduates. The summary includes what I consider to be valuable advice concerning: future diving, training, risk management and gear acquisition. I am publishing a short and long version of this briefing. The long version contains more detail, humor and a story. Choose your poison -
Short version:

Extended Version:
I know this is “technically” related but I can’t see how to post a new thread ! I wanted to ask people a similar question after they get certified. My question is does your diver down flag sticker on your car/truck window actually mean anything???? What I mean is I’ve been certified since 1998, I’ve always tried to better myself and continue to learn, I feel I may never need some of the skills I’ll learn in most situations but I’m always prepared and ready for it. I like to be well educated and try ( not as well as I’d like) to stay in decent shape for diving and swimming exercises. So what brings my to my sticker comment is I saw a diver down sticker on a girls jeep, she also had a diver license plate and rear view mirror diver charm hanging from it. So I struck up a conversation and found out she’s not technically certified, she was on a vacation in Mexico, she paid for 30mins in a pool then they took her out on a shallow dive holding on to the instructor the whole time. I feel if I’m putting a sticker on my truck or even patch on my jacket I should have earned it! Is it just me or can you by anything on eBay today and slap it on a truck and call yourself a “diver”?
 
Buying and displaying a divers down flag whether it is a sticker, a flag, or a picture is not connected to the earning of any certification in scuba diving. Someone who has never been in the water in their life but happened to like (a lot) someone who was a scuba diver might put a sticker on their car. Maybe they like the way it looks or they watched some documentary that involved scuba diving and wished they could dive. Or, maybe they are the world's foremost expert on all things scuba, Whatever the reason.... that's fine with me.
 
I completely understand, my point is I feel there has to be accountability if your going to pass yourself off as a diver. If I throw $1 in a charity bucket does that make me a regular donor to all charities? I understand the pride in the diver sticker. I just feel you need to earn it not by it.
 
I know this is “technically” related but I can’t see how to post a new thread ! I wanted to ask people a similar question after they get certified. My question is does your diver down flag sticker on your car/truck window actually mean anything???? What I mean is I’ve been certified since 1998, I’ve always tried to better myself and continue to learn, I feel I may never need some of the skills I’ll learn in most situations but I’m always prepared and ready for it. I like to be well educated and try ( not as well as I’d like) to stay in decent shape for diving and swimming exercises. So what brings my to my sticker comment is I saw a diver down sticker on a girls jeep, she also had a diver license plate and rear view mirror diver charm hanging from it. So I struck up a conversation and found out she’s not technically certified, she was on a vacation in Mexico, she paid for 30mins in a pool then they took her out on a shallow dive holding on to the instructor the whole time. I feel if I’m putting a sticker on my truck or even patch on my jacket I should have earned it! Is it just me or can you by anything on eBay today and slap it on a truck and call yourself a “diver”?
Someone once suggested that a dive sticker on your car may not be so good as it could give a thief the idea that you have expensive equipment inside or even that you must be rich in order to buy dive equipment.
 
I agree, I don’t let people know anything. No bumper sticker, decals or banners of any kind. Nothing visible in my windows either.
 

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