taking nitrox cert with basic scuba course

[stuartv]

Stuart, you can TAKE the Nitrox course concurrently with the OW course, but the Nitrox card will not be issued until the OW cert is issued.

PADI is not the only agency in the world. Or even in the U.S..

As I said, I only read the standards for SDI. Their standards say the cert will be issued when the student has met the requirements of the course, and the requirements don't say anything about finishing OW.

But, out of curiosity, how would it be handled if a student wants to take Nitrox before they leave to go somewhere and do referral dives to finish their OW?

 

[Hawkwood]

This way:

Enriched Air Diver – integrate knowledge development, predive simulation and practical application exercises any time during course. Conduct optional Enriched Air Dive 1 as part of Open Water Diver course Dive 4. Conduct another dive beyond course dives to complete optional Enriched Air Dive 2 skills.​

In other words, they complete Enriched Air when they do their OW dives, not before.

 

[stuartv]

This way:

Enriched Air Diver – integrate knowledge development, predive simulation and practical application exercises any time during course. Conduct optional Enriched Air Dive 1 as part of Open Water Diver course Dive 4. Conduct another dive beyond course dives to complete optional Enriched Air Dive 2 skills.​

In other words, they complete Enriched Air when they do their OW dives, not before.

But all the Nitrox cert dives are optional, right? So, a student says they want to take the class with no dives, a shop CAN'T do that for them and issue the cert before the student finishes OW?

 

[redacted]

PADI is not the only agency in the world. Or even in the U.S..

As I said, I only read the standards for SDI. Their standards say the cert will be issued when the student has met the requirements of the course, and the requirements don't say anything about finishing OW.

But, out of curiosity, how would it be handled if a student wants to take Nitrox before they leave to go somewhere and do referral dives to finish their OW?

So, you read this:
Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking to advance their knowledge and skill set
• The certified diver looking to extend their no decompression time limits

Course prerequisites:

• Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent, or current enrollment in one of those courses

And conclude that SDI issues nitrox cert cards to UNcertified divers

 

[Hawkwood]

But all the Nitrox cert dives are optional, right? So, a student says they want to take the class with no dives, a shop CAN'T do that for them and issue the cert before the student finishes OW?

Sigh...

If done in conjunction with the PADI OW course, they do their 4th dive on enriched air. It's a requirement if doing it that way. The dive is not optional if the student is doing it concurrently.

It's not the same as if they were taking a "stand alone" course.

 

[ScubaJill]

So, you read this:
Who this course is for:

• The certified diver looking to advance their knowledge and skill set
• The certified diver looking to extend their no decompression time limits

Course prerequisites:

• Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent
• SDI Open Water Scuba Diver, SDI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent, or current enrollment in one of those courses

And conclude that SDI issues nitrox cert cards to UNcertified divers

Well, I'm not Stuartv, but that language is ambiguous enough for me to conclude that an uncertified student diver enrolled in a basic OW certification course could, potentially, receive a nitrox cert card as an UNcertified diver-in-training. But we're just talking about the language on the website/advertising, right? Nothing more?

 

[tursiops]

@stuartv and @awap: Yes, I'm a PADI instructor, but I'm also a SDI instructor. The Nitrox card will not be issued until the OW course is completed. You guys are not reading all the relevant material. And you are confusing the right to TAKE the course while not yet certified with the right to be CERTIFIED that you have completed it.

 

[redacted]

@stuartv and @awap: Yes, I'm a PADI instructor, but I'm also a SDI instructor. The Nitrox card will not be issued until the OW course is completed. You guys are not reading all the relevant material. And you are confusing the right to TAKE the course while not yet certified with the right to be CERTIFIED that you have completed it.

Huh??? What did I confuse?

 

[stuartv]

So, you read this:
...
And conclude that SDI issues nitrox cert cards to UNcertified divers

No. I read the actual course standards and requirements - not the web sales page. I provided the link before, but here it is again:

https://www.tdisdi.com/wp-content/u...cialty Standards_09_Computer_Nitrox_Diver.pdf

In there, it says:

9.4 Student Prerequisites
1.
SDI Open Water Scuba Diver , SDI Junior Open Water Scuba Diver, or equivalent, or current enrollment in
one of those courses
2.
Minimum age 18, 10 with parental consent

9.5 Course Structure and Duration
Open Water Execution
1.
No dives are required
...
9.6 Administrative Requirements
Upon successful completion of this specialty the instructor must
1.
Issue the appropriate SDI certification by submitting the SDI Diver Registration Form to SDI Headquarters or registering the students online through member’s area of the SDI website
...

9.10 Required Skill Performance and Graduation Requirements
Students are required to successfully complete the following:
1.
At the completion of the course, the students are required to have 100 percent comprehension of the
questions and answers located at the end of every chapter of the SDI Easy Nitrox Diving Student Manual
2.
Analyze at least of 2 nitrox cylinders
3.
Log at least 1 nitrox cylinder
4.
Program a nitrox computer to a mix between 22-40 percent oxygen

No requirement for dives. No requirement to complete OW first.

 

[stuartv]

Anyway, it's like I've said repeatedly. Whether there is a way for someone to game the system and get a Nitrox card without finishing OW or not is beside the point. I'm willing to take tursiops' (implied) word for it that there is no way that could happen.

The point is, I think it's perfectly reasonable for a shop to want to see a C card that requires dives before they let you dive. I.e. I think it's reasonable for a shop to not accept a Nitrox card as proof of having an OW C card. I didn't have to do any dives to get my Nitrox card. I'm not going to show up someplace with only my Nitrox card and EXPECT them to accept it as proof of a diving certification.