The Big Secret...

[drdiver1952]

here , you see guys diving without c-card and they don't have any problems with air refills, they bring their air compressor on the boat and connect a long tube down to depth.

the best part of this is it gives others a chance to replace them after a short period of time. fast turn around of divers. go figure.

I've always been in favor of the Darwinian method.

"Evolution, it's just a theory, kinda like gravity."

 

[miesemer]

Someone introduce this guy to Karl

:lol:

I see stickers and a union in his future.

 

[CIBDiving]

You left out that there is no law requiring a VIP either, hydro yes - vip no. VIP was invented the exact same way c cards were - a guy started a training agency. To do what? yep, sell scuba inspection C cards.

Lets face it all training is is 'experience', you can slowly ( and in some cases dangurously ) aquire this experiance or you can pay someone to give it to you quicker ( you pay for "their" experiences ).
Why would you need to be a certified instructor to start a certification agency?
I assure you the first 'instructors' had no certification, so what came first the certified instructor or the certifying agency? .

 

[dscheck]

http://www.taxableincome.net/861cons.pdf

 

[nauidiver2004]

I am always one to further a discussion.

On this same note.

I wonder if there is the possibility for a discrimination case if a LDS refused to provide services because of the lack of a recognized C-Card?**************

LDS or other people in business may believe that they may pick and choose who to do business with but in regards to this I believe the law may not agree.
Jeffrey

Interesting. I've never thought of that.

Another thing, to recover money lost to internet sales if LDS's will require a Grade E AIR Specialty card issued by thier shop before they will fill a tank. They could charge $150 or so. The class could consist of and hour of lecture of the phisiology of air then an hour or two of practical. Students could sit around the shop breathing off thier regs, just to prove they can do it. That way if they run into a problem the instructor can pull the reg out of their mouth and the student could breath the contaminated atmospheric air. It's win win! The shop makes a few bucks and students learn how to breath filtered air.

Ken

 

[serambin]

If you want government regulation, by all means encourage idiots to dive without certification.

Hey, you don't need no stinking reason for government regulation, lile feces, it just occurs.

Stan

 

[friscuba]

Does anyone really realize that there is no law saying you have to be certified by an agency to SCUBA dive?

The reality is that there is no law that states you must have a c-card to go diving. Government has no regulation in the industry. What this means is simple. Anyone who wants to go diving can - and they dont have to pay for training of any sort to be able to do it.

The only things that may stop a person from going diving (some places) without a certification are 1. a dive shop that wont fill a tank without seeing a c-card... but then again you could buy your own compressor or have a friend get the fills, or 2. a dive boat that won't let you on without a c-card... but you can always buy your own boat or rent one.

Now don't get me wrong.. I do not advocate diving without training. What I am saying is that you can teach your friends how to dive and go diving with them anytime you want. The risks? Liability if they should get injured or die... but then again you're likely going to be at the other end of a lawsuit even if your buddy was trained by an agency... if they die while diving with you or on your boat.

The big scam in all of this is that once you reach the Instructor level (with any agency,) you could easily start your own agency and start certifying students at whatever price you wanted. You just need to buy professional liability insurance.

There is no need to be a member of the RSTC... there are many agencies that are not. There really is no need to even be an Instructor before doing this... except that I think it's a good idea. If you want to talk about risks... I'm likely not going to risk any more teaching on my own then I would if I was teaching for an agency...

I have yet to see a boat turn down any type of certification... regardless of the agency. If it says Open Water Diver on it and has your name and a number... no one is turning it down. Perhaps you'll call yourself BSDA... Bill's Scuba Diving Agency... make up some nice cards and go for it... there is nothing stopping you.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the major agencies are only big players because we've allowed them to be. They only take all our money for training because we allow them to. Happy Diving...

Ken

There's no law that says I can't go to the moon, but I can't afford a big enough rubberband to launch me there. I also couldn't afford the liability insurance to create my own dive agency.

 

[Hoosier]

I have seen many military divers who doesn't have any certification. They still don't care about any dive certification as long as they can get the air....... And, they are the darn great divers who can complete any mission....

 

[Don Burke]

I wonder if there is the possibility for a discrimination case if a LDS refused to provide services because of the lack of a recognized C-Card?

In the US, not at this time. Certification or lack thereof is not one of the items specified in current law.

I'm not saying that a LDS should sell air to an unqualified person. I just wonder if the courts would see it the same way, being that there are no actual regulations that preclude the LDS from providing the service.

There are no laws or regulations saying they have to in the US.

LDS or other people in business may believe that they may pick and choose who to do business with but in regards to this I believe the law may not agree.

In this case, they can, at least in the US.

I surely hope that there is never a bored, uncertified millionaire who decides to push the point. I am really not sure how it would turn out.

I am.

Every once in a while a smoker decides that housing discrimination laws apply to him and the case gets bounced. An uncertified diver would find the same thing.

 

[derwoodwithasherwood]

Does anyone really realize that there is no law saying you have to be certified by an agency to SCUBA dive?

Yes there is. It may not apply to your jurisdiction, but several places have such laws in place. For example, to dive in Quebec, you need a provincial permit. What class of permit you can get depends upon your agency training. Here is a typical schedule:

SCHEDULE 8
(s. 10)
CLASS A DIVER EQUIVALENCIES
- ACUC – Junior Open Water Diver.
- ACUC – Open Water Scuba Diver.
- AMCQ – Plongeur Élémentaire.
- CMAS – Plongeur 1 étoile.
- CSAC – Plongeur Autonome.
- FIAS – Berevetto Base.
- GUE – DIR Recreational Diver.
- IANTD – Open water Diver.
- IDEA – Open Water Diver.
- NASDS – Open Water Diver.
- NAUI – Junior Scuba Diver.
- NAUI – Open Water Scuba Diver.
- PADI – Junior Open Water Diver.
- PADI – Open Water Diver.
- PDIC – Junior Scuba Diver.
- PDIC – Open Water Diver.
- SDI / TDI – Open Water Scuba Diver.
- SSI – Junior Scuba Diver.
- SSI – Open Water Diver.
- YMCA – Junior Open Water Diver.
- YMCA – Open Water Diver.
M.O. 2002-01, Sch. 8.

(I bet the DIR folks just love being lumped in with the PADI Junior OW Divers :rofl: )