The right way to get certified

[Mark Derail]

I *VOTE* THAT THIS THREAD BECOME A STICKY - FOR NEW DIVERS & MEMBERS

ahem, sorry for shouting, honestly lots of good nuggets Popcorn! -> OPCORN: <- Mods, c'mon, this SHOULD work...



I give up, all popcorn gifs are too big...cannot hotlink...upload converts to regular image... :SIGH:

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

It's quite amazing the difference isn't it. Around here, they don't let you on a boat unless you have dived here recently. Reason being a couple of years ago a "warm water" diver with no cold water experience (and I believe only the training dives to his name) jumped off a boat and drowned. Over-weighted, inflator hose not connected, tank turned off etc

So would this had made a difference if he was in warm water 40' or 100' depth, wouldn't the results have been the same? And if he had only the training dives to his name, why would he be called a warm water diver, with over 25 dives, I would say I'm still in the learning stages, and need lots of practice before I can call my self any kind of diver! And I've dove in different conditions, from glass to 6' to 7' surges trying to get in and out of the water, light to strong surges and current underwater. In training we learned you inflate your BC before jumping in the water, you check your regulator before jumping in the water. you can always add weight, easier than taking weight away. And what if, because of some other reasons you can't do shore dives?? (IE handicapped) does that mean you can't dive??

 

[rhwestfall]

Looking forward to a post-training report...

:zen:

will do! Class is in June.

 

[Mark Derail]

It's quite amazing the difference isn't it. Around here, they don't let you on a boat unless you have dived here recently. Reason being a couple of years ago a "warm water" diver with no cold water experience (and I believe only the training dives to his name) jumped off a boat and drowned. Over-weighted, inflator hose not connected, tank turned off etc

Here in Quebec, you don't cold water dive from a boat if you don't have a FQAS card. To prevent the same silliness of DSD divers applying Darwinism to themselves.

FQAS is basically 3 skills at depth plus showing you can achieve neutral buoyancy with an instructor. Many - especially divers from Ontario or NY/VT - see it as an unnecessary TAX and don't dive in Quebec (unless shore diving) anymore.

However, the opposite should be true. If a diver has never dove in the ocean, they should "qualify" first.

 

[fjpatrum]

Here in Quebec, you don't cold water dive from a boat if you don't have a FQAS card. To prevent the same silliness of DSD divers applying Darwinism to themselves.

FQAS is basically 3 skills at depth plus showing you can achieve neutral buoyancy with an instructor. Many - especially divers from Ontario or NY/VT - see it as an unnecessary TAX and don't dive in Quebec (unless shore diving) anymore.

However, the opposite should be true. If a diver has never dove in the ocean, they should "qualify" first.

Aren't those just the skills of any OW cert? How is that different than showing your certification card from any other agency, other than as a "tax"?

 

[Zieg]

It's quite amazing the difference isn't it. Around here, they don't let you on a boat unless you have dived here recently. Reason being a couple of years ago a "warm water" diver with no cold water experience (and I believe only the training dives to his name) jumped off a boat and drowned. Over-weighted, inflator hose not connected, tank turned off etc

Oh yeah, right. I forgot that it takes cold water experience to learn to not be over-weighted, connect inflator hoses, and turn on tanks, etc.

 

[Mark Derail]

Aren't those just the skills of any OW cert? How is that different than showing your certification card from any other agency, other than as a "tax"?

When was the last time you walked into a LDS and wanted gear or just tanks & weights, and they asked you for your cert card?

The only time I have to show my PADI-OW card is before boarding a dive boat to the captain/dm and filling out a form.

I'm just stating facts - I don't like that this "tax" has slowed the number of divers coming to our exotic & cold waters of Northern Quebec.

 

[fjpatrum]

When was the last time you walked into a LDS and wanted gear or just tanks & weights, and they asked you for your cert card?

The only time I have to show my PADI-OW card is before boarding a dive boat to the captain/dm and filling out a form.

I'm just stating facts - I don't like that this "tax" has slowed the number of divers coming to our exotic & cold waters of Northern Quebec.

Did I misread your original post or didn't you say it was "diving from a boat"? In which case, you'd be showing your OW card, right? I don't know that I'd ever get up to Quebec for diving (though winter carnival is fun) but I'm pretty sure I'd be somewhat annoyed with having to show proof on top of my certs that I'm not an idiot. Nothing you guys can do to express the silliness of it and get it reversed?

 

[Mark Derail]

Did I misread your original post or didn't you say it was "diving from a boat"? In which case, you'd be showing your OW card, right? I don't know that I'd ever get up to Quebec for diving (though winter carnival is fun) but I'm pretty sure I'd be somewhat annoyed with having to show proof on top of my certs that I'm not an idiot. Nothing you guys can do to express the silliness of it and get it reversed?

In Quebec, diving from a boat or a non-public dock, you have to show your FQAS & OW cert. However, you show neither to rent anything, just go to any public beach or canal. Though some dive shops probably due ask verbally, I haven't been enough to different ones to know.

Funny thing is ever since FQAS was introduced, no new deaths occurred. So it would be kind of hard to get it removed. In Ontario there have been a few silly deaths just last year. :SHRUG:

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

When was the last time you walked into a LDS and wanted gear or just tanks & weights, and they asked you for your cert card?

The only time I have to show my PADI-OW card is before boarding a dive boat to the captain/dm and filling out a form.

I'm just stating facts - I don't like that this "tax" has slowed the number of divers coming to our exotic & cold waters of Northern Quebec.

and what if you buy your gear before you take your classes? would you show a cert card then, all lds in my area ask for a cert card before they let you get in their pool, unless youv'e taking classes from them and you're practicing before getting certified.