My Dad taught me to dive, and used to regularly teach his friends to dive.
Eventually, with enormous reluctance, he finally got an O/W certification himself from PADI so he could dive whilst on holiday. Some instructor who hadn't been born when he was out diving with double hoses and J-valves gave him a card.
A number of his friends (students?) still dive without any more formal training than he gave them. So far as I know, none of them have died of diving related causes. Sadly I cannot make that claim for all of my friends who are instructors.
Eventually, with enormous reluctance, he finally got an O/W certification himself from PADI so he could dive whilst on holiday. Some instructor who hadn't been born when he was out diving with double hoses and J-valves gave him a card.
A number of his friends (students?) still dive without any more formal training than he gave them. So far as I know, none of them have died of diving related causes. Sadly I cannot make that claim for all of my friends who are instructors.