Question Visual Inspection Expiration Date

[rob.mwpropane]

If you were trained by PSI back when they offered lifetime certifications, you are still qualified. Apparently, lifetime certifications cannot be subsequently changed to expiring certifications. This info came from DOT, for what it's worth.

Which is one more reason why this crap is a money grab... "certified for life,.. oh wait a minute.. I meant every 3 years". LOL. Did the manufacturing process on a 15-20 year old tank change in that time? Nope.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Mine is that it's not a law and it is a tax. I save roughly $675 / year (@$25/ tank).

Now get off my lawn!!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Which is one more reason why this crap is a money grab... "certified for life,.. oh wait a minute.. I meant every 3 years". LOL. Did the manufacturing process on a 15-20 year old tank change in that time? Nope.

This was the key reason behind the exchange that I had with Mark Gresham (current owner for PSI-PCI) referenced earlier in this thread. This was when he informed me that my SDI/TDI VCI cert was crap. Not only was it crap, but it was good for life which, according to him, was a ridiculous idea. After all, that would really cut into PSI-PCI's revenue stream now wouldn't it??? Forget about the fact that their certifications USED to be good for life. I found the man to be a pompous, arrogant ______ that was hellbent on protecting his monopoly at all costs.

 

[tursiops]

PADI still has instructors having everyone wear snorkels I am assuming for some type of mitigation measure...

I assume you are aware that this is a training standard, not a diving standard, and that there is no requirement to "wear" it, only to "have" it. You, of course, need to wear it if it is a training session that uses a snorkel (like Confined Water during the OW class), but otherwise you can have it in a pocket, even during training.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I assume you are aware that this is a training standard, not a diving standard, and that there is no requirement to "wear" it, only to "have" it. You, of course, need to wear it if it is a training session that uses a snorkel (like Confined Water during the OW class), but otherwise you can have it in a pocket, even during training.

It serves a purpose not really to the diver but to the agency.. just like VIP's serve a purpose to the shop and not the diver.

I know we don't agree on some things (I think this might be one!) but I always value your perspective.

 

[BoltSnap]

If you were trained by PSI back when they offered lifetime certifications,

You always had to go through requalification training since I took my first course with PSI in the 80's. There was no "lifetime" certification as far as I remember and know.

 

[Still Kicking]

You always had to go through requalification training since I took my first course with PSI in the 80's. There was no "lifetime" certification as far as I remember and know.

It was DEFINITELY 100% represented as a lifetime cert when i first did it in late 1990s.

 

[BoltSnap]

It was DEFINITELY 100% represented as a lifetime cert when i first did it in late 1990s.

Perhaps a "lifetime cert" but you had to requalify every 3 years?

I owned my dive center in NY in the 90's and early 2000's and most definitely my staff and I had to go through requalification training every 3 years. We went through the requalification with the late Dale Fox and Bill High depending on circumstances.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

It was DEFINITELY 100% represented as a lifetime cert when i first did it in late 1990s.

I guess they might have realized some things change over time and maybe there ought to be occasional recurrent training to stay on top of those changes? I know that 6 out of 7 LDS store fronts (and even some hydro shops), can't cogently talk about what the rules and regs and requirements are when I've asked. Heck, there's one shop in North Texas that seems to think that Aluminum decays and has a half-life of 20 years, beyond which they can no longer fill tanks... I guess it becomes magnesium at that point? Incompetence at the LDS level is a point I keep hearing from the mugs that want to say it's only a money grab by dive stores. Perhaps then, we are all coming to the consensus that unregulated inspections are junk and the only accepted inspections/stickers should be from a current PSI-PCI inspector???

That 737 I bought a seat on to RTB next month, I trust United be doing some recurrent training on they pilots and copilots... Though maybe not the baggage handlers judging from my last trip south.

Lifetime training for a given job is just out and out stupid. Don't care if it's limited to ditch digging, which would seem straight forward. But in reality isn't. (Pretty sure there are OSHA regs that touch trenching.)

I suspect, but don't know, that the 3 year recurrence requirement may have something to do with the ability to comply with OSHA and/or DOT-mandated HAZMAT training for handling high-pressure gas and cylinders. And the ability of certified VIP inspectors to provide HAZMAT training for high-pressure cylinder handlers. Which is required to be mandated as compulsory.

Or, since the stickers say the inspection was done to OSHA, CGA and PSI-PCI standards, the inspector might need to stay on top of any changes to those bodies of knowledge. If not, and one says he/she are performing to those standards, based on a 30 year old "lifetime" cert class, well, that's a whole can of legal whoop ass he/her/they/it might be handing a plaintiff's attorney at some unspecified future point in time to examine in front of the jury.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

It was DEFINITELY 100% represented as a lifetime cert when i first did it in late 1990s.

Represented or written out?

Can we see an example of a lifetime, never need to learn anything else ever again certificate, please? Or course syllabus or marketing literature?

 

[Still Kicking]

Yes, I saved a photocopied syllabus for 25 years to make a point on Scubaboard.