What courses are required?

[lifes an ocean]

So, I have been thinking lately back over a few of my past dive trips, and things I have read here, and just realized I have a question. What dive courses are actually required? I know in order to go diving you need OW, and to go below 60 fsw with certain charters you need AOW, you can't get NITROX filled unless you have been qual'd. But from what I can tell you don't need to qual in a boat course to dive off of boats, or go through a dry suit class to buy and use a dry suit.

From what I can tell a lot of the courses are more a way to further your knowledge in a certain area, i.e. photography/videography, plantlife, bouancy control, etc. So other than OW, AOW, and NITROX what other courses are required before you can dive certain areas?

 

[mwilding]

It depends on the operation you are diving with and where you are doing your diving.

I have seen charters requiring deep and drift diver certs. Also, you often can't rent a drysuit without the card.

 

[String]

A lot depends where you are in the world.

Lots of places there are no laws on divings so in theory you dont need a qualification to get on a boat, buy gear, get fills or anythings. The total opposite is america where it seems you need a cert card to be allowed to cross a road or eat dinner.

 

[TSandM]

Here's my (limited) experience:

You need OW to get on charter boats and maybe to get fills (although I've never been asked for a card, anywhere I presented a tank).

Some operators require AOW for certain dives, or restrict the depth of your dive if you don't have it.

You may not be able to rent a drysuit without a dry suit card.

You will probably need a card to get Nitrox or helium from a shop.

Many places will require a cave card to give you access for cave diving.

I can't think of anything else.

 

[captain]

A lot depends where you are in the world.

Lots of places there are no laws on divings so in theory you dont need a qualification to get on a boat, buy gear, get fills or anythings. The total opposite is america where it seems you need a cert card to be allowed to cross a road or eat dinner.

There are no laws here either and if you are not dependent on the dive industry to dive you don't need anything. I am not dependent on the dive industry.

 

[lifes an ocean]

So it mainly it is a more depends on where you are at kind of thing? Myself personally, if I was trying new equipment I wasn't trained with, or dive in a condition I am not familiar with, I would spend teh money to learn about it, but it is curious that there is really no set standard on that.

 

[RonFrank]

For most divers OW is going to get you down on most recreational dive sites.

In the US (FL Keys) you must have AOW to do deep wrecks.

Many drysuit divers I know don't have a drysuit cert. I actually took the cert (won it) but never got my card. Maybe I needed to pay for the cert card even if the class was... free? I KNOW I could rent a drysuit from A1 without questions, but that maybe because they know me. After about 100 dives in a drysuit, it would be silly for them not to rent me one, but I own my own... One can certainly purchase a drysuit without a card, and if done locally, the class is free.

If you want Nitrox, or Helium, one must have cards.

If you plan on diving a rebreather, you better have the certs, and training.

If you want to do caves, one must have the credentials. That is definately true in FL, and less so I think around the world. However in this case the card is NOT worthless, one better have the training to do that type of diving. Keep in mind training does NOT have to just come from some agency. One could train to do cave diving with an experienced cave diver, but IMO especially in the US just do the certs.

There are some sites that will require one to get certification prior to/during the dive. In the US Bonne Ter mine is a good example. They have their own certifications for diving there, and a progressive dive schedule as well. IOW, they require that you start with the easiest dives, and progress and they put you through some very minor training regardless of what certs one has.

I did my cert through rescue, and that get's me to any rec site, and depending may allow me to dive well beyond my training in some parts of the world.

 

[RonFrank]

So it mainly it is a more depends on where you are at kind of thing? Myself personally, if I was trying new equipment I wasn't trained with, or dive in a condition I am not familiar with, I would spend teh money to learn about it, but it is curious that there is really no set standard on that.

Depends on the equipment. If you are diving a new regulator, wetsuit, fins, mask, and for that matter most equipment used in scuba, no additional training required. If you are changing gas mixes, adding deco tanks, or going into the world of tech, training is IMO a requirement more for personal safety vs. the pride of a cert.

Agencies do have standards. The world can choose to follow/enforce them, or not. In the US they are generally enforced, but depends. I know of OW divers who dive deep wrecks within rec limits because they have the experience to do so, and the Op is aware of this. But don't expect to show up to dive with an Op in the keys as a stranger, and dive the Grove without an AOW card as you may have difficulty finding someone who will take you out without a paid escort.

Other parts of the world have a more laid back approach (less lawyers! ), and you can be as stupid as you choose as it is your neck. I've read about divers doing the Blue Hole in Belize as their first dive after certification.... IMO Nuts! 300'+ to the bottom, and while vis is awesome (which is also deceptive) that is a whole lot of water between a newbie diver and the surface as they hit and often break rec limits.

 

[Walter]

In the US (FL Keys) you must have AOW to do deep wrecks.

Not with all charters. Some allow OW if the diver has logged deep dives.

Agencies do have standards.

True and they only apply to classes.

 

[lifes an ocean]

Depends on the equipment. If you are diving a new regulator, wetsuit, fins, mask, and for that matter most equipment used in scuba, no additional training required. If you are changing gas mixes, adding deco tanks, or going into the world of tech, training is IMO a requirement more for personal safety vs. the pride of a cert.

Well yeah, I was more meaning towards, drysuit, rebreather, DPV, tech, and things along those lines. I may be a little slow, as I have been told a few times, but not too slow lol.