Which places have the worst reputation for selling certifications?

[oldschoolto]

I would guess that people " WORKING " for their DM rating are doing more and learning more then someone paying X amount of dollars for a course and X number of dives...

Jim...

 

[boulderjohn]

I do have two stories about some less than honest certifying of students. A couple years ago my niece told me she had gotten certified while stationed in Okinawa with the Air Force. She said she had one two hour pool session and one OW dive to a depth of 10 feet. The daughter of a friend of mine told me a story about getting certified in Taiwan with a similar experience. It can happen. It is up to the integrity of the instructor.

 

[Skulmoski]

The Course Director at Al Boom diving (Dubai) told me he was "not in the business of selling certifications." He was committed to helping students reach the required level of competency in order to earn their certification. He invited me to come, grab a cylinder and dive with them to maintain and fine tune skills. Since he used the term "selling certifications" I believe there is at least the perception this occurs.

Lessons Learned: buy the course provider rather than the course.

GJS