OnlineScubaLessons.com is a SCAM!!!

[offthewall1]

Just a few words about SDA and our being listed on their website...

SDA offers an online scuba training course. I recently had a student of theirs contact me about completing their course with my store. At the time I had never heard of SDA. The student had received a diploma stating they had successfully completed the online academics and a "Universal Referral" form from SDA which looks for the most part like the Universal referral forms used by all other agencies that participate in the program

Being one who knows enough about SCUBA, I know that there is no legal reason why someone can't start their own agency. That's how they all got started. The question is whether or not the training being given matches industry standards. Since I had not taken the course and had no intention of paying for it... I decided that I would help this new customer on one condition... that they were willing to take the academic test we give to all of our students and that they pass that test. If they could pass my test, I'd be open to taking on more SDA students in the future as "Universal Referrals."

If they could pass the test, I would take them in the pool and do their checkouts. Afterall - diving is really learned in the water. So the customer takes my test and passes it. I take him in the pool, he learns the required skills and then aces them in open water.

I'm the first to admit that SDA is not the likes of the giants, PADI, SSI, SDI/TDI, NAUI etc... but then again they all started somewhere too. PADI, SSI and SDI all have online academic programs that work much the same way as SDA's I'm sure.

While we are not in any way affiliated with SDA (just as we are not affliated with PADI, SSI, NAUI etc... we are an SDI/TDI and PSAI shop) we are willing to accept their online students at any time under the same requirements. A student who can pass our 50 question academic test who comes from SDA can pay their Pool and Checkout Dive fees and finish the course with us.

Perhaps SDA will go away or perhaps it will continue to grow. Bigger agencies bad mouthing them is nothing more in my opinion than the agencies being mad about losing even more market share and material sales.

People can learn diving in many ways... and lets not forget... there is no legal requirement that has to be met before you can go diving... only a common sense requirement.

Happy Diving.

 

[offthewall1]

Shall we rehash the agencies... please feel free to add to the list...

SDI/TDI
PADI
SSI
NAUI
BSAC
PDIC
ACUC
IANTD
PSAI
CMAS
YMCA
NASDS (no longer around but the cards are)

 

[Walter]

There are one or two more.

 

[redacted]

i
People can learn diving in many ways... and lets not forget... there is no legal requirement that has to be met before you can go diving... only a common sense requirement.

Happy Diving.

I really like your approach. I'd like to see scuba instruction and scuba testing/certification separated.

 

[DandyDon]

Poor ol' LA County scuba is the Rodney Dangerfield. Heard nothing but the best about that agency but so seldom hear about them.

 

[stimpy4242]

What about NOAH

 

[In10se]

Just a few words about SDA and our being listed on their website...

SDA offers an online scuba training course. I recently had a student of theirs contact me about completing their course with my store. At the time I had never heard of SDA. The student had received a diploma stating they had successfully completed the online academics and a "Universal Referral" form from SDA which looks for the most part like the Universal referral forms used by all other agencies that participate in the program

Being one who knows enough about SCUBA, I know that there is no legal reason why someone can't start their own agency. That's how they all got started. The question is whether or not the training being given matches industry standards. Since I had not taken the course and had no intention of paying for it... I decided that I would help this new customer on one condition... that they were willing to take the academic test we give to all of our students and that they pass that test. If they could pass my test, I'd be open to taking on more SDA students in the future as "Universal Referrals."

If they could pass the test, I would take them in the pool and do their checkouts. Afterall - diving is really learned in the water. So the customer takes my test and passes it. I take him in the pool, he learns the required skills and then aces them in open water.

I'm the first to admit that SDA is not the likes of the giants, PADI, SSI, SDI/TDI, NAUI etc... but then again they all started somewhere too. PADI, SSI and SDI all have online academic programs that work much the same way as SDA's I'm sure.

While we are not in any way affiliated with SDA (just as we are not affliated with PADI, SSI, NAUI etc... we are an SDI/TDI and PSAI shop) we are willing to accept their online students at any time under the same requirements. A student who can pass our 50 question academic test who comes from SDA can pay their Pool and Checkout Dive fees and finish the course with us.

Perhaps SDA will go away or perhaps it will continue to grow. Bigger agencies bad mouthing them is nothing more in my opinion than the agencies being mad about losing even more market share and material sales.

People can learn diving in many ways... and lets not forget... there is no legal requirement that has to be met before you can go diving... only a common sense requirement.

Happy Diving.

This seems to be exactly how the site intends the system to be used.

They do over-sell their product on the FAQ page. Not all LDS's and vacation destinations will honor this program like you did, yet the site sells it as though it's a well known and universally accepted course of study thus all the disgruntled customers. Too bad about that since the concept is great. Do the book work on your own time, in a place where you're comfortable, and then when you have the technical knowledge locked down go hit the pool.

 

[Hoomi]

I would think it would behoove the new agencies to produce an information package that could be made available to dive shops and other training facilities, detailing what their training included. It would make sense to be as open about the training as possible, since they want other agencies and facilities to recognize their training, and to feel comfortable that students have learned the necessary academics before starting the practical training.

With the internet making information access an easy proposition from almost anywhere in the world, it doesn't make any sense to NOT have this information readily available to other instructors who need to know what a prospective student has been taught.

 

[fisherdvm]

If SDA can show that their online training is rigorous, fastidious, and unique - producing educated divers beyond what PADI, SSI, or NAUI can (at least in the cerebral sense) - and he/she can pass any exam set by any agencies (assuming the table for each agency is provided)... I'll bet we'll find alot of shop willing to substitute it for their own classwork. But you'll have to prove it.

But.... I do miss the hands on teaching in the class. Handing out BC's for students to mess around with, so they see the different styles, the different designs, dump valves. Handing out J valve, K valve, Din and yokes.... Showing pictures online just doesn't do it for me.

One can still do all the above hands on activity in class .... And so I can see online courses still a very viable method. Too bad SDA has lost our faith. I am sure their "graduates" of either the OW class or Nitrox class gain good information.... but they have messed it up with their aggressive claim and marketing.

 

[fisherdvm]

Hey, are we going to lose the advertising account of onlinescuba.com?? They are the same folks that sell the SDA nitrox and OW courses of onlinescubalesson.com?? I just see their ad on scubaboard again... Remember the ones that onlinescubalesson.com ran in the past.