There really is not very much required to do a Discover Scuba, even in open water. You have to teach someone to clear their mask, do a reg recovery, and inflate their BCD -- and of course, talk about equalizing ears and not holding your breath. And, at the risk of sounding jaded and cynical, I suspect there are a lot of technical divers out there with better abilities to monitor AND control students than some certified instructors.
I do think that taking a certification class is a good idea if one is going to continue to dive, but I don't have a distressed reaction to the idea of a good tech diver taking a friend for a quick swim somewhere on scuba. As a bit of an aside, the fellow whose name is on my OW card dove for three years before getting certified, and survived it
I do think that taking a certification class is a good idea if one is going to continue to dive, but I don't have a distressed reaction to the idea of a good tech diver taking a friend for a quick swim somewhere on scuba. As a bit of an aside, the fellow whose name is on my OW card dove for three years before getting certified, and survived it