It's amazing that you can accept a training agency with less than a 15 year track record can be quantified as "where it's at" in a field (cave diving) that has been around in the us since the 60s with ALL the standards having been set by the NACD & NSSCDS.
How far apart can IANTD be with any Florida cave agency Tom Mount has trained or inspired about every cave diver and set the original nitrox world in motion ....
Hazy shades of winter... Must be the Florida water...
You ever heard the phrase, "What have you done for me lately?" What has the NSS-CDS or NACD done lately? Sure they pioneered the way. Just as Henry Ford pioneered the way. But do you drive a ford? I drive a VW.
I've been around a long time. I've seen the slide man. The slide in training. The slide in instructors. The slide in standards. I watched as fatalities were really bad, then lulled, and start climbing again.
JJ witnessed the slide, much like everyone else. The difference is, he decided to do something about it. We take away from that because it was only 15 years ago? Of course not. Frankly, if I could duplicate what GUE did 15 years ago, today... I would. You really fault them because they're not 40 years old but 15? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, considering their PROVEN track record. Get your head out of your butt man.
Answer the question. What has NACD or NSSCDS done lately? They've promoted safety, they've added steps, benches, tables. They've cleaned up sites, bought sites and managed sites. But what's the last project either of those agencies did that required even 300cu' of bailout. When's the last time either of those agencies pushed the end of any line, or even made it to the end of a line.
It's not Tom Mount or Jim or Bill that's doing the big dives.
Cushman PSAI, Draker IANTD, McCumber IANTD, Bernot IANTD, Jablonski GUE, etc. etc. etc. These are just some of the people doing 300' 6 hour plus dives.
No one calls asking for an NSSCDS Expedition Trimix Class. No one calls asking for an NSSCDS CCR Cert. Why do you think that is? It's the same reason people don't ask PADI for cave certs.