No certificate

[paolov]

I've been diving longer than a large percentage on this board have been alive and I don't know it all. Bad attitude.

Gary D.

perhaps not as long as you , i agree i don't know all about diving still.

but i do take training and read read read on scuba diving... and i have to say i don't know it all.

TIP to fin-in : better not take any advise from any newly certified DIR-F guys. They will tell you they know everything. however advanced DIR guys - now you may talk to them.

.

 

[clgsamson]

Fair question,I am thinking of getting a certification,I know all about diving,been doing it self taught sorta. I had a job scooping up golf balls once and the man gave me his old gear so been diving in some lakes.

if you get bent (knockin wood)..do you say fore!

 

[jonix]

@fin-in: diving without proper training...not a good idea and i surely doubt if anybody will "know all about diving"

 

[Halthron]

Is it illegel in the USA to dive or buy scuba gear without a diver certificate,and who has the power to enforce it if there are laws?

Short answer: No, it's not illegal, although states have the right to set their own laws and may. Long answer, see what everyone else posted.

 

[Missdirected]

JOB SECURITY I'll never get to retire at this rate.

Gary D.

:rofl2: :rofl2:

 

[LI Diver]

Just an observation that may be obvious to anyone with a teenager. They know everything about everything and will readily tell you so. Hence my vibes are telling me Fin-ins falls in this category.

 

[elmbruker]

Fair question,I am thinking of getting a certification,I know all about diving,been doing it self taught sorta. I had a job scooping up golf balls once and the man gave me his old gear so been diving in some lakes.

FWIW, I know some sorta self taught divers that I would say have much more diving experience, and are safer than many certified divers...But most are sorta self taught by other experienced divers in their area, and/or stayed well within the limits of a safe swim to the surface. I hope you fall into this category! Swimming along the reefs and such/picking golf balls(fun as it is) is much different than "diving" here on scubaboard ...ie..regular equipment service, knowledge of diving within your limitations(experience level), etc....FWIW Fin-in, from what I read...just as many divers "here" are self taught above their certification levels they receive from an agency.(Thats a good thing, and this board is a great source of knowledge for that). So your at the right place! That said...I believe what most are saying is at least get the OW cert from an agency if you haven't been exposed to this information already. Or even if you have been.. Be safe by getting the cert(as a refresher) will benefit you getting thing such as air, a boat ride, and dive buddy much easier depending on where you end up in the world.

Dive safe, get your gear checked out, and get the cert...what can it hurt!(rhyme)
Bruke

 

[MikeFerrara]

Do you know anything about safety ascent rates? How to plan a dive? Buddy safety procedures? Safety stops? Buoyancy control?

These are just some things that came of the top of my head (and there are many others).

(

Bad examples since those are all things that most classes do a pretty poor job of teaching.

The typical OW class...
Gives lip service to buddy diving. You read about it but never actually have to demonstrate that you can plan and conduct a dive with a buddy. You usually spend what little OW tour time you get following the instructor in a pack.

Dive planning? They rarely even teach you how to plan your gas so you know that you have enough to surface you and your buddy.

Safety stops are explained right on the dive table but I haven't seen many OW classes that test your ability to perform one without holding onto a line.

Buoyancy control? most OW classes spend most of their time on their knees and wallow around big time during their very short OW dives with at least some agencies not even requireing the student to be neutral throughout the dive. It's another thing they give lip service to and then tell you that you'll get it with experience.

Training is good but finding training that does more than teach you to kneel on the bottom and breath is the hard part. There are certainly people that can't do that without freaking without a pro to help them but other folks don't have much trouble.

I think part of the reason that people have so much trouble with diving is that we take people who can barely swim (or not at all), who haven't spent much time in and around the water and are terribly out of shape and try to teach them to dive. Maybe the agency stance that diving is for every one is what creates the need for their brand of instruction/certification?

I don't really see why some one who is strong and comfortable in the water should have trouble learning to dive outside of the programs offered by certification agencies. Sure there are things you need to know but none of what's taught in your typical class is very complicated.

 

[GDI]

IS there a Law that states you need a cert card? NO

Feel free to defeat death at will but I recommend getting the little card

 

[ScubaMike14]

Most decent shops will not give you air fills or sell you a regulator without proof of certification. At least I won't at my shop as this is life support equipment and you need to provide proof that you have been trained in it's proper use.

Spend some of your golf ball money and take a class.

Mike Rushton