OnlineScubaLessons.com is a SCAM!!!

[MattC007]

sorry for your misfortune, but thanks for warning us!

 

[SeaLevelScuba]

Sorry this happened to you. A couple of years ago, we received a student who had taken this same "class". We were unable to complete her training. She had not participated in an RSTC approved program. Our insurance does not allow us to participate in unauthorized training programs. It was unfortunate. There is no reason why a scuba shop would necessarily agree to finish this course. (Though they might certainly choose to do so.) Just because this guy "promises" the course can be completed anywhere does not mean it is true. It is a scam and it is unfortunate.

Our insurance carrier (recently changed carriers) has recently advised us to the same tune, which when explained made since. We had a gentleman in the store yesterday that was suckered by the program. After explaining this to the gentleman he called them and the guy he spoke to continued to assure him of the validity of his course, citing his affiliations with SSI & NAUI. Of course I explained he may be an instructor with those agencies, but neither agency is going to allow him to issue any certifications under their flag while not completing the requirements for those courses. Eventually the gentleman left frustrated, not so much towards us but towards the online course. From a owners perspective, theres absolutely no reason a store would want to take the risk on accepting these. The risk of not having insurance coverage for the price of a nitrox fill just doesn't excite me.

Its ironic that with the good of the internet, you also have a bad side of it. Sorry this guy got scammed, but in the end he wont be the last and OnlineScubaLessons will also not be the last bad virtual scuba shop. Luckily this gentleman only paid about $80 to get nothing that will work on the face of the card.

Schott

 

[Hoomi]

You know, back to a serious tone from my previous light-hearted posts, but something just occurred to me that SHOULD occur to people considering online scuba education.

Online training tends to be a solitary experience. You sit on your computer at your convenience in your own home, and go over the materials.

Scuba diving, on the other hand, is NOT supposed to be a solitary experience. I haven't started the training yet, but just what I've read here leads me to believe much of the training will stress the importance of a dive buddy. A "virtual" dive buddy isn't going to do me any good if I run into trouble on a real dive. If someone else isn't there to help, I could end up a tragic statistic.

I imagine the classroom training helps reinforce the idea of connecting with other divers in the real world for both fun and safety, even if it's a private class with just one person and the instructor. We have someone else looking out for us - and teaching us to look out for them - in real time, not in the delay of whenever the instructor on the other end of the network connection gets around to checking our online work.

Maybe I'm just being the idealistic n00b, but it seems that factor should be a major one in steering people towards classroom training; get that human connection going BEFORE we ever even get into the water.

 

[scubajcf]

You know, back to a serious tone from my previous light-hearted posts, but something just occurred to me that SHOULD occur to people considering online scuba education.

Online training tends to be a solitary experience. You sit on your computer at your convenience in your own home, and go over the materials.

Scuba diving, on the other hand, is NOT supposed to be a solitary experience. I haven't started the training yet, but just what I've read here leads me to believe much of the training will stress the importance of a dive buddy. A "virtual" dive buddy isn't going to do me any good if I run into trouble on a real dive. If someone else isn't there to help, I could end up a tragic statistic.

I imagine the classroom training helps reinforce the idea of connecting with other divers in the real world for both fun and safety, even if it's a private class with just one person and the instructor. We have someone else looking out for us - and teaching us to look out for them - in real time, not in the delay of whenever the instructor on the other end of the network connection gets around to checking our online work.

Maybe I'm just being the idealistic n00b, but it seems that factor should be a major one in steering people towards classroom training; get that human connection going BEFORE we ever even get into the water.

A very cogent reply and relevant perspective as PADI celebrates its 10,000th elearner.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I just received my third quarter '08 Undersea Journal and skimmed every page. For no particular reason I looked closely at the Quality Management Statistics page (well the Mexican IDC/CD situation came to mind when I first glanced at the page). At the bottom of the page, in the bottom of the Special Notices box, was this statement.

Please note: David Holt, Aquatrophics, USA, and OnlineScubaLessons.com are not and have never been, PADI Members. Academic programs offered by these three entities are not valid for PADI Open Water Diver referrals or certifications. At a recent meeting the members of the RSTC determined that it was important to provide collective clarification regarding agency neutral online training programs. Over the past few years a number of websites not affiliated with a training organization have launched online scuba training programs. On these sites, customers are led to believe all training organizations accept these programs as meeting their academic requirements for scuba training. This is not correct. Because of concerns about the educational validity of these programs and the inability to monitor the quality of education and services, as well as liability and insurance issues, RSTC member organizations have independently determined they cannot accept these nonaffiliated training programs as meeting their specific academic requirements. Before customers sign up for any online training program, they should first verify with the retail store, instructor or training organization through which they wish to receive certification that the online program for which they are registering meets the organization's training requirements.

As this seems to speak to the customers as much as to the professionals this magazine is sent to, I would expect it is somewhere in the web's public domain, but I haven't heard anything yet.

 

[juggalette]

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.

Onlinescuba.com sell the product & they aren't the same entity as onlinescubalessons.com or Aquastrophics. Two completely different companies. Who cares if they sell nitrox & OW courses of onlinescubalessons.com.

Oh look, PADI offers online courses too! Its on their homepage.

SDI offers online courses too at SDI-onlinetraining.com

Onlinescuba.com should sell their courses online too!


If you go to the aquastrophics site and actually read about it, you will know that the courses are for the academic portion of scuba, much like reading the PADI OW book.

P.S. I know this post is old but had to put in my 2 cents

 

[DandyDon]

Onlinescuba.com sell the product & they aren't the same entity as onlinescubalessons.com or Aquastrophics. Two completely different companies. Who cares if they sell nitrox & OW courses of onlinescubalessons.com.

Oh look, PADI offers online courses too! Its on their homepage.

SDI offers online courses too at SDI-onlinetraining.com

Onlinescuba.com should sell their courses online too!


If you go to the aquastrophics site and actually read about it, you will know that the courses are for the academic portion of scuba, much like reading the PADI OW book.

P.S. I know this post is old but had to put in my 2 cents

Already covered; read the thread. Welcome to SB

 

[OnlineScuba]

Dork Diver wrote: "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."

Hi All,

In response to the on going question about OnlneScubaLessons.com let me at least clarify one thing. We have dealt with Dave from Auqastrophics since March of this year and his organization has been fine to work with. We were considering offering the PADI onlne courses as well but started with his SDA course. That being said, we have not had any problems with him or his course.

Being a local dive shop in Las Vegas we have allot of folks contact us who want to complete the pool/ check out dives from just about every agency. We charge a fair price with that in mind when it comes to the SDA course or any other. We try not to penalize future fellow divers who simply want to get certified, or take it personally that they did not choose us in the first place.

Our advertising on ScubaBoard has been beneficial to our business and we have been very happy with the service Doc and Howard have given us along with members and visitors alike who have purchased from us.