Should C-Cards Expire?

[scubatexastony]

.....but on the other hand.... if it's required, let's start at the instructor level and go from there.... maybe we can weed some out that need OW classes themselves....JMO

tony

<edit>ps Bren and I will be renewing our CHL's (required every 4 yrs.) and you must review and re-test in both text and proficiency.
heck, you just get your eyes checked for a DL.....go figure

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I'd hate to be checked out by an instructor with 10 percent the dives I have. Who's checking them out?

It is very easy to get certified, way too easy. One change I'd love to see is at the very least a new diver be forced to dive with an experienced diver for a time. Sort of like a person with a learners permit, in a car.

Two brand new divers together are scary.

 

[GlockDiver]

I'm curious why people think that greater difficulty in getting certified will produce better quality divers.

 

[GlockDiver]

Al Mialkovsky once bubbled...
One change I'd love to see is at the very least a new diver be forced to dive with an experienced diver for a time. Sort of like a person with a learners permit, in a car.

To some extent that is what the confined water and open water sessions of training is. Perhaps what you really want is for the number of required training dives to be increased.

My question is, how much diving do you need to do to be a safe diver? IMHO, if you're serious about safety, probably not very much.

 

[Manfred]

I think a good option is a mandatory refresher for inactive divers.
As it is now you can get excellent training do nothing for a year, then a half hour poolsession and off you go destroying a reef or hurting yourself and your buddy.
Practice makes perfect even the best training can take you so far.
I don't believe a diver with only 4 or 5 dives can be proficient enough to handle every situation, but you have to start somewhere.
Just remember this, even the most seasoned instructor was a rookie at one point. Our Divemasters and Instructors make a point to invite new divers out to dive with them. I have seen many people improve their skills dramatcally with only a hand full of dives after their certification.

 

[dreamin']

Recertification is a bogus idea. Training dosen't produce a good diver or anything else for that matter. Experience does. We've all met "book smart" folks who can't do anything. I know many people who could put up a good front to pass a skill set but just go back to bad habits on the very next dive. For me I read articles, this board and books to learn more. I take classes. I dive as often as I can with more experienced divers if I can. I watch my buddies to see what they do a try and pick up techniques. You can learn from bad divers (what not to do) as well as good ones. After the dive I talk about it. I ask questions about what they did and why and what I did and why. I try to learn something/improve something on every dive.

You can't teach attitude. Even a well schooled individual will muck it up if they don't have a good attitude. Recertification will just reinforce bad attitudes and minimal/poor/get by skills.

The poor diver you are trashing today may be some one who is working very hard to evolve into a better one. It's difficult to tell which is which at 50 feet. A couple of hours every few years for a recert is not going to reveal a poor attitude. My experience to date has shown me that there are experienced divers who make me uncomfortable in the water and some very new ones who, despite having a limited skill set, are better to dive with.

Good attitude and experience can't be taught or "certified" by anyone whether PADI or GUE or anyone else.

The whole concept of recert implies a certain skill/knowledge set. Who determines that? What is the minimum? After watching arguments on this board for a year now I don't think anyone could agree on that point.

I say in the words of those great philosphers the Beatles "Let it be. Let it be"

 

[MikeFerrara]

Instructors are a different matter. I think they should be periodically checked out. Their diving and teaching skill should be verified. As it is we just send in a check every year.

Other certifications?
Somewhere I have a box of cards. Which one would expire? Would my PADI OW card expire? I don't know where it is anyway but I could use my trimix card from IANTD. If they took that I could use an NACD cave card. Would I have to recert for every agency I have certifications through?

Even with a drivers license they don't make certain you can drive well. They just collect money periodically.


Once I pay for my training/card I want the agency out of my shorts.

 

[GlockDiver]

Manfred once bubbled...
I don't believe a diver with only 4 or 5 dives can be proficient enough to handle every situation, but you have to start somewhere.

Newly certified divers with only a handfull of dives should know to limit themselves to their training and experience. This means shallow diving well within NDLs. Sure, they can't handle every situation, but they can handle easy recreational diving. And it is within this limitation that I believe they can be safe.

 

[Kevlar55]

My GUE card expires in December, I'm not sure if I have to pay to renew it.
I'll be in High Springs in Sept and I'll find out then.
Kevin

P.S Why cant I vote in the polls?

 

[scubasean]

Kevlar55 once bubbled...
My GUE card expires in December, I'm not sure if I have to pay to renew it.
I'll be in High Springs in Sept and I'll find out then.
Kevin

P.S Why cant I vote in the polls?

As far as I know, your GUE isn't a C-card...

I know you didn't say it was, but just wanted to be clear.

--Sean