Taken the classes but having hard time getting final cert dives :(

[KazInAz]

Scuba Sciences does do universal referrals. Tell them where you want to go for your certifications and they will find a good shop and set it up for you. I dont understand what the problem is here. My friends had no problem at all doing their dives in Mexico. I think the only requirement was it has to be an SSI shop, I think.
Let us know what happens.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Dive aholic: I understand the situation clearly. It wouldn't hurt to contact another SSI training center as they may be able to assist in getting this taken care of without going through the entire class again. Perhaps they could ask SSI corporate to intervene.

FYI: I don't have any affiliation with Desert Divers, just found them to be very helpful in providing private training due to scheduling conflicts with their classes. They went the 'extra mile' for me.

Okay, I misunderstood your first post. :11doh:

It's just looking like Scuba Sciences won't cooperate at all.

I think Desert Divers is on Scuba Sciences' 'not to be trusted' list.

Who's not on that list?!?! :shakehead

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Scuba Sciences does do universal referrals. Tell them where you want to go for your certifications and they will find a good shop and set it up for you. I dont understand what the problem is here. My friends had no problem at all doing their dives in Mexico. I think the only requirement was it has to be an SSI shop, I think.
Let us know what happens.

Well... a "universal referral" is a referral outside the agency. For instance, a universal referral from a SSI shop would allow the student to complete their cert with a PADI or NAUI or whatever shop. It's not really a "universal" referral to complete training within the same agency. Well... maybe it is... I would have to look it up to be sure.

So... if you decide somewhere prior to certification that you don't want to go on with Scuba Sciences, then you basically just have to start all over with another local shop. You can't do your confined water at Scuba Sciences and then come over to our shop to finish up... even though SSI and PADI both allow this. We get a lot of people with this exact problem.

Not only that but Scuba Sciences apparently doesn't want to allow local referrals within SSI. Check out their referral page where they list Desert Divers as unworthy of referral. Not surprising, really... since DD is a direct competitor locally as well as in San Carlos.

It really is pretty obvious just why Scuba Sciences has this policy...

Yah... I guess if you plan to go on vacation somewhere you just MIGHT get a referral... as long as it is far far away.

In contrast... at our shop... and most others in the valley that I am familiar with... if you decide that you just can't stand us any longer, we'll be more than happy to complete a referral for ya. Go right on up the street... we don't mind... really. Have at 'er. No hard feelings.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Who's not on that list?!?! :shakehead

Uh... I think YOU'RE right at the top!

 

[Dive-aholic]

Uh... I think YOU'RE right at the top!

In BOLD letters with my PADI PIC photo right next to it!

 

[Dive-aholic]

I just found this interesting statement on Scuba Sciences website:

The Universal Referral Program was created for customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer is good for diving.

They obviously haven't read their own website!

 

[KazInAz]

I misunderstood the policy apparently. The issue never came up for my friends. They said "We going to Hawaii for certs." and it was arranged, all went well. Sounds like they were lucky.

 

[diversteve]

According to Scuba Sciences webpage, they do Universal Referrals. So anyone who says they won't is in error. That they won't to diveops on their non-recommended list is within their rights to do so and may be in the best interests of their customers - at least from their perspective.

In reading back over this thread, it's not clear that the OP ever asked them for or wanted a Universal Referral. He did recently ask them for his training records so that he can go to a competitor to theoretically not have to re-do some basic steps with a new instructor, but part of the initial problem is that the OP is unable to complete his OW at Scuba Sciences due to his schedule, not theirs.

In the first post, the OP was looking for a mid-week trip, a quick look at a calendar would have revealed that basically no one (that I'm aware of) does this and should have been a consideration before signing up for classes.

It does seem to me that the easiest referral would be from an SSI dealer to another SSI dealer as they have should have exactly the same training procedures.

Why Scuba Sciences won't release his records is unclear though. We're not talking about anything proprietay and he's already paid for the class training.

As Garrett posted, the referral policy was cleary stated in his class, so lack of understanding on the OP's part doesn't make Scuba Sciences wrong in this particular case.

Not that I'm trying to make the case for Scuba Sciences, although certified with them, I currently do my business elsewhere. And I do feel sorry for the OP who has to deal with all this to get to the fun part of our sport - the actual diving. It shouldn't require this much conflict to do something as simple as getting certified as long as you can demonstrate the basic required skills.

What is also confusing is that according to the Universal Referral page here - referrals are done to other SSI, NAUI, YMCA and IDEA shops but not PADI. Yet the only recommended referral partner on the list is Lahaina Divers, A PADI 5-Star facility.

Sorry Rob, you didn't make the list. Don't know why Seasport in Kaui did though.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

According to Scuba Sciences webpage, they do Universal Referrals. So anyone who says they won't is in error. That they won't to diveops on their non-recommended list is within their rights to do so and may be in the best interests of their customers - at least from their perspective.

Correct, they absolutely do Referrals just not to direct competitors (i.e. local shops). I believe if Iroc wanted a UR for a dive in Mexico, SoCal, or any other dive destination it wouldn't be a problem, just not for a competitors trip, it has to be an instructor/shop at the destination. Pretty simple really.

What is also confusing is that according to the Universal Referral page here - referrals are done to other SSI, NAUI, YMCA and IDEA shops but not PADI. Yet the only recommended referral partner on the list is Lahaina Divers, A PADI 5-Star facility.

According to Lahaina Divers site, which coincidentally my son did his UR via S.Sciences through and I also recommend, "to complete the open water training referral certification for PADI, NAUI, SDI, NASDS, YMCA and Universal Referrals". It wasn't a problem, paid S.Sciences got the paperwork, went to Maui, son did his checkout dives, got a temp card, turned in the paperwork when we got back and he got his card a couple weeks later. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy No BS!

S.Sciences has it (many) faults and anybody who knows me, knows I'm no S.Sciences apologist and don't patronize their DS anymore. But in this case I don't see anything wrong with their UR policy. If you want a UR for a dive resort/destination as I think it is really intended for, it's easy as pie, if your trying to circumvent their trips (that they clearly explain before you sign up for the class and during cuz I've heard the speech several times) then yes you will hit a brick wall. Might actually have had some luck by explaining the scheduling conflict rationally with them and working something out, especially since you've paid for the class, gear, etc and they've gotten almost all they intended to get out of ya anyway.

Garrett

 

[GreenDiverDown]

According to Scuba Sciences webpage, they do Universal Referrals. So anyone who says they won't is in error. That they won't to diveops on their non-recommended list is within their rights to do so and may be in the best interests of their customers - at least from their perspective.

No one here has said that they don't do Universal Referrals. They do... they just don't universally do them.

What is also confusing is that according to the Universal Referral page here - referrals are done to other SSI, NAUI, YMCA and IDEA shops but not PADI. Yet the only recommended referral partner on the list is Lahaina Divers, A PADI 5-Star facility.

Originally, PADI was not part of the UR program. In 2003 PADI decided to particpate.The info on that page appears to be old. I'm guessing that when Lahaina was added, the list of agencies participating in the UR program was not updated.