My NAUI instructor ran off!!! HELP!!!

My friends and I took (6 of us) our AOW with a NAUI instuctor. In fairness, we were impressed with what he taught, and we all became more confident & safe divers. This was in completed in Dec 2001, the instructor has been giving us the run around since then. In other words, we don't have our C-cards yet. That's the first issue.

Second issue, mid-year 2002, I rallied some of my officemates into forming a Scuba Dicving Club. Since I had a good experience under that NAUI instructor, I asked him to conduct an Intro to Diving talk. Since the NAUI instructor also worked for a big local dive shop, they were able to facilitate intro dive pool sessions, which was good. Considering that the dive shop is a PADI facility, the NAUI instructor gave my officemates a choice between PADI and NAUI. Others took PADI (about 3 people) the rest picked NAUI (approx 7). Each of the NAUI students paid in full at the start. 5 finished the course but haven't also been given their C Card. The other 2 people couldn't join the first group due to schedule conflict. Now, the NAUI instructor has apparently resigned from his job at the dive shop. Now not only do my firends and i (6 of us) not have our AOW C Cards, 5 of my officemates who took their OW with him (plus 2 who are fully paid and can't seem to find him) are left with nothing. What makes it worse is that my officemates picked him because i told them of the good experience i had, in terms of learning and confidence in diving.

The NAUI instuctor refuses to answer his cellular phone when called.

I have considered writing the dive shop, but would that help? He isn't employed there anymore. Should I notify NAUI?

Any suggestions on what I should do?

Yes call NAUI, if you are getting the run around from the instructor ring NAUI with the instructors name and if possible his cert number.

They will come down on him like a ton of bricks. I have seen it before, NAUI and PADI are super tough on that kind of thing.

Sydney_diver... thanks

far out mate
you have alot of patience i would of done that ages ago.......
if he is taking your money and not registing you with naui or padi

he could be a fraudsta :boom:

write to naui and explain what happened and definately contact his old job....it not only hurts you guys but the whole diving community when s.hit like this happens

Definitely contact NAUI!

You should have the instructors name and number on your original card, make sure you reference that. When you sign up for a course and the instructor or LDS takes your money, the instructor is bound by the NAUI code of ethics to complete the course or provide the student a written explanation why you did not receive a certification.

Unacceptable behavour for any instructor regardless of agency.

If you did the course in the PI and the instructor was from there,
Contact
NAUI Services Pacific Rim
16 Jalan Utara off Jalan Imbi
Kuala Lumpur 55100
Malaysia
(603) 2146-2631 Voice
(603) 2146-2640 Fax
Email: mike@seadvr.po.my

If it was through a US instructor contact

NAUI Worldwide Headquarters
PO Box 89789
Tampa, FL 33689-0413
USA
800-553-6284 Voice - Toll-free Order Line
813-628-6284 Voice
813-628-8253 Fax
URL: http://www.nauiww.org/
Email: nauihq@nauiww.org

CrazyC

i met the instructor on a live aboard to tubataha reef... he's a legit instructor for sure...

my friends and i learned alot from the AOW, even my officemates who took OW admittedly learned alot. those that took the OW with him even see the difference when they dive with other officemates who decided to take their OW with another instructor (not NAUI).

it's unfortunate but at this point, i guess it is necessary that i email NAUI. at least for the AOW C cards, it definitely feels like we've been getting the run around. he blames it on NAUI, saying NAUI takes a long time processing... plus the fact that it has to be sent here to the philippines... a 6 month delay is probably acceptable given that reason, but now that it is way over a year, the reasoning just doesn't fly...

i included my officemates' concern also to NAUI, because they have a more difficult problem because their temp cards have expired. majority of the resorts here will not allow them to dive. in my case, at least i have my OW card...

i really hope NAUI can resolve the situation.

anyone else experience this before? for any certifying agency? what did you do? how was it resolved?

originally, i emailed nauihq@nauiww.org...

i forwarded my original note to mike@seadvr.po.my as you've adviced...

thanks!

Stokes,

NAUI has been going through some changes over the last 6 months, but nothing that would account for cards not being issued for over 6 months. Plus I become very suspicious when he bails on you without any promise to help remedy the situation.

A lot of people are hesistant to contact the parent agancy in regards to being wronged by their instructor, especially one that they feel provided them good training. Some will blow it off as the instructor going through some hard times or any number of excuses. It is unfortunate, but you had a contract with this instructor and the other end of the contract was not kept. If the instructor gets upset over it, that's their own problem. If they are a decent person the instructor will make good on everything and apologise.

C-cards get lost sometimes in the mail, and if that's the case and the instructor actually did send in the registration and purchase request for the cards, then he would be pounding on NAUI's door to get it taken care of for you and not refusing to answer his cell phone.

CrazyC

but PADI has a "Never Received Card" form (available from any PADI dive center or instructor) that you can fill out and send in, along with a photocopy of your temporary card and a passport-sized photo, in order to get your permanent certification card processed. NAUI probably has a similar procedure.

I think you handled this properly by first contacting the instructor, then the dive center, and finally the agency in seeking resolution.

Good Luck!

Actually, since I sent my PADI pic envelope in myself, so I know it got mailed, and my card didn't show up, I just called them and they looked it up on their computer and just sent me a new one with the photo they had scanned in. No hassle at all, of course this assumes that NAUI got the stuff to begin with, but it seems as though this is the step that got missed.

Rachel