Time for a mandatory refresher?

An incident this weekend got me to wondering what policies other shops or resorts have about mandating a refresher.

Two guys come into our shop to sign up for a two tank dive, with the first a 100' wall dive and the second a 60' reef dive. Diver #1, let's call him Bob, has done 50 dives spread out over 14 years. Bob hasn't done any diving in 14 months. Diver #2, let's call him Scott, last did 2 dives three years ago - the only dives he has done since he was certified in 1996.

Our shop policy mandated a pool refresher for Scott followed by a shallow 60' reef dive. For Bob we require a shallow 60' reef dive before a wall dive another day. Our cutoff is a mandatory refresher after two years, and a mandatory shallow dive before wall diving after a 6 month break.

Bob yelled at me a bit, stormed out, then came back in long enough to demand my name. All entertaining enough, but Bob's reasoning was that Scott should be able to go straight onto a 100' wall dive immediately after the pool session. Bob was even more incensed that we would require a shallow dive for him.

BTW, we don't care if they do the shallow dive with us or as a shore dive elsewhere. We just won't take divers on a wall dive without some recent diving experience.

So, what sort of policies have you run across in your travels?

Glad to know that your shop has standards and sticks by them.

Bob and Scott are idiots! Jen and I are forced to stop diving every winter, but try to get at least one tropical trip in per year.

So lets say, on average, my longest lapse could be four months (four long, cold miserable months )

Every spring we do two refresher dives in a sheltered cove before we do anything else. The first dive is the equipment check, which is kept to less than 20' and close enough to shore for an easy swim back. The second dive we go through our skills.

How someone could go "years" without a dive, and not actually request a refresher is beyond reason.

Besides, come this January, spending an hour in a pool, followed by a 60' reef dive in the Caymans will seem pretty good to me while I'm scraping ice off of my windshield

Drew Sailbum

I second the cudos you should receive for your requirements.Those two are nuts :bonk: for thinking they should just jump in and do a 100' wall dive.

I have seen resorts who have required such intros but many other DO will take the word of divers on their experience as long as they have a card. I am a firm believer that not only should divers show C-card but also their dive logs to prove when they dove and under what conditions. Now, this is not fool proof. Obvisously some would doctor their logs but it would at least help.

I think they both needed a refresher and a shallow dive before heading out to the wall.

They were idiots........

Drew Sailbum once bubbled...


So, what sort of policies have you run across in your travels?

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Just got back from a three-day liveaboard to the Channel Islands...

They asked us to fill out our info, and we signed the release...Never showed a C-card...

We were briefed the first day and told we were on our own tables, and had to judge our dive experience ourselves. They would help where they could, but we assumed our own destiny.

Drew Sailbum once bubbled...
So, what sort of policies have you run across in your travels?

Click to expand...

Operations with multiple boats have the luxury of putting incoming divers on one boat. That boat does less challenging dives. For subsequent days, divers get split up by ability. Done correctly, everyone is doing dives they like, nobody's dives are being terminated due to airhog buddies, and nobody's ego is bruised.

Scuba Club Cozumel is an example of an operation that generally does a good job of inobtrusively checking out divers, then grouping them with others of the same experience and ability.

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Some boats are just transportation, and they clearly would not require a checkout of any kind. The diving is your responsibility. Boynton Beach / Lantana boats I've been on fit that category. Waiver, check-in, and passenger manifest were the same 1 line per diver. You simply wrote in an agency name. No cert card #. No requests to see a card. Solo or buddy is your choice. Profile and time is your choice.

If the shop is sponsoring a dive and providing leadership, the shop has assumed a degree of liability and is entitled to a commensurate degree of demonstrated competence from those it has agreed to lead. If I as a diver do not like this arrangement I am free to arrange my own dive in any way I choose. To get upset with a dive shop over its policies is childish and foolish.
E.

I don't get it....people get upset because they HAVE to do an extra dive!? Hey, next time I'm at your resort, remind me to tell you that I've only dived once in the last 5 years....that way I'll get to do an extra dive..yipppeeeeee!