Going to AmbergrisCaye in two weeks - Any issues with MDEA Certification?

[ChefZiggy]

So here's scoop. I did all my classwork and confined water skills with a PADI Instructor for a referral. And had intended to do the OW check out dives while on vacation. But I stopped in at a shop to ask some questions and got to talking with the owner and they could fit me into to a couple of quarry dives this week. For a lot less than it would cost me in Belize, I might add.

The hang up is that they are an MDEA shop. So my certification will actually come from them. I won't run into any problems in Ambergris Caye will I? I plan on doing some dives with my PADI instructor later on to get dual certification, but our schedules just didn't workout to get it all done before I leave.

I would appreciate any thoughts anyone might have.

Thanks.

 

[peterbj7]

I've never heard of MDEA, and more to the point many current dive operators may not either. Who are they?

 

[Downing]

Multinational Divers Educators Association

I had to look it up. The website is um, sparse.

Founded in 1984. Based in Marathon, Florida, which if I remember right is one of the biggest keys between Key Largo and Key West.

If you google "MDEA" it's number seven on the list, behind methyl diethanolamine (an industrial gas), the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Mt Diablo Education Association, the Medical Design Excellence Awards, a medical education association and methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (more commonly known as "ecstasy," a well known street drug).

Not good.

MDEA might be the greatest training agency in the world, but if no one's ever heard of it you could run into issues, especially if you're a brand new diver. There's no harm and some benefit, i.e., gaining experience, in diving with them, but if I were the OP I'd be prepared to do my PADI checkout dives with an AC dive op.

 

[ChefZiggy]

Crap. I was afraid of that. They seemed to think it wouldn't be an issue, and my PADI instructor did too, but said to be sure and take a phone number for MDEA just in case.

 

[Stoo]

My first thought was it's never wise to travel with illegal narcotics. An unfortunate acronym for a dive training agency!

ANd I agree... be prepared to either do your OW dives with a NAUI or PADI shop, or as a minimum, an "orientation" dive with an Instructor. We were at Anthony's Key a few years ago and EVERYONE had to do this. It wasn't really a bad idea. It's amazing how many "divers" can't clear their masks or maintain neutral buoyancy...

 

[ChefZiggy]

I agree about the acronym. Ok, emailing some shops to get a feel for how they want to deal with it. Going ahead and doing my #3 & 4 dives today. If nothing else I get to dive, right?

 

[Downing]

Right. And for you, at this stage of the game the more dives you can get in under an instructor's direct supervision, the better.

Btw, there's a difference between the checkout dives to get your PADI C-card and the more generic checkout dives referred to by Stoo. To earn your card, you're going to have to go through all the drills you learned in the pool only this time while diving in open water. Different instructors do it differently but for me we did nothing but drills the first three dives, then the fourth dive was just a regular recreational dive under the supervision of one of the attending divemasters.

Once you're certified, you'll find that some dive ops will want you to do a shallow dive your first time with them so you can "checkout" your gear, confirm your weights etc and so they can "checkout" your skills and determine just how much attention they'll need to pay while you dive with them. It's important to not let your ego get in the way and be brutally honest about your skill level and experience. We were all new at this once.

Have fun in AC and be sure to publish a trip report here when you return.

 

[ChefZiggy]

Contacted three different shops today and they all said no worries. But I totally understand why they might want to do that "check out".

Thanks! And I'll get back with a trip report!

 

[peterbj7]

I wonder which shops claim to have heard of MDEA?

 

[Bubba1]

I never heard of a dive shop discriminating against another certifying agency.