I'm looking at setting up a SCUBA diving trip for next year and a few of the sites I've looked at advertise themselves as a "PADI/National Geographic Award Dive Center", what does this really mean?
What does "PADI/National Geographic Award Dive Center" really mean
- Thread starter digdug87
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Nothing, anymore. That program no longer exists.
http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/05/18/national-geographic-diver-certification-from-padi/ explains what it was.
The program ended 31 Dec 2013, and all references to it were supposed to have been removed from websites by 15 March 2014.
So, I suppose you could say that what it means if you see it on a website is that the website owner doesn't pay attention to his website.
http://www.padi.com/blog/2013/05/18/national-geographic-diver-certification-from-padi/ explains what it was.
The program ended 31 Dec 2013, and all references to it were supposed to have been removed from websites by 15 March 2014.
So, I suppose you could say that what it means if you see it on a website is that the website owner doesn't pay attention to his website.
Goodtime Adventures
Contributor
Yep, I was about to say exactly the same thing! Means zilch anymore, not that it meant a whole heap in the first place IMO - more of an opportunity for dive shops to be seen as towing the eco friendly line, without having to actually do much.
- Messages
- 10,954
- Reaction score
- 4,127
- # of dives
- None - Not Certified
I was sitting in a room at DEMA, what was it? Maybe in Y2K or so... when the birth announcement of this program was rather haphazardly blurted out.
Say what you will in the easy sport of PADIwhacking, but the concept and intent was valid and honorable. It was a smart marketing tie-in to boost the appeal of the still extant cert, "Naturalist Diver" (which, much to the chagrin of many, does not mean being naked).
The great majority of divers can barely see past their SPGs (and technical iron including GoPros) before the (now 10 year old) equipment gets posted on Craigslist at the original retail price. Their life-book of critter spotting never quite got to the Whale Shark they quest for here with posts on SB, stopping mostly at sand, rocks and Squirrel Fish.
I thank the SCUBA goddess (Patty Grier) that taught me to slow down and see stuff. I didn't get or need that Official NG Cert, not even the patch, but I got the message and the life skills that made my "warm water-pretty fish" diving a very very happy life pursuit.
This aborted agency project aside, it was a noble effort. Slow down, you might see something.
Keep divers interested and educate them "to see". This we all can do with any Noob diver. Carry that magnifying glass and flashlight or laser pointer. Call that diver over and have them see what they missed, right there, just past their faceplate.
I have hooked them all, with one simple Wire Coral Shrimp.
Say what you will in the easy sport of PADIwhacking, but the concept and intent was valid and honorable. It was a smart marketing tie-in to boost the appeal of the still extant cert, "Naturalist Diver" (which, much to the chagrin of many, does not mean being naked).
The great majority of divers can barely see past their SPGs (and technical iron including GoPros) before the (now 10 year old) equipment gets posted on Craigslist at the original retail price. Their life-book of critter spotting never quite got to the Whale Shark they quest for here with posts on SB, stopping mostly at sand, rocks and Squirrel Fish.
I thank the SCUBA goddess (Patty Grier) that taught me to slow down and see stuff. I didn't get or need that Official NG Cert, not even the patch, but I got the message and the life skills that made my "warm water-pretty fish" diving a very very happy life pursuit.
This aborted agency project aside, it was a noble effort. Slow down, you might see something.
Keep divers interested and educate them "to see". This we all can do with any Noob diver. Carry that magnifying glass and flashlight or laser pointer. Call that diver over and have them see what they missed, right there, just past their faceplate.
I have hooked them all, with one simple Wire Coral Shrimp.
Similar threads
