Highest certification level - Please explain.

[doctormike]

Another thing that makes it difficult to answer is what means "highest?"

Yeah, exactly. Solo and rescue are different things.

Which is "higher" - MOD 1 CCR or AN/DP open circuit? Full Cave or CCR trimix?

 

[rjack321]

Every time I have been asked this the charter operator/ shop form asking is fine with "AOW" or higher (tech1 an/dp…) The exception is Ginnie Springs which wants Cave and CCR and DPV cards - but they usually know that what they are requiring is not linearly higher.

 

[michael-fisch]

I always wonder what the right answer is since I have OWSI, Full Cave and no limit Trimix certifications.
I usuall answer Full Cave since the standards that I had to meet for that were much higher than for either Trimix or OWSI.
Michael

 

[AdivingBel]

I am often asked what my highest certification level is. So is solo higher than rescue?

For general dive op forms I would say rescue. I don't usually trot out my solo card unless I'm planning to dive solo and I know the op allows it. Some ops don't and some of them are really, really adamant about it. Why get off to a bad start if you're not planning to solo anyway. (Oops, sorry...might not be relevant. Didn't notice it's in the advanced forum)

 

[MichaelMc]

SSI requires rescue for their independent diver. Arguably solo should require rescue, as much of rescue is incident prevention skills, a core solo issue. The others do not. The pre-requisites do paint very different minimum requirements though for dives, certification, and age.

Rescue:
SDI: Adv. Adventure or 40 dives, 15 years, CPR, 1st Aid, O2
Padi: Adventure diver + nav dive, 12 years, CPR, 1st Aid
SSI: OW, 15 years, CPR, 1st Aid
CMAS: 2 star

Solo/Self-Reliant/Independent/Self-Rescue
SDI : 100 dives, 21 years, SDI advanced (four full specialties)
Padi: 100 dives, 18 years, AOW
SSI: 75 dives, 18 years, AOW, Rescue
IANTD: 25 dives, 17 years, Deep
CMAS: 2 star

Over the typical 100 dives prerequisite for solo, you really should have taken that rescue class that everyone suggests for any diver.

 

[Landau]

Well my "lowest" cert is PADI Deep - since that lets me go to 130 feet down. So my highest cert must be Open Water since that only allows 60 feet down when is definitely higher than 130 feet down.

 

[Storker]

This question would be much clearer, and easier to answer across multiple agencies, if you separate the concept of "certification" from "training."

I'm currently working on my CMAS 3*. That's the highest level class in the CMAS scuba line of certs and regarded as at least at the level of PADI DM, if not higher. The international standard allows for 56m and light (backgas) deco. Even with that cert I'm still formally - and really - unqualified to dive caves, to penetrate wrecks or to dive solo.

It's not so much about what's "highest" as what you've received training to do. What's "highest", a solo dive to 35m or a 500m cave penetration where you never pass 25m?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Is night diver higher than drift diver? Is drysuit diver higher than cavern diver? Is cavern diver higher than deep diver?

Does it really matter? It pretty much depends upon the perspective of the person asking the question right?

When I hear the question I typically answer for each agency in which I'm certified. My highest PADI rating is Divemaster, SDI is Solo, TDI is Trimix. My overall highest is probably Trimix; however, there are things I had to perfect in Divemaster that I did not in Trimix and vise versa. As some points it becomes a nonsensical question.

 

[uncfnp]

Solo. Trumps AOW and rescue. I look at it from the prespective of what it will “allow” me to do on the dive (boat). Rescue gives me no additional dive privileges. I have never listed it on a dive form.

I typically list solo as highest, unless the dive requires something more and on recreational dives that is very rare.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Somebody--was it boulderjohn ?--had an anecdote about a tank monkey doubting that a Trimix card sufficiently qualified him for a Nitrox fill.