How to answer "what is your highest certification level"?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Not really surprised to see Fundies there

Yeah, as it means something with rare exception. With the others, you have to see the diver in the water.

 

[MichaelMc]

That list may also be leadership heavy as they need group leaders.

Either just as a group leader or as an agency pro for the boat.

 

[Edward3c]

Hmm, maybe we should start showing GUE cards just so ops get more familiar with them.

Do the cards not have the ISO number on them. Or is that just GUE in the U.K. that got the accreditation.

 

[mc42]

Do the cards not have the ISO number on them.

Mine has EN 14153-2 / ISO 24801-2 & ISO 11107. I believe those are the autonomous diver (OW equivalent) plus EANx. Question is whether that might satisfy an AOW "deep dive" requirement. That's why it's simpler just to bring my PADI card(s) on trips.

 

[Oldbear]

Most of the time when diving away from my home port I am diving with a business associate in one fashion or another. So they already know my cert level. Other times I show them what’s needed for a dive, e.g. AOW & EAN or Extended Range.

 

[ginti]

Mine has EN 14153-2 / ISO 24801-2 & ISO 11107. I believe those are the autonomous diver (OW equivalent) plus EANx. Question is whether that might satisfy an AOW "deep dive" requirement. That's why it's simpler just to bring my PADI card(s) on trips.

That's just the fundie card. On my C1 and T1 cards there are no ISO/EN codes... Does cards from other tech agencies actually have codes?

 

[Subcooled]

Most often when diving with a new dive operator or even the same dive operator with a new/different crew you will be asked a few questions such as when was your last dive, have you dived in cold water, how many dives and what is your highest certification level.

I can easily tell the op when my last dive was, how many and if I have cold water experience.

I don't know the answer to the last question because I don't know how different certifications are ranked. I am guessing that OW is the lowest, AOW next, Rescue next. Where do the other certifications rank? If asked does does Solo/Self reliant rank higher? How about Deep or Wreck or Cave, Nitrox, drysuit, etc?

The correct answer is one of these:
1) PADI OWD
2) PADI AOWD
3) PADI RESCUE DIVER

If you try to say something else (CMAS, IANTD, TDI, GUE, anything else) then the dive master that just took up PADI diving five months ago and never heard of any other certification agencies will be confused and will struggle to record what you say.

After rescue diver,
you could say:
5 specialies, these: ...
or
cavern > ice / intro to cave > cave
or
rec trimix > normoxic trimix > hypoxic trimix
or
dm > ass instructor > instructor > ...
or
commercial/military diver

Just pick one.

 

[Wibble]

I was very amused to see this question stated in very practical terms for the signup to the Giant Kelp Restoration Project. Please feel free to fight amongst yourselves. For the record, I put Advanced Open Water because, while I do have Rescue, it was strictly to be a better buddy and I am in no particular shape, physical or otherwise, to be rescuing anyone.

View attachment 645126
Alt Text: "What is your highest level of certification? Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Dive Master, Assistant Instructor, Instructor, GUE Fundamentals."

It's great to see Fundies skills with an implied better ranking than Instructors! And damn right too; Fundies is a very difficult course that few recreational people would pass without a lot of work -- if at all.

 

[MichaelMc]

I think the order of the Kelp Restoration Project list means they need people's certs, some had a clear ordering, some did not, yet they needed to all get written down. Nowhere does it say that is a strict rank ordering. Are we claiming my "Other: Zombie Diver" is implied as higher than them all?

 

[Manatee Diver]

It's great to see Fundies skills with an implied better ranking than Instructors! And damn right too; Fundies is a very difficult course that few recreational people would pass without a lot of work -- if at all.

I doubt that is the intent. To me that sounds like they tacked it on at the end before other as they have a large GUE crowd who might not have anything above OWD or Rec 1.