D-D, you aren't getting my point either it seems (are we bound to go back and forth for ever?? lol
). Certified means you took the time to get taught how to do something correctly. It means you have extra education on a specific topic. Now, yes there are people who will just sign off on a C-Card for the money involved...but any respectable diver, instructor, etc., would not unless they felt confident. Just like in my EMT program, our instructors
WILL NOT sign you off if they don't feel you completely understand the topic, exercise, etc. at hand.
That helps to regulate the knowledge/learned basis. In medical, there are new laws and regulations in affect that an old, "retired anesthesiologist with 60,000 tubes under his belt" would not be up on and could violate...placing himself in a legal issue. The "Good Samaritan Laws" only protects bystander's to a point.
Basicly what I am saying is that while yes, logging the dives is important...(lets take a side trip to Aviation...I would rather fly with someone who is licensed on the airframe/aircraft that I am flying as a co-pilot then someone who has loads of experience flying some crop duster.)...getting the education is just as important.
No different then anything else in life. You can learn and do it by yourself for years...OR...you can be professionally taught and then enter the field and have all the knowledge to build on your MUCH stronger foundation.
Just like myself, basically you are saying that I am a danger to myself and others because I am getting certified on all the aspects in which I feel are prudent to the direction I wish to immerse myself in for diving. That, because I will be a newly certified Commercial Hard Hat Diver that I will be sub par to anyone else in the industry that doesn't have the training? While the experience plays a roll...you still should have the education to BACK UP any and all experience.
).
