Have anyone been turned down for diving because of their certification agency?

[Freewillow]

Dive Operators can be very unpredictable in some parts of the world.:shocked2: <

Many years ago I circled around the diveshops in the Carribean island. I was participating to the scubase ction of a online sailing guide. My routine was to meet with the shop, visit the installations and if they wish, go out with them for a 2 tank dive. I know that I was not a regular customer but roughly 50% of them never asked me to see my certification cards. I always found it a bit funny.

I can confirm that some FFESSM operators do not like PADI certification cards. QUE voulez vous, c'est la France.:kiss2:

 

[dfx]

My ACUC OWD card routinely gets strange looks from dive ops, but other than that, no problems.

 

[carlito35]

We get asked all the time,"Will my C-card be accepted if I travel to dive?" Of course it will.

But I wondered if anyone has every heard of someone being turned down because the shop or charter did not accept their particular agencies card?

Thanks,
John

Some shops in Cuba will not recognize PADI certs. Politics.

 

[johnmckenzie]

Some shops in Cuba will not recognize PADI certs. Politics.

That is interesting. Can you say more about this. Why PADI and not other agencies?

Thanks,
John

 

[Hawkwood]

PADI is US "based". CMAS, ACUC are not.

It is not typical that PADI cards are not recognized in Cuba for going on dives. They really don't care.

The problems usually only come for those trying to do their PADI Open Water certs. They can't get signed off down there. Students that I am aware of, have come back with an ACUC certification.

I assume folks trying the same with NAUI may have similar issues with respect to their OW dives, but I don't know. NAUI folks may have a better understanding.

 

[boulderjohn]

Some shops in Cuba will not recognize PADI certs. Politics.

That is interesting. Can you say more about this. Why PADI and not other agencies?

Knowing nothing about Cuba, this statement surprised me, and I did a quick Google search and found out that it appears to be true. One site was devoted to diving throughout the island, and it listed the dive agencies found there. PADI is not on the list

The next site I found was a single shop, and whoever made the web site has some problems with English. Here is part of its FAQ page:

4. Is trained also on a Cuban diving base after PADI?

>> Because the American embargo is subject to Cuba, PADI cannot train officially in Cuba. The single diving bases with a German PADI diving teacher has, is in Cayo Largo, Cayo Guillermo and Guardalavaca.​

Interestingly enough, the shop uses SSI, which they assure the reader is similar to PADI and equally recognized. SSI is also on the list of agencies on the first site. The world headquarters of SSI is in Fort Collins, Colorado, so you have to wonder why one American company is excluded because of the embargo and another American company is both accepted and apparently common.

 

[Lorenzoid]

There is a PADI shop at Guantanamo. But Gitmo is not Cuba.

 

[johnmckenzie]

I think the SSI may be seen as ok because they had joint owners in the US and Germany. But now Head sports owns SSI, so who knows.

Knowing nothing about Cuba, this statement surprised me, and I did a quick Google search and found out that it appears to be true. One site was devoted to diving throughout the island, and it listed the dive agencies found there. PADI is not on the list

The next site I found was a single shop, and whoever made the web site has some problems with English. Here is part of its FAQ page:

4. Is trained also on a Cuban diving base after PADI?

>> Because the American embargo is subject to Cuba, PADI cannot train officially in Cuba. The single diving bases with a German PADI diving teacher has, is in Cayo Largo, Cayo Guillermo and Guardalavaca.​

Interestingly enough, the shop uses SSI, which they assure the reader is similar to PADI and equally recognized. SSI is also on the list of agencies on the first site. The world headquarters of SSI is in Fort Collins, Colorado, so you have to wonder why one American company is excluded because of the embargo and another American company is both accepted and apparently common.

 

[rivers]

i'm diving in Belize on Tuesday. They'll be getting my fundies card first and foremost. if they don't accept that i've got my bsac sports as a back-up, followed by my padi aow if neither of those are deemed acceptable.

 

[tkdgodess]

I showed my padi owsi card in cuba, no problem, in fact i was asked to bring up the rear for supervision.... Um do i get a discount?


cubans training divers and certifying padi is one thing, certified divers going for a dive is another.