How you "keep up" your certification?

[shakespear]

Maybe so, but you have some great rig diving offshore!

Rig diving seems kind of scary, isnt it for more experienced divers?

 

[captndale]

Close, but no banana. YMCA has the Bronze certification which is exactly like the OW certification except it expires in 3 years. It has always been an option of the instructor to issue either the OW (prior to 1986 there was also a SCUBA Diver cert) or the Bronze (formerly Bronze Star) certification. There was never a time when all YMCA entry level certifications expired.

The YMCA national scuba program began in 1959, with an "Instructor Institute" (Instructor training program) that was held here in Chicago. It followed the outline of the program that had been used in the Chicago area YMCA's under the authority of the Chicago Metropolitan Council of YMCA Skin and Scuba Diving Clubs. After 1959 the Metro Council changed its focus and became a federation of local YMCA clubs without regard to instruction. It has since merged with the Illinois Council of Skin and Scuba Diving Clubs. The entry-level course that was taught by the Metro clubs and, later, the National YMCA was titled "SCUBA Diver." This course was essentially unchanged until 1986, except that sometime in the late 70's or early 80's the certification card was changed to an expiring card.

About this same time PADI introduced their Open Water Diver certification. PADI began teaching both "Scuba Diver" and "Open Water Scuba Diver" courses. The only difference was the number of open water dives required. Prior to this, all agencies required three dives for certification, two scuba dives and one skin dive. The "Open Water" course required four scuba and one skin dive. Soon all agencies, including YMCA followed PADI's lead.

In 1980 PADI lost its affiliation with CMAS. The YMCA then picked up that affiliation and became the sole CMAS organization in the USA. To bring the YMCA training levels into equivalency with the CMAS "Star" levels the YMCA named their open water scuba certification "Bronze Star" and added Silver Star and Gold Star certifications to their program. The "Scuba Diver" certification continued for some time and it was this certification that had an expiration.

 

[Azza]

How do you guys handle the winter months? I would think they would be a 6 month period were you couldnt dive...

It all comes down to having adequate exposure protection.

There has been a couple of times, ok maybe once, that I didnt dive for 2 weeks. Started getting withdrawls... It was about that time my Fiancee had serious doubts about marrying me after she caught me in my full kit in the bath. I was having fun...

Someone on this board once said... "You can be the greatest diver in the world, but if havnt dived for two weeks you are no longer the greatest diver in the world".

 

[narcT]

Once certified, always certified, regardless of agency (at least for now).

That's not true with skills. If you have a dry period, you need to somehow refresh those skills. How long a dry period is up for debate.

GUE requires you send them your log book and pay them more money every 3 years to stay certified.

 

[toodive4]

Where did you get your training? They didn't go over this with you? Ask for a refund.