I'm a pretty new diver. Just certified this year. I have a question you've probably all already heard before, but I am still curious. Indulge me. I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the sport.
It seems to me there is an inherent safety flaw with non-expiring, lifetime certifications. Here's what I am saying. I'll give an example. Right now I am just O/W certified. But if I were to go through a "diving phase" right now, I could have advanced certifications... AOW, deep diver, wreck, etc... maybe more than that... in just a few months' time.
So let's say I get bored with diving. I don't dive for 4 or 5 years, but all the sudden I decide to pick it back up. I'm still certified at all those advanced levels, and hypothetically would be cleared to go on a 90-foot wreck dive even though I've been out of practice for years. Right?
Isn't that unsafe? Do dive operators typically do more investigation into a customer's dive history when the dive is more advanced, or do most of them just look at cert cards a clear a person to go on the dive? Wouldn't it make more sense for agencies to require re-certification every [x] number of years?
Mainly, I am curious to hear from divemasters, instructors, charter operators, professional divers. Also, another somewhat-related question. Instructors: if someone was OW certified 10 years ago, and hasn't dove once since the certification, and they all the sudden come to you wanting to take an AOW class, what do you do? Can you (or WOULD YOU) refuse to teach them the class?
Sorry if these seem like dumb questions. Just curious. Mainly, I am trying to get a better understanding of how dive pros separate the experienced divers from the inexperienced ones, aside from looking at certifications.