fosterboxermom
Contributor
This is exactly where the problem comes in. Most people shopping for a class don't know what questions to ask when they call around and most shops dont likely have much time to go into lengthy sales pitches with every customer that calls. Some shops undoubtedly make a better effort than others, but like with any industry that tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
True, however, I don't think they have to go into a lengthy sales pitch, but tell people before they sign up with anyone do some research and then make a decision. That's all. But I don't think that is how most dive shops work. If someone calls and asks to take a course they don't question them they take their money and sign em up, certify them and give them their c cards whether or not they earned them or not. I have never met anyone who told me they failed the cert course.
My husband and I take a two week cruise every year for the sole purpose of diving. We pretty much use the cruise ship as a taxi to take us to different places each day. We started out using the cruise ships dive shops but learned that most of the divers were beginners and or hadn't been diving in a while or just had bad skills. Also, the dive shops the cruises tend to use pretty much knew the "type" of divers they would be getting and would take them to beginner dive sites. (Actually which was a good thing) so we started using dive shops off the cruise ship and found most of them to be good. We would also try to hook up with others that were doing the same thing that had the same experience and skills that we had.
But my point being is that once you have a c card most shops don't ask any questions other than when was your last dive. You can tell them it has been 5 years and they will still put you on a boat with other divers and let you get in the water without a refresher course as long as you pay the money. I realize you are responsible for yourself and you sign a waiver. They could at least have the human compassion to ADVISE the diver you haven't been diving in a long time are you sure you want to do this dive? We do offer a refresher course.
I have to admit that I ALWAYS went to PADI.com to find a dive shop because I THOUGHT PADI did some kind of regulating with their dive shops and that I could with some reason know that the shop was operating legally at least under the country's laws. But come to find out from a PADI rep that isn't always the case. So now I WILL NOT trust PADI.com again and I will do research on my own.
That I can thank Brendan for.