Scuba Diver Certification

[themons]

We recently returned from a week long cruise. We were made aware of a situation during the cruise which may be of interest to people planning on doing the PADI Scuba Diver certification onboard the ship.

 

First off, the PADI scuba diver certification is not the same thing as the PADI open water certification. With scuba diver certification, you have to dive in the presence of an instructor, assistant instructor, or divemaster and you can only dive to 40 feet.

 

So, the previously openwater certified husband enrolled his spouse in the scuba diver course. She went through the required theory coursework and pool sessions. The two required dives were to be performed in Cozumel. However, on the day the ship was in Cozumel, the port was closed and all of the diving excursions were cancelled. These included the certified diver dives, the discover scuba dives, and the scuba diver certification dives. The wife was not able to complete the scuba diver certification as a result.

 

According to the husband, not only did his wife not get the certification, but that the cruise line would not refund any part of the course fee. So now, if the wife wants to get open water certified, she has to the remaining book work, the remaining pool skills, and all four required dives. In other words, the $400 was mostly wasted.

 

The lesson learned here is that if you want to dive, its a lot better get a complete open water certification, and to do it before you go on your cruise.

[Capt_BJ]

the difference between PADI OPEN WATER and SCUBA DIVER courses has been discussed b4 and is spelled out well if you go to the PADI site and compare the course descriptions. The SD course covers less than the full book requirements and less than the full pool requirements.....

 

Short on time and long on the urge to become a certified diver? The PADI Scuba Diver certification might just be for you. This course requires less time than the PADI Open Water Diver course, covering only the first three of five sections of knowledge development, the first three of five pool sessions, and the first two of four open water training dives, resulting in a limited certification

 

A port being closed or dives being cancelled due to conditions is going to happen a certain percentage of the timne.

 

That there was no partial refund for the missed dives however would be difficult to swallow and I'd like to have a first hand report of this being true. IME cancelled dives were always refunded but those were not part of a 'class'. In fact on a COCO Cay dive we were in the water and just about to drop to begin the dive when we were called back to shore due to approaching weather. Technically we'd gotten wet and used the rental gear .... but a full refund happened.

 

One of the things I warn folks about with the SD class, and to a degree with Discovery Dives where they claim you can use it as one of your checkout dives - is finding a place to take only the remaining parts of a class. I don't know of a training facility that offers 'part two of Scuba Diver leading to open water' . . . and IME most check out dives are done as 2 tank dives meaning 2 trips .... so if you need 3 dives???? You're gonna do 4 anyway!