Scuba
Certification Questions You Need To Ask Before Getting Certified
If you've always dreamed of
becoming a certified scuba diver, read these tips to make your
experience everything you hope for.
By Jay Umbenhauer
Learning how to scuba dive is your ticket to the
ultimate underwater adventure. The scuba certification that you
earn is internationally recognized, never expires, and allows
you to rent or purchase your own diving equipment.
You'll soon discover, however, that there is no shortage of dive
companies out there competing for your hard-earned dollars. It
can be a daunting task trying to find one that has a proven track
record of honesty, integrity, and reliability, while at the same
time providing a positive certification experience for both you
and your family.
There are a number of different scuba
training organizations that a dive company can be affiliated with,
however this article deals primarily with certification courses
sanctioned by PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors,
the largest scuba training organization in the world.
To help you comparison shop, I've compiled a list of questions
any potential certification student needs to ask before getting
certified.
 |
Going
deep. Maui-based scuba instructor Jay Umbenhauer
has been cerifying scuba divers in Hawai‘i for over
12 years. |
1.
How Long Does The Certification Course Last?
Scuba certification is performance-based, meaning there are no
set amount of hours required for completion. You move from one
level to the next during the course at your own pace. You will
find that most PADI certification courses advertised are based
around an estimated three day time frame for completion. For the
average person, however, this may not be enough time. Taking four
days for certification is a much more realistic goal.
2. How Much Does The Certification Course Cost?
Lowball prices are designed for two reasons — to attract
your attention, and to get you in the door. The hidden charges
for the course, such as books and equipment rental, are conveniently
never advertised. Look for an all inclusive certification course
experience. Remember — in the end, you always get what you
pay for.
3. Are References Available From The Most Recent Students?
Always ask for phone or E-mail references from the most recent
certification students who have just completed the course. Don't
settle for written quotes that are years old and taken from some
database of generic customer comments. If an excuse or noncommittal
answer is given, take your business elsewhere. A quality dive
operation that has nothing to hide will be happy to provide such
references.
4. Who Is The Instructor?
5. How Long Have They Been An Instructor?
6. How Many People Have They Certified?
7. How Many Certification Courses Have They Taught?
Good instructors, who have an extensive resume of experience teaching
scuba certification courses, are extremely hard to find. Dive
shops have a notoriously high turnover ratio of scuba instructors
to staff. Many scuba shop instructors are recent hires, having
little real world experience. They also work long hours for very
little money and generally getting paid by the activity, not by
the hour. Insist on someone who has certified at least 25 people,
and has been teaching a minimum of one year.
8. Is The Instructor First Aid/CPR Certified?
In order to become a PADI instructor, one must complete the Rescue
Diver certification. PADI requires current CPR/First Aid training
for an instructor to receive Rescue Diver certification. Most
instructors are also First Aid/CPR Instructors.
9. Will The Course Be Taught Using Rotating Instructors?
A common practice some dive operations use is "Team Teaching,"
where one instructor shares the course with another, exposing
you to differing personalities and teaching methods that can be
very confusing. Unless you are doing a referral certification,
where you are starting and finishing your course in different
locations, steer clear.
10. Will Both Instructor And Student Use Similar Equipment Setups
During The Course?
When both instructor and student are using the same brand of scuba
gear, and have similarly designed equipment configurations, it
allows students to learn faster and easier, both in and out of
the water, during the certification course.
11. Will The Course Incorporate A Giant RDP (Repetetive
Dive Planner) Table Into The Academic Sessions?
Learning how to use the dive tables to plan multiple dives is
perhaps the toughest academic challenge a student faces during
the certification course, and also one of the most critical. A
quality dive operation will have a giant version of the standard
dive table available, allowing students to more easily master
this important academic information.
12. Can I Get A Student Discount After Getting Certified?
Any reputable dive operation should give you a generous student
discount towards future diving activities and/or equipment purchases
you make from them in appreciation for taking their certification
course.
Jay Umbenhauer has been a professional PADI instructor in Hawai‘i
for more than 12 years, and has certified hundreds of individuals
who now travel this Earth in search of the ultimate dive. His
Maui-based dive company, Scuba Gods, features first-class service,
professional scuba instruction, and all-inclusive pricing. For
more info about getting certified or going on a diving adventure
of a lifetime, log onto www.scubagods.com.
