Once you step into the world of Scuba Diving, you’d realize there are so many schools for your certifications. Many diving schools call their certification levels ever so slightly different, which makes things difficult to figure out when you are planning your next diving vacation.
If you are on your way to becoming a dive master or diving instructor, then you should definitely look up the differences, compare and decide which associations suit you best. But like most people, if you want to just enjoy your diving trips, here are the things you need to know.
Your certifications will be accepted as most of the dive center Are RSTC recognized certifications
All of diving associations must adhere to the same standard set by the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC), which aims to train safe and responsible divers around the world. Your certifications may be called differently, for example, SSI may call a certification level Advanced Adventurer, where as PADI may call the same level Advanced Open Water and NAUI would call that Advanced Scuba Diver. But they are all the same and your dive shop would recognize all of these.
On the other hand, if your dive shop happens to refuse your certification from an internationally recognized association, you should question why they are saying what they are saying. Perhaps they would like you to pay more to do a cross-over course, for example? We have met divers who said their certifications are “half way done” when they only mean they’ve done a few dives and a speciality course.
Or are they oblivious to the international standards? Scuba Diving is a cross-cultural sport. Once you get into it, you’d want to discover the world’s marine life. For some of us, our whole vacation is planned around scuba diving. So you’d want to make sure the dive shops you are visiting accepts international standards.
It's all about the instructors
It’s actually less about diving associations and a lot more about your instructor. A great instructor will equip you with knowledge and encourage your confidence as a safe and responsible diver. It’s extremely important to have a conversation with your instructor before your dive, not just about prices but how comfortable you are with them. An instructor with a thousand diving experiences all over the world still may not be the right fit for you if they don’t make you feel comfortable. On the other hand, an overly friendly instructor that does everything for you and doesn’t make you learn or an instructor who touches and harms marine animals just to make a show in front of you also doesn’t help you to become a great diver.
So get to know your instructor by asking questions. You can always tell by seeing how they enjoy scuba diving or how they treat marine life. A great instructor not only teaches you scuba diving but also inspires you to care for the environment and respect animals and oceans. Did you know that Puffer Fish can only inflate a few times in their lifetimes and they do inflate because they are trying to defend there life? Or does your instructor pick it up and poke it just to show you? Caring for marine life is just as important a quality for an instructor as techniques.
