Travelling as a BSAC diver

[keara]

I'm sorry to ask a very basic question but having spent some time perusing the forums and google i'm surprised I can't quite answer it yet?!

I'm a Sports Diver trained at University and since a casual, occasional diver with the same club.

I'm planning on travel to Central/South America and Canada over the next 12 months and would like to be able to dive 'if the mood takes me' while i'm away.

My membership renewals are now due for both BSAC and my club and I'm debating the best way forward from here.

If I am a BSAC member will my BSAC qualification be recognised by ALL (or nearly all?!) dive centres I come across on my travels? The list of BSAC recognised resorts/schools is limited and includes no centres at all in some countries i intend to travel to eg Costa Rica.

If my BSAC qualification will not be recognised what do I need to do to be able to dive with a shop/resort/centre?

I'm guessing this may turn into one of the many PADI/BSAC debates which isn't really my intention. I've been delighted with every aspect of being a BSAC member but don't want to find myself in a position where I fancy a dive but can't as my card isn't recognised and have to enrol in an expensive PADI course.

Thanks!!

[NickBCotswold]

I'm sorry to ask a very basic question but having spent some time perusing the forums and google i'm surprised I can't quite answer it yet?!

I'm a Sports Diver trained at University and since a casual, occasional diver with the same club.

I'm planning on travel to Central/South America and Canada over the next 12 months and would like to be able to dive 'if the mood takes me' while i'm away.

My membership renewals are now due for both BSAC and my club and I'm debating the best way forward from here.

If I am a BSAC member will my BSAC qualification be recognised by ALL (or nearly all?!) dive centres I come across on my travels? The list of BSAC recognised resorts/schools is limited and includes no centres at all in some countries i intend to travel to eg Costa Rica.

If my BSAC qualification will not be recognised what do I need to do to be able to dive with a shop/resort/centre?

I'm guessing this may turn into one of the many PADI/BSAC debates which isn't really my intention. I've been delighted with every aspect of being a BSAC member but don't want to find myself in a position where I fancy a dive but can't as my card isn't recognised and have to enrol in an expensive PADI course.

Thanks!!

I've found that when abroad most dive centres recognize BSAC, even if they are associated to other agencies......to be sure I took along my log books and training/qualification book (to show what skills I had attained and achieved) - all the centres (SSI and PADI in this case) didnt want to see them, just asked me basic questions like - how many dives? max depth? when was the last time you dived? what conditions (ie, dry suit/drift dive/Sea etc)

I was honest as at the time I had only finished my Ocean Diver course and told him my limitations of depth and experience, and so the dive master buddied me.....



no probs!

[JamesW]

I'm sorry to ask a very basic question but having spent some time perusing the forums and google i'm surprised I can't quite answer it yet?!

I'm a Sports Diver trained at University and since a casual, occasional diver with the same club.

I'm planning on travel to Central/South America and Canada over the next 12 months and would like to be able to dive 'if the mood takes me' while i'm away.

My membership renewals are now due for both BSAC and my club and I'm debating the best way forward from here.

If I am a BSAC member will my BSAC qualification be recognised by ALL (or nearly all?!) dive centres I come across on my travels? The list of BSAC recognised resorts/schools is limited and includes no centres at all in some countries i intend to travel to eg Costa Rica.

If my BSAC qualification will not be recognised what do I need to do to be able to dive with a shop/resort/centre?

I'm guessing this may turn into one of the many PADI/BSAC debates which isn't really my intention. I've been delighted with every aspect of being a BSAC member but don't want to find myself in a position where I fancy a dive but can't as my card isn't recognised and have to enrol in an expensive PADI course.

Thanks!!


Hi
South America recognize CMAS so why don't you get a CMAS card form the BSAC shop.
Thanks

[keara]

thanks for that....really useful advice!

...at the risk of getting a severe ticking off from all and sundry...what, therefore, are the advantages of being a BSAC member while i'm away
(i already have multi-trip high risk activity insurance which covers scuba diving up to 40m)

thanks again!

[keara]

another really helpful response....thank you!

re CMAS, does the same apply to central american countries eg Costa Rica & Belize in your experience?

[JamesW]

another really helpful response....thank you!

re CMAS, does the same apply to central american countries eg Costa Rica & Belize in your experience?


CMAS is recognised as much as PADI have a look at http://www.cmasamericas.com/

Thanks

[Paul Oliver]

I asked this question across lots of forums some time ago and no-one knew of an occasion where someone had not had their BSAC Quals recognised.

In this day and age of easy internet searches any center should be able to look them up with ease.

You are also a paying customer and they want your money ;)

[Finless]

I asked this question across lots of forums some time ago and no-one knew of an occasion where someone had not had their BSAC Quals recognised.

In this day and age of easy internet searches any center should be able to look them up with ease.

You are also a paying customer and they want your money ;)

Aaaarrggghhhhh! Paul don't go American on ............... oh, I see what you've done. V/clever. :)

[Richard Whitcombe]

I've never been anywhere yet that hasn't accepted my qualifications.

A few had no idea what each grade allowed but showing them the QRB with the notes page for that grade was enough to satisfy them.

[Chris aka divingchef]

I did quite a lot of diving in Venezuela and had no problem at all, the opposite if fact, BSAC is well recognised as a quality training agency.

To be extra sure take JamesW advice and get a CMAS/BSAC Qcard.

[John Bantin]

I have a fistful of certification cards: BSAC PADI SSI TDI etc. The one they all like is the one with a picture of George Washington on it or Mastercard!

[Chris aka divingchef]

I have a fistful of certification cards: BSAC PADI SSI TDI etc. The one they all like is the one with a picture of George Washington on it or Mastercard!
Yes thats a good point :D

Master card is the one to have, I had dificulty using Visa :(

But good ol GW in small denominations is the currency to barter with !!

[neil_richardson]

Naa the one they like and fear, is when you get out your own gear, and they see you have two sets of regulators, and a set up for twins, then you role out your computer etc, and its at that stage where they normally ask me "what is that". Its at that point, where any need to present a qual's card suddenly goes out the window, and they tell you oyu can dive whatever you want.... and can you teach them in the process...

[Scubastevecayman]

In my time as a diver I have seen CMAS, BSAC, NAUI, PADI TDI,SSI, ACUC, GUE (they know who they are) and even YMCA and "State of California" issued Cert cards ( yes, at one stage in diving infancy California issued it's own certs and had it's own training criteria!). Not every person will have seen or even know about some of them, especially if they are a newbie to the sport. Newly certified instructors from America are sometimes the biggest pains in the rear for demanding to see a PADI cert card as it is all they know.

Whatever you do MAKE SURE that you have your BSAC Certification card and NOT your "CLUB" card with you. I am doing a PADI open water conversion for a friend of mine as he has arrived here in Cayman without his actual Cert Card. He has his "club" card but it is NOT recognised.

I once had another instructor (recently certified) ask me what agency "IANTD"
was as she looked at my Tri-Mix instructor c-card (which was issued at the dive center where she worked and upon which was boss' name as the certifying instructor! ) with disdain at its not being a "PADI" card.

PADI is recognised WORLD WIDE by nearly everyone - even NON divers.

If you know a friendly PADI OWSI and don't mind doing a quick course (The PADI nitrox doesn't even require a dive!) you may be able to obtain a PADI card for the cost of the cert plus the instructors time and air costs (plus a beer or two) as a transfer. It will get you a PADI card and even though you are much better trained, you sometimes have to resort to playing dumb and giving some shop staff what they expect to see as they may refuse you otherwise.

Also, ANY PADI diver can be looked up by ANY PADI instructor ANYWHERE in the world on the PADI member website. Once you have a PADI cert even if you forget it or lose it or got it 15 years ago or more, you can still dive so long as there is internet and a computer nearby. It is one of the benefits of having a PADI cert. :)

[Mike Halligan]

If you know a friendly PADI OWSI and don't mind doing a quick course (The PADI nitrox doesn't even require a dive!) you may be able to obtain a PADI card for the cost of the cert plus the instructors time and air costs (plus a beer or two) as a transfer. It will get you a PADI card and even though you are much better trained, you sometimes have to resort to playing dumb and giving some shop staff what they expect to see as they may refuse you otherwise.

Best advice I've seen on here in a very long time. :)

There are (still) places where only PADI is known and the PADI EANx card has occasionally opened doors for me. Once in, the dive logbook usually does the trick and you get sense from the actual skipper/guide - but you do have to get past "Computer says no" first in some places.:mad:

[Jonathan Taylor]

To be extra sure take JamesW advice and get a CMAS/BSAC Qcard.

It's worth getting a CMAS/BSAC Qcard, as I've had some dive centres insist on keeping my blue qualifications book :( I'd rather they kept the Qcard that I can easily replace if they loose it.