Anyone not had their BSAC Qualification Recognised?

[Paul Oliver]

Dear Divers

OK while i am trying to respond to membership inquiries i often get hit with "I went for the most recognised worldwide qualification" I do think this is purely a sales pitch, and don't want to start an agency ruck.

BUT, has anyone ever had their BSAC Qualification refused or not recognised? I have done another post similar to this as i feel that sometimes the Blue book is an unknown factor, but once read is easily recognised.

So has anyone ever had a qualification recognition problem?

Dive Safe

Paul Oliver
DO Canterbury Divers Branch 326

[Paul Watts]

In Lanzarote about 8 or 9 years ago.

I remember them looking at my QRB with surprise.

I had to do a try dive in the pool to show demonstrate bouyancy skills etc.

The School clearly had no idea who the BSAC were....

Nothing recently tho.

[fionab]

I bought one of the photo card type quals, I suppose they just look at the word "Advanced" and maybe they think its PADI Advanced.

[dave covey]

I suppose they just look at the word "Advanced" and maybe they think its PADI Advanced.

.....until they see XXXX dives from a 20 year period.

[angus]

In Senegal the local dive centre looked at me like I had 10 heads (no quips Paul) when I showed them the QRB but were more than happy reading 'CMAS' on the reverse of the card.

Angus

[Andy Nye]

In Senegal the local dive centre looked at me like I had 10 heads (no quips Paul) when I showed them the QRB but were more than happy reading 'CMAS' on the reverse of the card.

Angus

I counted 11 heads..

Good job that your not 2 faced either ,,,,, as ya wouldn't be wearing that one ;-)

[Bill Bird]

:=In Senegal the local dive centre looked at me like I had 10 heads (no quips Paul) when I showed them the QRB but were more than happy reading 'CMAS' on the reverse of the card.
:=
:=Angus

I counted 11 heads..

Good job that your not 2 faced either ,,,,, as ya wouldn't be wearing that one ;-)

I would have thought that any school worth the name of a diving centre should be able to determine what qualifications mean from different agencies, otherwise they are as bad as some of the elements we used to have in BSAC ("now you've joined BSAC, we'll show you PADI types the right way to dive"). Tunnel vision still rules -OK!

I have only had a slightly quizzical look once, before a colleague at the centre seeing this looked over his shoulder and said "BSAC - that's fine", although they do sometimes mis-align the grade.

[Paul Oliver]

I would have thought that any school worth the name of a diving centre should be able to determine what qualifications mean from different agencies,

This is what i would have thought as well, not too hard to do in this modern internet age i would say.

[FionaB]

To be fair I was only joking, I have never had a problem with any centre or dive boat, they only seem to take a glance anyway, one didn't even want to see it.

[angus]

Very true Bill. The only problem was that their English was almost as bad as my French. My schoolboy French consisting of phrases like 'where is the library' and 'a ticket to Paris please' are not much use at a dive centre.

The briefing was conducted in sign language never mind underwater!!

As they say 'it losses a lot in translation'!

ATB

Angus

[Paul Oliver]

Very true Bill. The only problem was that their English was almost as bad as my French. My schoolboy French consisting of phrases like 'where is the library' and 'a ticket to Paris please' are not much use at a dive centre.

The briefing was conducted in sign language never mind underwater!!

As they say 'it losses a lot in translation'!

ATB

Angus

OK so i can see it now, there are 2 nice French speaking dive operators trying to run a good quality LDS.

In front of them holding out a blue book they have never seen in their lives a big, ugly Paratrooper armed to the teeth with a few mates in close support, and murdering the French language.

Bonjour, Avez vous une espace aller plongee s'il vous plait?

Not much chance of not getting a dive there then M8.

[angus]

That was almost it - not sure about the 'bonjour' bit though! :)

[Bill Bird]

That was almost it - not sure about the 'bonjour' bit though! :)

After Bonjour I think my best french would be to order a beer! Come to think of it - that applies to Spanish, German, Italian...................

[benpanter]

BUT, has anyone ever had their BSAC Qualification refused or not recognised? I have done another post similar to this as i feel that sometimes the Blue book is an unknown factor, but once read is easily recognised.

I had no problems in Vis, Croatia last week with getting my qualifications recognized - but then I do have an old QRB with cmas 3* written in it.

[aquabin]

:=That was almost it - not sure about the 'bonjour' bit though! :)

After Bonjour I think my best french would be to order a beer! Come to think of it - that applies to Spanish, German, Italian...................

SHOUTING works (I'm told)

Matt

[Warren Izzett]

I had to explain the book a few times when I started diving abroad, especially in South Africa, so I invested in a BSAC photo card, which seemed to make all the difference. The CMAS card would probably be a good investment for any travelling diver, especially for French speaking countries.

I've also used my BSAC Nitrox Instructor card to sign meals to my hotel room in Las Vegas, when I had no other photo ID!





Dear Divers

OK while i am trying to respond to membership inquiries i often get hit with "I went for the most recognised worldwide qualification" I do think this is purely a sales pitch, and don't want to start an agency ruck.

BUT, has anyone ever had their BSAC Qualification refused or not recognised? I have done another post similar to this as i feel that sometimes the Blue book is an unknown factor, but once read is easily recognised.

So has anyone ever had a qualification recognition problem?

Dive Safe

Paul Oliver
DO Canterbury Divers Branch 326

[Steve Newman]

To be fair I was only joking, I have never had a problem with any centre or dive boat, they only seem to take a glance anyway, one didn't even want to see it.


Now that's gotta be asking for trouble surely!