Who's certification is better?

[twaldo]

OK time for a lets kill Tim thread... I've been getting bored.

Heard a nasty rumor that Jim has suggested that NAUI cave certs are not relevant, need someone to confirm that... if it was Jim would be awesome.

The way I understand it ALL agencies are certified by a higher authority, so no matter if it was NSS, TDI, NAUI (NACD???) they all have to be approved by the governing agency...

If I am wrong I apologize now. IF not please quit shamming my chosen agency.



Thanks,

Tim

[OFG-1]

Obviously, my certification is better, there is a picture of me on the card.

[Mart]

There is no higher authority that certifies the agencies, so the quality depends on the agency itself. In my opinion 90% depends on the instructor, only a small part on the agency. That being said I do not believe in sports diving agencies like NAUI or PADI certifying cave divers.

[Sludge]

The way I understand it ALL agencies are certified by a higher authority,

I've never heard that. There is a Recreational Scuba Training Council, which is made up of representatives from the various agencies, which comes up with "minimum standards," but not all agencies belong. It's voluntary for the agencies to belong.

[nakatomi]

That rumor can possibly originate back to me.
And that's not what Jim said to me and is taken out of context.
I suggest you contact him or me and don't start criticizing someone based on your interpretation of a rumor.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[MikeT]

NACD certs are the most valuable. The database has been deleted and they have no ability to print cards as a new card printer is worth at least $100,000. Therefore, an NACD card is a veritable collector's item. Note this is only valid to the group who has control of the website and the merchandise, not the one with the Facebook page and the lawyers. Or maybe I have that backwards.

And only if you bring pizza.

Govern yourself accordingly.

[rddvet]

Heard a nasty rumor that Jim has suggested that NAUI cave certs are not relevant, need someone to confirm that... if it was Jim would be awesome.


Thanks,

Tim

I have read some comments that Jim has posted either on SB or TDS that made me suspect he has had issues with NAUI certs. I'd love to hear his actual thoughts on this because if it's truly that a NAUI cave cert isn't relevant then he is exceptionally biased and really needs to have a good explanation for it. My suspicion is his opinion isn't quite as strong as you put it. I'm biased because my cave certs are all NAUI and in my opinion, I believe the NACD and CDS 4 course system is antiquated.

The argument against NAUI I believe is that it gives students too much ability to get further in the cave. I can see how that may be bad for people with a lack of self control or understanding of progressive penetration. For my group, NAUI was perfect it. We didn't feel an urge to jump to the next cert and really took our time learning caves and learning how to do jumps. In my opinion, I have seen way too many people with Intro certs pushing the bounadries of their certs because it's too limiting. I have also seen too many people pushed by full cave divers to go beyond their intro abilities.

At the end of the day though, get a good instructor and use multiple instructors. I've learned something new from each of my instructors. There are well known instructors that can barely frog kick let alone teach it to their students. So find a good one first and foremost. Best way to do that is find people that you see that look good in the cave and seem to have a good mentality and ask who taught them.

[kk4mei]

If I were to get cave certified I would as what instructor I should use and care less about the agency. That being said I went with IANTD for all of my technical diving certs only because I had a great mentor and instructor.

[vinegarbiscuit]

I dream of having a UDIE cave card one day. It will probably never happen. But a Cave CCR heli-argonox sidemount card would be the stuff of which dreams are made.

[cerich]

Hmmm...I believe Jim's biggest issue with the NAUI Cave program is the instructor process, that a single Cave IT/CD can sign off on a cave instructor versus the institute process of say the CDS. Of course NAUI is not alone in that. I'm not sure I disagree completely.

I seem to recall he may also have issues with the two nav decisions. I may be recalling that wrong.