The quick answer is “no, but….” A scuba certification is for life. Once you earn it, you have it. However, every major training agency recommends that anyone who has not dived in a year or more take a refresher training. What that training looks like, and how much it costs, will depend heavily on your other scuba experience and the dives you want to go on.
In fact, many dive boats and operators ask you how long it has been since you last dived when you sign up, and they will either require you to dive with a professional or even skip the dive if they believe your skills are not up to date. Liability waivers do not waive common sense. If the professional doesn’t think you should do the dive, you should pay attention.
Taking a refresher course can be as simple as spending the afternoon in the pool with the instructor, and it can involve doing Open Water dives as well. The purpose of a refresher course is to re-orient you to the safety skills you learned in training, remind you how to use the basic scuba gear you will depend upon, and to introduce you to equipment that has been brought into the sport since you were certified.
As an example, many divers were trained and certified on how to plan their dives using the Dive Tables. But modern dive leaders depend almost exclusively on dive computers. (We hear you, technical divers, but the truth is that Open Water divers just don’t use the tables anymore.). You will want to know how to use the dive computer, and you will want experience using it with a qualified professional, before you just jump into the water.
In addition to ensuring your safety, refresher dives can also serve as orientation dives if you are new to an area. It gives you a chance with a professional to find out what to look for, what to be wary of, and how to maximize your dives in the area.
Out Scuba is very proud of our instructor members, and would suggest that you speak with each one to find out how they conduct refresher dives. Each dive professional brings their own unique experience to the table and it’s always a good idea to find the experience that matches what you need. Each instructor’s biography includes their phone number and email address.
And don’t forget, our friends at Scuba Network have volunteered an offer of 15% off everything storewide to Out Scuba members who show their membership card.
Photo credit: Diver Shon Michael performing skills as part of a deep dive in Cozumel, Mexico. © Copyright 2014 Christopher Duncan, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.