In PADI, there are no set rules regarding keeping your cert. The card itself and it’s certification are good for life. There is no renewal, only replacement of the card if it’s lost or damaged.
There is however, common sense involved here. If you’ve been out of the water for a year, it’s always a good idea to at the very least, do a checkout dive, in a local pool or under a dive master’s care in open water.
Just like a diver that gets wet everyday, you are responsible for you.
There is no requirement to keep up your qualification other than renewing your card.
Some dive companies will require a check out dive if you haven’t done a dive in a year or year and a half, but that’s not a PADI requirement, so it’s on a case by case basis on discretion of dive master / dive company.
References :
In PADI, there are no set rules regarding keeping your cert. The card itself and it’s certification are good for life. There is no renewal, only replacement of the card if it’s lost or damaged.
There is however, common sense involved here. If you’ve been out of the water for a year, it’s always a good idea to at the very least, do a checkout dive, in a local pool or under a dive master’s care in open water.
Just like a diver that gets wet everyday, you are responsible for you.
References :
once your certified, it’s good forever. if you haven’t been diving in a while, it would be wise to take a refresher course or even just a discoever scuba class to get familar with the equipment again. some dive shops will even let you sit in on there classes for no charge just to get a refresher…
References :
open water diver certifiacations never expire, only dive professional certifications expire (Instructors, Divemasters etc…)
still if go any length of time without diving a refresher course is a good idea to remind you of something that you might have forgotten or to learn something new
References :
The PADI Open Water Diver certification is good for life, never expires. However, I would recommend you do a Scuba Review refresher course if you haven’t gone diving for at least 6 months. It doesn’t take very long and besides giving you a chance to review what you learned during your course, it’s also a way for you to update yourself, in terms of the new techniques and technology.
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I’m a scuba diving instructor.