So you are ready to dive into the silent world. There are some things you need to consider before making the plunge. First and for most is the decision of which dive agency to train with in order to receive your C-card (certification card). You will need to scout around your area to see what organizations are available. This may be a limited selection depending on your area. Keep in mind that some agencies will train a diver in a weekend. So taking a weekend trip to a neighboring town might be a consideration.

Some basic facts: All certification agencies in the United States meet the same minimum standard for entry-level scuba instruction. All basic open-water courses must include the same syllabus of diving skills, physics, physiology, etc., must have classroom or home study instruction, must require pool or confined water instruction, and must require the completion of at least four open-water dives. The standards also specify age, water skills and health minimums for all students. Companion standards regulate the training and performance of instructors.

For these minimum standards we can thank, believe it or not, the government and lawyers. Fear of ham-fisted regulation as well as the "sharks that swim on land" has forced the certification agencies to school around an industry standard, called ANSI Z-86.3 (soon to be revised and reissued as Z-375.1). It was written by the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC), whose members are IDEA, NASDS, PADI, PDIC, SSI and YMCA. The standard is blessed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a nonprofit organization that certifies an industry standard has been arrived at through open discussion and with due process. Although only six agencies are members of RSTC, as a practical matter all have to meet the RSTC/ANSI standard in order to buy liability insurance and defend themselves from lawsuits.

Some agencies (IDEA, NASDS and YMCA) require a minimum number of hours of instruction, typically 24. NAUI has no classroom minimum, but requires 17 hours of "practical application," including 10 hours in the water (pool and open water). PDIC requires six lectures and six pool sessions

Other agencies require that students meet performance standards, and leave the number of lecture hours and pool sessions up to the instructor. This flexibility allows small classes to finish the course requirements quickly and makes it possible for courses to be compressed into weekends. It also makes it easier for instructors to rush students, some of whom may be shy about admitting when they don't understand. That's not the agency's goal, of course, but it happens.

Another indication of whether your agency has stiffer training minimums is the number of open-water scuba dives it requires for certification. The RSTC minimum is four: NAUI, PDIC and YMCA require four scuba and one skin dive. SSI recommends one skin, but requires five scuba dives. NASE requires four scuba and recommends one skin dive; it says it will make the skin dive a requirement next year. IDEA requires four for its "Basic Open Water" certification, but encourages its students to go for its "Open Water" certification requiring six. IANTD requires 90 minutes of bottom time to be performed in four to six scuba dives. The others require at least four, but may recommend more. Obviously, these ceilings are not far above the floor.

Of course, individual instructors can exceed an agency's minimum standards, and many do. The bottom line: Your best chance of getting the best instruction is not to worry about the agency but to find the best instructor for you.

At first glance, there's no reason to expect one agency to have better instructors than another. All instructors must meet certain RSTC/ANSI minimum standards in age, health and diving experience, and agencies must meet minimums in training them. But here, too, minimums have a way of becoming maximums. Besides, good instructors must have not only diving experience but the gifts of communication, leadership and empathy--gifts of nature as much as of education. All the training in the world will not make some scuba instructors good teachers; others are "naturals." Where agencies can play an important role is in quality assurance--making sure instructors teach up to standard and weeding out those who don't.

All the agencies we contacted have a formal grievance procedure, which means if a complaint about an instructor reaches them, they will investigate. That's something, but begs the question: How rigorous are the investigations? What are the ground rules for canceling the instructor's certification to teach?

Most agencies (IANTD, IDEA, NASDS, NASE, NAUI, PADI, PDIC, WASI and YMCA) go a step further and survey some or all students who are issued C-cards. NASE requires instructors to turn in critique forms completed anonymously by all students. PDIC sends a postage-paid questionnaire to all students; NASDS and NAUI include one in all copies of their basic scuba textbook. Typically, after naming the instructor, the student is asked whether training standards were met and is invited to add an overall evaluation and written comments.

No, when it comes to training standards, it doesn't matter significantly which agency issues your entry-level C-card unless you plan to push the envelope of exotic dive travel. Even then, the problem is easily solvable. What does matter, a lot, is that you find a good instructor, one with lots of experience, patience and empathy.

Feel a bit overwhelmed? Check out the Scuba Diving Organization Comparison Table.

The above information was obtained from "Training agencies, who's the best?"at www.newdiver.com.