Kingpatzer:so long as the public remains largely uneducated about the differences between agencies, it will always be the lowest cost, shortest time to certification agencies that win out in the market.
I agree this is the way things are. You don't seem to particularly like this situation, but you seem to want to perpetuate the myth. I'm a tad confused.
CompuDude:It's my understanding the SEI is the direct successor to the YMCA scuba program. If I'm not mistaken, that gives them quite a legacy. A name change due to cost and liability concerns, yes, but it's the same people and essentially the same training program, just a different name on the card. The record at YMCA is quite well established.
You are 100% correct. The program is no longer associated with the YMCA in any way, but the program is essentially the same with the same instructors. The biggest difference is it's now growing again.