Quick Question--Just a Little Confused on All of the Cert Agencies

[Pittsburgh_Mom]

Hiya, all, and happy Sunday!

I've been stewing over a concept, and whenever I ask someone this in person, I get a kind of generic answer. I've Googled and searched these boards, too, and I am just not sure I get this... so here goes a super stupid question. So sorry about this in advance! Can someone please nicely give this to me in super simple English?

I understand fully that there are numerous cert agencies--NAUI, PADI, SDI, etc. I understand most offer the same general concepts for, for instance, Open Water cert, Advanced Open Water cert., etc. Some offer more specific certs, like Rescue, Master, Nitrox, etc. I understand (I think) that I can travel and dive just about anywhere with my NAUI certs--that most dive operators will recognize NAUI, no problem.

But, can these be mixed, say if we move and different training facilities are available? For instance, I am doing NAUI, but my husband is PADI OW. When I get my Naui AOW, can he also get the NAUI AOW? Could we both some day become Master Divers with PADI?

Sorry if I mixed up any terms or labels there--but I hope my question made sense. Thank you in advance!!!!

 

[tursiops]

You may definitely mix agencies if you are raising your certification level, for example going for AOW (or equivalent in various agencies). So long as you have the open water cert as a prereq, you are good to go.

So you can both do NAUI AOW or PADI AOW...but recognize they are rather different courses!

What you CANNOT do is apply NAUI (or SSI or SDI or whatever) specialties toward PADI Master Scuba Diver; that requires five PADI specialties as a prereq. But you can satisfy the other prereqs for PADI MSD with any combination of agencies so long as you can show certification as OW, AOW, Rescue, (or equivalents) and First Aid/CPR.

 

[saxman242]

Mixing certs isn't a big deal at all. Most publish some sort of equivalency chart for requirements; what a PADI course counts as for NAUI, etc.

 

[JackD342]

No simple one size fits all answer.
In general, comparable pre-requisite courses across agencies will be recognized for continuing education classes and specialties. For something like PADI Master Diver (the recognition level, not the pro level Divemaster) they require 5 PADI specialties but another brand of AOW and Rescue can apply. I don’t know what other agencies do at that level.

 

[Pittsburgh_Mom]

Thank you each so much! I think much of the mixing would be way down the road, if at all. I just was not 100% sure that there was any compatibility. Very helpful and much appreciated!

 

[Bob DBF]

Thank you each so much! I think much of the mixing would be way down the road, if at all. I just was not 100% sure that there was any compatibility. Very helpful and much appreciated!

And mixing is not a bad thing, as with using different instructors and different agencies you might find a better path as you develop as a diver.


Bob

 

[Edward3c]

Hiya, all, and happy Sunday!

I've been stewing over a concept, and whenever I ask someone this in person, I get a kind of generic answer. I've Googled and searched these boards, too, and I am just not sure I get this... so here goes a super stupid question. So sorry about this in advance! Can someone please nicely give this to me in super simple English?

I understand fully that there are numerous cert agencies--NAUI, PADI, SDI, etc. I understand most offer the same general concepts for, for instance, Open Water cert, Advanced Open Water cert., etc. Some offer more specific certs, like Rescue, Master, Nitrox, etc. I understand (I think) that I can travel and dive just about anywhere with my NAUI certs--that most dive operators will recognize NAUI, no problem.

But, can these be mixed, say if we move and different training facilities are available? For instance, I am doing NAUI, but my husband is PADI OW. When I get my Naui AOW, can he also get the NAUI AOW? Could we both some day become Master Divers with PADI?

Sorry if I mixed up any terms or labels there--but I hope my question made sense. Thank you in advance!!!!

There is a matrix here which shows the equivalencies.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Thank you each so much! I think much of the mixing would be way down the road, if at all. I just was not 100% sure that there was any compatibility. Very helpful and much appreciated!

I am just down the road from you in Canonsburg, PA. If you like, give me a call some evening this week or you and your husband can stop by the shop I work with in Washington, PA on any Thursday evening.
You can mix and match certs from different agencies.
What you do also need to realize is that even though, as far as operators are concerned, an OW card is an OW card, the courses are by no means the same. There are different standards for each one and the instructor you take the class with will make a huge difference.
Standards are generally the minimum ones they have to meet and you have to meet to be issued a card. At that, there are shops and instructors that may not meet the minimums but will still issue a card to you as long as your credit card or check clears.
There are also shops and instructors that go way beyond the minimums to ensure that you are safe, skilled, educated, and comfortable in the water even if it takes extra time. The shop I am with is the only one in the area with an onsite indoor heated pool specifically for scuba training so I'm not limited by having to wait for a minimum number of students, I can often work with your schedule, and if you need more time in the pool or classroom, there is no extra charge.
If the shop does not have its own pool, it's likely that you have very limited choices on class times, smaller classes may require extra cost because the shop has to rent a pool for that, and you may be doing classroom at one location and driving a fair distance to another for the pool.
I also agree that mixing certs may be a good thing if you choose the courses and instructors carefully. For the above reasons. Advanced through shop XXX may be woefully less or much better than shop YYY.
If you'd like more info my number is 724-255-3765 and I'm available most evenings after 3:30 PM.
Feel free to give me a call.

 

[Bob DBF]

There is a matrix here which shows the equivalencies.

Equivalent Diving Qualifications: BSAC, PADI, CMAS, NAUI, etc - SCUBA Travel


Bob

 

[Marie13]

No simple one size fits all answer.
In general, comparable pre-requisite courses across agencies will be recognized for continuing education classes and specialties. For something like PADI Master Diver (the recognition level, not the pro level Divemaster) they require 5 PADI specialties but another brand of AOW and Rescue can apply. I don’t know what other agencies do at that level.

SDI seems to allow specialties from other agencies towards their Advanced and Master Diver ratings.