Certify Open water students in Both SDI and PADI?

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SentinelAce

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Location
Ohio
# of dives
500 - 999
I'm an SDI instructor and PADI OWSI. I had a few students want their PADI card after completing their open water SDI course. Is there any rules or issues with this? I have seen instructors in the past just make them buy the card.
 
I have "heard" that as long as all the necessary requirements are fulfilled they would only need to pay for the card. My friend who is also a PADI OWSI said no issues.
 
They have to complete the PADI academics and you must have run the cw and ow under the constraints that PADI places or thats a standards violation.

If you did so, then charge them extra for the materials and PIC.
 
very interesting. The other instructors I do know that do this just give them the card and just make them pay for the PIC. So the requirement would be to also have them do the PADI e-learning as well or book work
 
I'm an SDI instructor and PADI OWSI. I had a few students want their PADI card after completing their open water SDI course. Is there any rules or issues with this? I have seen instructors in the past just make them buy the card.

I'm in the same boat (SDI and PADI instructor), and I think you could do this correctly, without making them do the e-learning etc. by conducting an SDI class in CW, then making a global referral from your SDI-self to your PADI-self and conducting a PADI OW session. Then you can legitimately issue a PADI OW certification, and by receiving the referral back from your PADI-self, issue a SDI certification. Your only additional cost would be the PIC.

Your best answer is going to come from PADI, but I think based on what I know of the standards, what I've outlined above is within both agencies' standards. If I was going to do it, I'd call both to make sure I was playing by the rules.

I'm pretty up-front with my students about why I think SDI is better for them than PADI, and I haven't had one yet who came looking for a PADI card. I have had a couple of refugees from other shops who wanted to finish their PADI Divemaster with me though, that's more to do with the other shops pushing people away.
 
I'm in the same boat (SDI and PADI instructor), and I think you could do this correctly, without making them do the e-learning etc. by conducting an SDI class in CW, then making a global referral from your SDI-self to your PADI-self and conducting a PADI OW session. Then you can legitimately issue a PADI OW certification, and by receiving the referral back from your PADI-self, issue a SDI certification. Your only additional cost would be the PIC.

Your best answer is going to come from PADI, but I think based on what I know of the standards, what I've outlined above is within both agencies' standards. If I was going to do it, I'd call both to make sure I was playing by the rules.

I'm pretty up-front with my students about why I think SDI is better for them than PADI, and I haven't had one yet who came looking for a PADI card. I have had a couple of refugees from other shops who wanted to finish their PADI Divemaster with me though, that's more to do with the other shops pushing people away.


Why do you think SDI is better? lol. I'll call PADI later this week. This has come up multiple times for me. Doesn't bother me as long as it meets standards.
 
I'm an SDI instructor and PADI OWSI. I had a few students want their PADI card after completing their open water SDI course. Is there any rules or issues with this? I have seen instructors in the past just make them buy the card.

If they wanted a PADI card, why didn’t they do the PADI class? Makes absolutely no sense to me. Unless they have friends who “have their PADI” and that influenced them.
 
If they wanted a PADI card, why didn’t they do the PADI class? Makes absolutely no sense to me. Unless they have friends who “have their PADI” and that influenced them.

Exactly. We did SDI, and some times they have friends with PADI, so therefore they ask me lol
 
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