Do you realize that SDI changed the name of their AOW cert and that AAD does = PADI AOW?
You seem to be mincing words here with the meaning of "advanced certification". SDI is purely a "recreational" agency and no cert from them could be considered advanced in the pure sense. That is why they have their sister agency TDI, which handles all technical training.
Good to know that history.
Personally, I'm not concerned with "the pure sense". I just want to know, if I'm going on a trip to some vacation destination, and I'm booking a dive with a dive operator that says a particular dive requires "advanced certification", what should I be expecting them to be looking for?
Will they want PADI AOW? CptTightPants seems to be saying that dive ops wanting "advanced certification" will want more than just PADI AOW.
If PADI AOW is acceptable, will they equally recognize SDI AAD?
If neither of those is good enough, then will SDI Advanced Scuba Diver be enough? If so, what would they be asking a PADI diver for? Individual specialty certs and at least 25 dives in their logbook?
Or when they say "advanced certification" are they really going to be looking for Master Scuba Diver?
From my perspective at the bottom of the training ladder, it looks to me like Master Scuba Diver is sort of the Black Belt of scuba diving. I.e. the point where you are considered to have finally achieved basic mastery of all the fundamentals. From there, you are then pursuing your more advanced dan (funny!) of scuba diving training.
---------- Post added November 5th, 2014 at 09:35 AM ----------
Stuart,
You have now entered the realm of competing agencies and differing standards as certification agencies create a never endless cycle of cards and specialties to sell classes and entice divers to constantly "go for the card"e
Bottom line is you will not be advanced for SDI until you have 24 logged dives and 4 specialties. Do some diving, get your specialties, and don't do any "advanced only" dives until you have reached SDI's advanced certification.
Okay.... but my SDI OW cert will be considered the same as a PADI OW cert, right? So, what if I switch to PADI now, for future training? Are you saying that if I get the PADI AOW (which only requires 5 more dives) I would then be okay to do "advanced only" dives?
But not if I stay with SDI and get the Advanced Adventure Diver (which would also be 5 more dives)?
Or, to ask it a different way, if I switch to PADI courses now, what certification are you saying that I would need in order to go on "advanced only" dives?