Mix and match agencies/certs?

[Martijn]

That's why it's called Advanced Open Water

 

[Inspire Scuba]

Is there any reason not to mix and match agencies for different certs? I'm PADI OW certified, say I find an advanced OW class that's from another agency that will customize the class to what I want (more deep dives, and perhaps just more days and more training). Does it matter if my AOW isn't PADI then I do rescue with padi and so on?

Thanks

As far as I've been able to tell, there's no major benefit or disadvantage for changing agencies at a non-professional level, the important thing is having a good instructor with whatever you choose. A good instructor will go to the deep end (pun intended) to make sure you get the full experience in whatever certification you are chasing.

For you second question, all of the recreational training agencies have the same minimum standard and thus, at a non-professional level you just show your certifications and logbook to the shop or instructor to show you have the prerequisites and pay the fees. If you go pro it will be a bit different if you want to change agencies as you will effectively be representing who ever you are teaching for.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Rather than mixing agencies, mix instructors. You will get varying perspectives and hear about different experiences, varying views on dive gear and varying philosophies on a number of different dive related issues.

 

[tursiops]

Rather than mixing agencies, mix instructors. You will get varying perspectives and hear about different experiences, varying views on dive gear and varying philosophies on a number of different dive related issues.

^^THIS^^

 

[NCK]

What agencies offer Master Diver training? It looks like NAUI offers a non professional Master Diver package. Offering all the diving of the DM class but not the working professional part, where PADI master diver is just a pay and get a card type of thing after rescue diver.

I have no interest in working as a DM or instructor. What would be the best classes to get my diving to a DM level of diving?

 

[Manatee Diver]

What agencies offer Master Diver training? It looks like NAUI offers a non professional Master Diver package. Offering all the diving of the DM class but not the working professional part, where PADI master diver is just a pay and get a card type of thing after rescue diver.

I have no interest in working as a DM or instructor. What would be the best classes to get my diving to a DM level of diving?

If you want the skills, go spend a couple of days with a good tech instructor (preferably a cave instructor but that might be hard to find in CA) working on skills, and then dive dive dive. Perhaps coming back to the instructor at different intervals to make sure you didn't pick up any bad habits.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

where PADI master diver is just a pay and get a card type of thing after rescue diver.

That is not what it is at all. You pay, you take specialty courses and earn certifications in those specialties.

Once you have all the specialty training you can then apply for Master SCUBA Diver.

Like any other dive training course , its about the instructor, not the agency.

 

[pauldw]

The possible downside is that if you have your heart set on being a PADI Master Scuba Diver, you must have taken the required prerequisite classes from PADI. Most other agencies let you mix and match for their equivalent rating (if I recall correctly, NAUI actually has a course for it, perhaps a pretty good one, but for most agencies it’s just pay money to get a card, as long as you’ve done the prerequisites). As it happens, the Master Scuba Diver rating doesn’t actually mean much. I qualify for it (but haven’t paid for the card), and that’s a pretty good sign it’s way too easy to get.

 

[Manatee Diver]

The possible downside is that if you have your heart set on being a PADI Master Scuba Diver, you must have taken the required classes from PADI. Most other agencies let you mix and match for their equivalent rating (if I recall correctly, one agency actually has a course for it, perhaps a pretty good one, but for most agencies it’s just pay money to get a card, as long as you’ve done the prerequisites). As it happens, the Master Scuba Diver rating doesn’t actually mean much. I qualify for it (but haven’t paid for the card), and that’s a pretty good sign it’s way too easy to get.

I'm pretty sure that the only PADI classes required for the PADI Master Scuba Diver are the specialties. On the description for the OWD, AOW, and Rescue it says "or qualifying certifications."

And if that is the case that is inline with SDI and IANTD.

 

[pauldw]

I'm pretty sure that the only PADI classes required for the PADI Master Scuba Diver are the specialties. On the description for the OWD, AOW, and Rescue it says "or qualifying certifications."

And if that is the case that is inline with SDI and IANTD.

I'm thinking that for Master Scuba Diver SDI lets you take some specialties from other agencies, as long as you've taken something from them? And same with SSI.