Which Advanced Open Water program?

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FloridaMan

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This maybe opening a can of worms, but I am curious on everyone's view of PADI's Advanced Open Water and SSI's Advanced Open Water?

It is my understanding that SSI's AOW is more involved, giving you 4 full specialties. It's also my understanding that PADI's AOW is more akin to SSI's lower class of adventure diver. Also where I am at in FL, the PADI AOW can be done for the same price as the SSI AOW. I am leaning toward the SSI because it seems to be more bang for your buck, I get more training for the same money. Also the money saving with SSI adds up more when you look at Nitrox. I can get Nitrox certified in an SSI advanced program and not have to pay any extra. If I wanted to get AOW and Nitrox with PADI, it would be an additional amount for the Nitrox. I am curious what do you think the pluses and minuses of the SSI AOW vs the PADI AOW? Am I wrong in think SSI AOW would give me more "bang" for my buck?

The main reason why I am looking at doing AOW is to improve and widen my skill set under the supervision of an instructor. I am not looking to go pro or anything, but I do think it maybe cool to get dive master one day. (This seems to be a long term plus with SSI, you can hold dive master without paying an organization money) Also I want to build my skills so that I can help teach my 8 and 9 year old boys when they get old enough to get certified. Since I am not looking to go pro, it seems that any issues of PADI vs SSI on the professional side would not really factor into any decision I make.

Any input is appreciated, thank you.
 
I'm not an SSI guy. How many dives is the SSI AOW? PADI's is 5. I would go with the one that has the most dives.
If you're not gunna go pro, divemaster may not be the way to go. That is a long time discussion here. You do learn to do the 24 skills to "demonstration level", which is a plus, but most of the rest of the course is about being a leader. You may be more interested in NAUI's Master Scuba Diver course, or even PADI's one (5 specialties, etc., but not a specific course itself-- another long time discussion).
You can be a PADI DM without the organization fee (membership fee) or insurance, you just can't actively work as one. You are classified as inactive.
 
TMHeimer thank you for the reply. My understanding is that the number of dives for SSI AOW varies depending on the specialties chosen, but can be up to 8 dives.

Also i think even though you get 4 specialties with SSI AOW, you cannot use them toward a PADI DM cert. Can anyone clarify this?
 
Also i think even though you get 4 specialties with SSI AOW, you cannot use them toward a PADI DM cert. Can anyone clarify this?
Padi Master Scuba Diver will require Padi classes. Take 5 and you get the card. And the sum total meaning of that card is that you took 5 Padi classes, rescue, and have 50 dives. Or you could just tell people that.

Padi Dive Master is a training program for dive pros. It has prerequisite classes, or their equivelants. Padi does not care if those were with Padi (as they want you as a new pro helping with classes and teaching). The dive shop might prefer you took Padi classes to get to that point, as then they will have sold you the classes (and have seen you in the water before you start DM training).

ETA: Zef, below, may be, cryptically, highlighting that NAUI has a master scuba diver class that is very extensive. See the several discussions on it.

Let's avoid the Padi MSD vs NAUI MSD rehash. And I say that having trained towards NAUI DM. @rhwestfall did a quick summary above.

I would highly recommend NAUI MSD though.

My summary from this 2017 thread Achieving master diver recognition:


And this 2017 thread PADI v NAUI Master Scuba Diver Rating


I'm not saying those are definitive, and things may have changed. Folks can read the other threads on it. Some random other ones are:
Naui master diver vs divemaster water skills?
NAUI Master Scuba Diver: what exactly is it
 
NAUI
 
TMHeimer thank you for the reply. My understanding is that the number of dives for SSI AOW varies depending on the specialties chosen, but can be up to 8 dives.

Also i think even though you get 4 specialties with SSI AOW, you cannot use them toward a PADI DM cert. Can anyone clarify this?
The PADI DM Application requires PADI AOW and PADI Rescue and EFR "or hold qualifying certifications from other organizations."
The SSI Advanced Adventurer is equivalent to PADI AOW if you do a Navigation dive and a Deep dive as part of the SSI program.
There is no equivalent PADI cert level to the SSI AOW.
See Recreational Sport Diver Equivalences - SDI | TDI | ERDI | PFI for equivalences. But this is NOT PADI's chart! If there is a specific equivalence you want to know about you need to call PADI Training and ask them. A different version of an equivalence chart is here, including NAUI, CMAS, and ISO.
 
This is a bit of a digression but I’m hoping you will forgive me because you might find something useful

The biggest thing for becoming a better diver is to simply get more experience in the water. You don’t always need an instructor or more classes. Furthermore, if you work on improving your basic skills before taking more classes, you will get a lotmore out of the classes, your instructor time and basically more bang for your buck.

You can do a lot with just your buddy. The very first thing to work on is simply swimming close to a cloud-prone bottom and learning how to NOT leave a trail like a herd of buffalo just passed through. It takes time and effort, but it’s fun to have a challenge. Work on your bouyancy control, work on your ability to stay horizontal, next learn how to maintain your depth and horizontal profile while hanging place, i.e. no forward movement; this is a big one BTW because if you never stop moving you will never know if you really are neutrally bouyant. The next challenge is to control everything while being a little distracted => We used to used a float line with knots at 5m intervals for example, and practice attaching and detaching clothes pins at the various depths to practise controlling our bouyancy. Clearly I’ve learned a lot about how to entertain oneself during many, many dives in the same dust-bottom quarry featuring nothing but rocks, a few weeds and maybe 2 fish :wink:

A really nice way to try a whole lot of new diving experiences might be a newer-diver appropriate liveaboard trip. I’ve been on trips where many folks had their 1st boat dive, 1st RIB dive, 1st night dive and 1st drift dive, all on the same trip. The liveaboard is also a whole lot of dives and free time you can spend listening to and talking with people who enjoy the sport you love too.
 
TMHeimer thank you for the reply. My understanding is that the number of dives for SSI AOW varies depending on the specialties chosen, but can be up to 8 dives.

Also i think even though you get 4 specialties with SSI AOW, you cannot use them toward a PADI DM cert. Can anyone clarify this?
I guess that means you gat at most 2 dives to get certified for each SSI specialty according to this math. Most (all?) PADI specialties are 3 dives, but you only get the first of these 3 for the 5 you choose for PADI AOW.
 
I guess that means you gat at most 2 dives to get certified for each SSI specialty according to this math. Most (all?) PADI specialties are 3 dives, but you only get the first of these 3 for the 5 you choose for PADI AOW.
Quite a few PADI specialties are 2 dives, many are 3, and some are 4.
2-dive specialties are: Altitude, Aware - Shark. Boat, DSMB, DUP, DPV, Drift, Fish ID, PPB, Naturalist, and U/W Photographer.
3-dive specialties are: Dry (1 is CW), FFM (1 is CW), Ice, Night, Self-Reliant, SCR, SM, Nav, and Videographer.
4-dive specialties are: Cavern, Deep, PSD, S&R, and Wreck.
Distinctive specialties are a separate issue.
 
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