Certification question for instructors

[Flatliner]

Hi all,

I was reading another thread and it prompted a related question. My buddy and I are certified through different agencies. If I take a class with his instructor/agency will it count toward my advanced certification with my agency? For example, say I am SSI and I take a PADI Nitrox class...will the PADI Nitrox meet the requirement for an SSI Advanced Open Water (defined as 4 courses and 24 dives), or would I need 4 SSI courses.

My buddy would like me to change agencies but that seems like a big PITA

Flatliner
aka Robert

 

[Michael Schlink]

There isn't any need to "change" agencies. By taking a class from a diffferent agency than you started training with will accomplish the same. Most agencies recognize the same level of training and so you should be able to take courses from each others agencies. As has been said over and over and over-it's not the agency, it's the instructor.

 

[cudachaser]

I work for NASE and do honor all other agencies cards.

 

[cudachaser]

& training

 

[Flatliner]

I'm not totally sure that I made my question clear. I know that if I am a padi or ssi or whatever diver and I take a Nitrox class from one agency I can go get a nitrox fill any where. My question is if I want the cool card (lol) that says Advanced Open Water Diver and the agencies requirement is 4 classes and 24 dives does that mean 4 classes FROM THEM or just 4 classes.

Thanks
Robert

 

[Michael Schlink]

You will most likely have to do the dives and classes with an instructor from the agency, not necesarily all dives with the same inst., but the instructors will all have to be of the same agency. example; you can do 5 seperate dives with 5 different PADI instructors for AOW. but you can't do two of the 5 dives with an SSI inst.

 

[RJP]

you can do 5 seperate dives with 5 different PADI instructors for AOW. but you can't do two of the 5 dives with an SSI inst.

And EANx doesn't count towards AOW for any of them, if I recall correctly.

 

[String]

I think with PADI AOW, EANx can count towards it provided you do the 2 recommended dives.
Not got my manual here though to check. Either way its a confusing mess.

 

[dl348]

I believe it has to be a SSI class to count towards SSI AOW.

 

[Walter]

Guys, you are comparing apples to oranges. PADI's AOW is a class which includes 5 dives. SSI's AOW is not a class. It is a collection of specialty certifications and 24 dives. To qualify for SSI's AOW, you will need 4 SSI specialty certifications. This is similar, in concept, to PADI Master Diver certification. It is not a class either, it is a collection of 5 specialty certifications and 50 dives. To qualify for PADI's MD you will need 5 PADI specialty certifications. I suspect both agencies use the concept to discourage divers from jumping ship.