Considering Switching to SDI/TDI from PADI

[Riles2226]

It's funny you say this because it seems people that start off with another agency, then move to PADI tend to think of it as being overly restrictive. All your original point of view I guess!

As far as liability goes, as long as you are meeting standards, the agency should back you up. The more specific the standards are, the more "gotchas" there are too. Also, teaching in a fresh water mudhole is not the same as teaching in coastal northern California, or the Great Lakes. Looser standards allow for local adaptation.

Thank you. That is what I'm seeing as I've dug more into it as well. The looser standard actually ends up being more defensible and you aren't stopped from teaching to a very specific standard, you just aren't mandated to do so.

 

[sabbe]

Hello,

On the plus side for SDI, the costs are much lower than many of PADI's and they seem to do a lot to empower the professional to use their own discretion. Their eLearning platform seems pretty solid and powerful as well.

Solid as in SDI/TDI has eLearning for all the specialties and PADI doesn't have any except nitrox? That's especially important considering the current crisis. Their pricing is also a heck of a lot easier to understand.

Or SDI/TDI gives instructors free access to eLearning for any class they're qualified to teach and PADI makes instructors buy it?

 

[pauldw]

well there is this: Letter by Brian - SDI | TDI | ERDI | PFI

It's frustrating that PADI still exists after pulling that, and even more frustrating that the entire legal and executive staff aren't in prison.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

It's frustrating that PADI still exists after pulling that, and even more frustrating that the entire legal and executive staff aren't in prison.

I've said this many times. PADI is very good at marketing. They should be studied in b-schools. However, they are a corporation. They didn't do anything illegal, and that's how the system works in this country. Their behavior wasn't something new for corporations, just for the dive industry.