differences in certification programs

[Shae]

I am a new diver who is looking to continue diving recreationally, as well as making it a potential career option. I was wondering, what are the differences in certification organizations? I have my OW with NAUI and am looking into completing a DM program that is certified through PADI. Should I just stick with the one? I really enjoyed NAUI, but I am not finding as many courses offered in this format. If I am thinking about going through and getting my Instructor cert, is there any program that is better than any others? If I am thinking about teaching out of the country will that change anything?

 

[jbd]

I am a new diver who is looking to continue diving recreationally, as well as making it a potential career option. I was wondering, what are the differences in certification organizations? I have my OW with NAUI and am looking into completing a DM program that is certified through PADI. Should I just stick with the one? I really enjoyed NAUI, but I am not finding as many courses offered in this format. If I am thinking about going through and getting my Instructor cert, is there any program that is better than any others? If I am thinking about teaching out of the country will that change anything?

At the instructor level there are differences between the agencies. These are mostly "philosopical" or ideology.

I will address only what I know about NAUI and PADI. Others can address the agency they are more familiar with.

NAUI has presents more skin diving skills in the OW class than PADI. NAUI has the students do recovery of unconscious divers both skin and scuba during the OW class. For me, that was important, while others don't feel that way.

As for teaching. NAUI allows much more freedom of presentation order and content than PADI. PADI does allow you to add mateial to the course but not with the flexibility that NAUI does. Again, for me, this was important, for others its not.

IMO, there is more academic material presented in NAUI courses than in PADI classes if you follow the curriculum. This was an important issue for me.

Both agencies are recognized worldwide.

I would recommend that you research all the agencies and talk to instructors from all of them that you can, so you can pick an agency that has a teaching philosophy that matches your philosophy.

Bear in mind also that all agencies have excellent, good, mediocre and bad instructors. The key is to put yourself in that first category regardless of the agency you choose.

 

[otter-cat]

You might want to start searching for DM and Instructor job listings if you're serious about diving as a career. If you're just going to be doing it on the side for fun and experience, then which agency you choose probably doesn't matter as much for you. But if you are anticipating searching for full time employment as a DM or instructor, you should consider the job availability for DMs and Instructors of the various agencies. There will probably be a lot more openings in most areas for dive professionals certified with the largest agencies...probably PADI and NAUI.

A word on the different agencies...the ones I am most familiar with are PADI, NAUI, and YMCA. All three of those have thoroughly developed, well-tested instruction programs. PADI, as far as I know, has the most extensive set of educational support materials available to its instructors, but as I said, all three of these agencies have good programs. There are several other agencies that you could look into as well, e.g. SDI, SSI, TDI, and more, but I don't personally know that much about them.

It is not particularly important to stay with the agency with which you did your open water course. You probably will want to do your DM training and your Instructor training at the same place. Also, you should know that most scuba instructional agencies have special "crossover" courses that allow an instructor from another agency to become an instructor with them as well. Many scuba instructors have instructor-level certifications from more than one agency.

Good luck in your quest to become a dive professional!

 

[kevink]

Where do you want to work?

I agree with otter about checking job potential. You still have a long road ahead of you before you even get your DM. While it is 'easy' to cross-over at the instructor level, it is still more time and money - - time and money that could have been invested on the front end to find out which agency you wanted to start working with.

If you want to work locally, see which shops are affiliated with which agencies in your area. You may never become a XXXX instructor if you have to drive 3 hours to get to their shop. If you have a couple of diferent agencies close to you, take your advanced and rescue training from more than one shop, or just dive for fun with a few shops. Talk to the staff, see what they like about being an instructor with which agency. You can always walk in to your PADI DM without every having a PADI AOW or Rescue class (as long as you have had comparable training with other agencies).

If you are looking to work outside the US I think PADI or NAUI is the only way to go. While C-cards are accepted from the nationally recognized agencies you are not going to find broad penetration of SSI, TDI, or YMCA instructors outside the US. If you have a particular foreign destination in mind, do you homework, you may gain more insight into which instructors they want.

Another word of note is that SSI instructors need to be affiliated with a shop to teach. As a PADI instructor you could work 'freelance' without a shop. There are pro's and con's to this, but you are not so much of a slave to a shop owner when you write your own ticket.

 

[Shae]

KevinK,
Right now, I plan on doing work outside the US, so I have been looking into PADI and NAUI exclusively. Sadly, there is not a LDS anywhere close to where I live, so I will be traveling to do my more advanced certifications.