The more I learn about DSD, the more I like the concept from the instructor POV:
Some remedial academics, practice in confined water, only one optional OW babysitting dive, a customer who has to return to get OW Diver certified, shorter time frame, more rentals, more books, another crack at selling gear, and paid twice.
You still need to learn more to consider yourself learned with regards to DSD.:
Remedial means to relearn or learn better things one was supposed to have already learned. Most DSD's are learning these dive skills for the first time.
After completion of the Confined DSD, and the OW DSD, the student can and often does continue making OW DSD's without any more CW training.
The customer would only have to return to get OW Diver certification if counting the DSD pool session as CW #1, the OW DSD as OW #1 and crediting the DSD price towards certification were deal breakers.
If one starts with a DSD, the time frame is likely longer, as the book still has to be read and only one CW session and one OW dive are completed on that first day.
Most locations that roll the DSD into a cert class have gear included in all classes, so there are no extra rentals.
Most locations that roll DSD's into cert classes are not retail locations (resorts) so another crack at selling gear is N/A.
There are no book requirements for DSD. Every PADI OW diver is supposed to get their own training materials, so the same amount of training material is supposed to be purchased, no matter how you get certified.
Most locations that roll DSD's into cert classes apply the entire DSD price towards the cert class, so there is no pay twice to it.
From an Instructor POV, I love the DSD. I prefer to start every student with a DSD. It is far and away my favorite PADI program to teach!
