Palehorse513
Registered
Hi all, looking to get certified and I'm sure this question has been done to death, but is there a fundamental difference between NAUI & PADI? Also can anyone recommend good snorkel gear (fins, mask, etc). Thanks.
done to death
- Thread starter Palehorse513
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
nwhitney2003
Contributor
I got my c-card through NAUI and really enjoyed it, don't know anything about PADI. Most people will say that it's more important to find a good instructor that fits you and your learning style. Maybe some friends of yours who dive have a good recommendation or maybe someone on here lives in your area can recommend a good instructor. As far as gear goes, you don't need to drop a ton of money. All the fancy gadgets tend to be more of an annoyance than anything else. A standard J snorkel works well, no need for a dry-snorkel with an ipod hook up and GPS. Everything should fit comfortably and you should try on many different items to find what fits the best for you. Your LDS can help with this and should let you try the gear on in the water before you buy. Now that I think of it one difference between NAUI & PADI (not to open a can of worms) is that NAUI is a non-profit while PADI is a for profit, I think. Welcome to diving!
Standards do vary. PASI is a very proscribed method of learning Scuba and the instructor has little room to vary what is being taught. NAUI allows their instructors to add elements to their training regimen and they teach more rescue skills in OW.
Which is really better? Your instructor has a bigger impact on your enjoyment and mastery of Scuba than any agency could hope to have. t least... that's my opinion.
robint
Contributor
The biggest difference between PADI and all other agencies is the TABLES used. PADI has developed their own formula tables, other agencies use a version of the old Navy tables.
Get certified with the instructor you like best, don't pick a course by price, or which one is biggest. You will be happier and learn more with a great instructor regardless of agency.
robin
wife of a PADI instructor
Get certified with the instructor you like best, don't pick a course by price, or which one is biggest. You will be happier and learn more with a great instructor regardless of agency.
robin
wife of a PADI instructor
Are you really interested in the differences or are you looking for something in particular such as a high quality class? If you'd like to know the differences, I'll be happy to go there, but I'm going to assume you are more interested in finding a good class. You might be interested in learning there are many, many more agencies than those two, all of which are very well recognized and accepted.
There's a very wide variation in quality of classes. It's pretty easy to find poor classes. Excellent ones are more difficult, but can be found.
Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Next, take time to complete the course. A good course will last several weeks. Don't rush this, it's something you can spend the rest of your life enjoying.
How do I find an above average course and how will I know I've found it?
Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.
Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.
Questions to ask the instructors:
How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.
Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.
What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.
Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.
Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.
Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.
Do you work on trim? Divers should usually be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.
Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.
What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.
How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using certified assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.
How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.
Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.
Do you dive for fun or just when you are teaching? Instructors who've stopped diving for fun are burned out.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.
Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.
There's a very wide variation in quality of classes. It's pretty easy to find poor classes. Excellent ones are more difficult, but can be found.
Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Next, take time to complete the course. A good course will last several weeks. Don't rush this, it's something you can spend the rest of your life enjoying.
How do I find an above average course and how will I know I've found it?
Interview potential instructors. Most people never ask any questions beyond price. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." Excellent instructors will usually have a higher priced class for a number of reasons. The instructor is dedicated toward providing you all the time you need to master necessary knowledge and skills. Extra pool time can be expensive. Keep in mind; the instructor is trying to make a living. His time is valuable.
Consider alternatives. While many instructors teach through dive shops, some of the best are independent instructors or affiliated with colleges, universities or YMCA's.
Questions to ask the instructors:
How long have you been teaching? Most instructors improve over time. They learn new techniques and get ideas from other instructors and through experience to improve their classes.
Do you certify all your students? Only instructors who are in a hurry and care nothing about your safety will answer yes. You want an instructor who will require you to be safe and knowledgeable before issuing a c-card. An excellent instructor might tell you that he is willing to keep working with a student until the student either qualifies or gives up.
What skin diving skills will I learn? While there is some disagreement on this point, many professionals believe a solid foundation in skin diving will not only make you a better SCUBA diver, it will make learning SCUBA easier.
Will I learn confidence-building skills? There are some skills which have no direct application to a typical dive, but which do build your confidence as well as your abilities. This, combined with an understanding of the panic cycle, will make you much less likely to panic.
Do you teach the panic cycle? Panic is the most dangerous aspect of diving. Many instructors do not understand panic and believe there is no way to combat it. In actuality, panic is understood. It is though learning the panic cycle and by increasing skill levels that panic is avoided.
Do your students swim with their hands? This will let you know if the instructor pays attention to details. Good divers do not use their hands for swimming.
Do you work on trim? Divers should usually be horizontal in the water. Good instructors will see that students are striving towards good trim. Poor instructors often neglect it.
Do you overweight your students? Many instructors overweight students. It is not a good practice.
What method do you use to correctly weight your students? Any answer that does not involve actually getting in the water means you want to avoid that instructor.
How many people will be in my class? Small classes are better. You'll have more individual attention. Unless the instructor is using certified assistants, more than four students are difficult to watch.
How many certified assistants will you be using? Unless the class is relatively large (more than 4 students) this should not be an issue. An instructor should have a certified Divemaster or Assistant Instructor for every two students over four. There are times when divers working on their Divemaster or Assistant Instructor certifications assist with a class. This is normal and not an issue, but they do not count toward the assistants an instructor should have when working with larger classes.
Will I be learning skills kneeling on the pool bottom or mid-water? This question is not critical, but will let you know if you've found an instructor who has a great deal on the ball. The over whelming majority of instructors (even good instructors) teach skills kneeling on the bottom. Don't eliminate instructors who do. Some instructors have realized your mask will flood while you are swimming, not when you are sitting on the bottom. You need to learn skills in the manner in which you'll be using them.
Do you dive for fun or just when you are teaching? Instructors who've stopped diving for fun are burned out.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is the instructor patient? While talking with your potential instructor, you should be getting a feel for his personality. Patience is an important quality for an instructor. You want to avoid instructors with a drill sergeant demeanor.
Would I be happier learning from a man or a woman? Only you can answer that question, but in general it is not usually a serious consideration. There are excellent instructors and there are poor instructors. Men and women fall into both groups.
Last edited:
The biggest difference between PADI and all other agencies is the TABLES used. PADI has developed their own formula tables, other agencies use a version of the old Navy tables.
Get certified with the instructor you like best, don't pick a course by price, or which one is biggest. You will be happier and learn more with a great instructor regardless of agency.
robin
wife of a PADI instructor
While the tables are different, most tables are very similar in the way they are used. If you can use the Navy tables, you can use PADI's RDP. BSAC and DCIEM tables use a different format altogether. The difference in the tables is very minor compared to other differences in standards and philosophy.
nwhitney2003
Contributor
From what I remember hearing the NAUI tables are more conservative than PADI. I'm sure if I'm wrong I'll quickly be corrected. 
OP
Palehorse513
Registered
Walter, Thanks those are definitely some questions I wouldn't know to ask or be concerned about. As for alternatives outside of dive shops do you have any advice on how to locate instructors? We do not have a plethora of choices here in Western MA, so knowing my options is important to me. I am actually interested in the fundamental differences between the two as well as other agency differences as well, if you have the time. Thanks.
OP
Palehorse513
Registered
Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond. As I am so new to diving I appreciate all of your tips, thoughts and advice. So when you catch me saying something stupid and I'm bound to, please call me on it.
Palehorse513:
Call your local college or university. Call your local YMCA. Check out the YMCA web site.
Similar threads
