Getting PADI Certification at at dive center that isn't on the PADI website

[mpablow]

Hi -
I'm sure this answer is somewhere are on the board, but I can't find the right search terms to pull it up after a couple hours... And sadly the PADI website doesn't have it in a transparent way. (I assume because they want us to go to their affiliated resorts) Sorry, for any duplication.

My wife and I want to get PADI Open Water Certification. The dive center on Providencia where we are going isn't a PADI Dive center. By that I mean, it isn't listed on their site. I've done research on the dive center on this Board and across the web and feel comfortable with them.

They do list all their instructors and their PADI credentials (Diving Instructors). Two are certified as instructors and two are divemasters. And they do list "divers certified" which gives me hope that the dive center doesn't need to be "certified".

My questions are:
1.) Can this diver center "certify" us even though they don't appeared to be sanctioned by PADI? I guess another way to ask that is: Is it the dive center or the instructor who does the certification?
2.) What do we need to do ensure the certification process is completed after we finish the course?
3.) In addition to checking to see if their divers are in good standing with PADI is there anything else I need to check besides doing due diligence online? (I just edited my post because I found where to check a diver's standing on the PADI website using the their instructor #'s.)

Many thanks for the help,
M

 

[Hawkwood]

Their website includes the PADI Member numbers for each of the Instructors.

You can go to the link below and check the status of the Instructors and confirm who they are. The Pro Chek site will show if they are in "Teaching Status".

Very easy to do.

If they are in Teaching Status, you are good to go.

It is the Instructor who certifies you, not the dive operation.


PADI | The Way the World Learns to Dive®

 

[Pedro Burrito]

The instructors have their PADI membership number listed on their website. I ran a PADI Pro Chek on their numbers are they are Authorized to Teach and Renewed. Daniel is an Open Water Scuba Instructor and Diana is a Master Scuba Diver trainer.

To answer your questions:
1) The instructors will certify you, not the resort.
2) The instructors will process the certification. The PADI online certification process is quick and you can ask either instructor to process your certification prior to leaving the resort.
3) See above, they are both in good standing with PADI. I only checked the two instructors since Dive Masters are not instructors and cannot teach PADI Open Water.

 

[mpablow]

That answered my lingering questions about the process. Thank you for the help.

This little corner of the web is a pretty cool community.

m

 

[tursiops]

The instructors have their PADI membership number listed on their website. I ran a PADI Pro Chek on their numbers are they are Authorized to Teach and Renewed. Daniel is an Open Water Scuba Instructor and Diana is a Master Scuba Diver trainer.

To answer your questions:
1) The instructors will certify you, not the resort.
2) The instructors will process the certification. The PADI online certification process is quick and you can ask either instructor to process your certification prior to leaving the resort.
3) See above, they are both in good standing with PADI. I only checked the two instructors since Dive Masters are not instructors and cannot teach PADI Open Water.

Re #2: I would insist they certify you on-line before you leave the resort. That will have to be done by the person who actually did your instruction. If both particiapte, then the person who finished your instruction. You do not want to try and sort this out once you are back home, should any issues arise. They may want to hand you a signed certification form for you to mail to PADI when you get home, instead of doing it on-line. That is acceptable, but make sure every single space on it is filled out and signed. On-line is much better, and then it is secure and finished.