Hello! Am new here, and am relatively new to diving!

[Lorenzoid]

I went through PADI because it was the only shop for 100+ miles. That is PADI's one big advantage-- it has the most shops worldwide. From what I read there is little difference with most agencies (NAUI folks will point out how their agency is superior.....). It's all the same stuff, just presented a little differently. Like beginning method books for learning a musical instrument.

At least in the days before the Internet, the most common way of becoming trained was probably the same way I did it: I walked into the local dive shop and inquired about how to learn to scuba dive. I don't think I had ever heard of PADI or had any idea what a training "agency" was, let alone that there might be more than one such agency. All I knew was that that shop advertised "learn to dive" on a sign outside.

 

[34109411]

Same reason why there's McDonald's and Burger King.

 

[Eric802]

I live in southwest Florida where diving isn't as popular as I thought it would be, but I still go every chance I get.

If you were in Southeast Florida you'd find it a lot more popular. Drive across the state, the Atlantic coast is a lot more active for diving than the Gulf coast.

 

[Tyler. Henry]

Welcome to the board