Is it just me or is the PADI cert hard to understand?

[ScubaThomas]

Like the title says, the PADI cert seems unnecessarily complicated.

There are 3 different apps you need to download for no apparent reason. The "choose your dive shop" function doesn't seem to do anything and apparently can never be changed once set.

I finished the ecourse in a day, but it took several weeks to find a dive shop to teach the course because apparently none of the dive shops are listed on the app even though they are PADI certified.

There's absolutely nothing I saw on the website or app or anywhere that said anything about what to do after you finish the ecourse. It looks like you need to go to any PADI dive shop and have them confirm your dive after you log your lesson dive into one of their apps. I figured that out by accident while playing with the buttons.

What else do I need to do to actually receive the certification? It's not like they tell you.

 

[lowwall]

What course are you referring to?

You seem to be doing this backwards. The normal process is to start with the instructor, either directly or through a shop. The instructor is the person that technically issues the certification after ensuring all the requirements for the course have been met. This includes the knowledge part of the cert, which may be taken through e-learning. The instructor then notifies PADI which produces the card or e-card.

 

[ScubaThomas]

What course are you referring to?

You seem to be doing this backwards. The normal process is to start with the instructor, either directly or through a shop. The instructor is the person that technically issues the certification after ensuring all the requirements for the course have been met. This includes the knowledge part of the cert, which may be taken through e-learning. The instructor then notifies PADI which produces the card or e-card.

Ah. This is the first time I'm hearing this. Shouldn't they have said that on the website or somewhere? Like "step 1, do this, step 2, do that".

Even my instructor didn't say anything when I showed him the finished ecourse.

 

[CaptainChris]

Did you by any chance ask the Instructor what happens next after course completion? If not, a good Instructor should explain the certification process in any case. Basically for PADI courses on completion of the e-learning the Instructor should check your final exam result (can be accessed by the Instructor in Padi Pro) and also issue you with a written exam of 25 questions ( called "Quick Review" ) before proceeding with certification. Once the Instructor certifies a student in the Padi system the student is issued with an e-card which will show up in the students PADI App under "Your eCards" almost immediately after certification. All our students select the dive centre first by making contact via email and book the course. After course payment the e-learning is then purchased and activation code sent to the student along with forms (medical & waivers to be digitally completed and signed). Once the course starts it is at the Instructors discretion when to issue the Quick Review exam, but this must be done before certification.
I cannot advise on how it works if a student purchases the e-learning personally (outside of a dive shop) as never faced this situation and I suspect this is PADI thought process. However the above method is the norm. Also all certifications are now e-cards and not the old style plastic card which gets posted to the student by PADI and sometimes could take weeks or more to arrive. It is better to go through a chosen dive shop to purchase courses as they organise the e-learning (if available) or obtain hard copy study materials and can talk you through any queries you may have on how all this works and book the student in.
I must admit PADI apps & websites can be infuriating at times.
Hope this helps.

 

[Rilelen]

As others have said, you did this backwards. Here are the “normal” steps:

Step 1: Pick a dive shop/instructor.
Step 2: Contact them to schedule/book a course.
Step 3a: They will tell you if they teach in the classroom (in-person learning) or online (eLearning)
Step 3b: Attend classroom sessions OR purchase eLearning
Step 4: Complete pool sessions (skills).
Step 5: Complete four open water check-out dives.

At some point your instructor will have you do the “quick review” which is like a final exam. Once this is all done, and you have demonstrated that you can pass all the skills and written work, they will certify you.

Since you already did the eLearning, you will just need to contact a dive shop willing to accept your eLearning and schedule the pool and check-out dives with you.

 

[tursiops]

Since you already did the eLearning, you will just need to contact a dive shop willing to accept your eLearning and schedule the pool and check-out dives with you.

This is true, but the dive shop will lose some money because of the way the OP went about it. If the shop arranges the eLearning, they get a piece of the price; but the way the OP has done it, the dive shop gets nothing except for doing the four required open water dives.

The OP makes it sound like he thinks the eLearning is everything, and he should be certified. But he still has confined water to do, and open water. The eLearning is the easiest, fastest, and cheapest part of the certification process.

 

[Rilelen]

Yep, didn’t get into that, but finding a shop that will accept the eLearning isn’t necessarily going to be easy (for that very reason).

 

[ScubaThomas]

Of course I don't think the ecourse is the only part. My point was that there's no way for a beginner to tell which part is first. The PADI site gives a basic overview, but it doesn't say anything about picking a dive shop first.