naui, padi and ssi, whats the difference

[fisherdvm]

I think you are best served by searching the posts done by Walter and Thalassamia. Rather than repeating a new round of posts.

Essentially, SSI and PADI teach the same standards in the OW class. SSI require their instructors to teach out of a dive shop, PADI does not (so the class can be conducted independently). Both have the same entry requirement (200 yard swim or 300 yard fins and snorkel). Slight differences in age of entry, I think for SSI it is 10, and PADI is 11 or 12. But some shop set this age higher.

Difference comes in the advance open water certificate. PADI it is a standard class room with text book, followed by 5 advanced open water dives. These must include a night dive, deep dive (over 60 ft), and basic navigation dive (square loop, and fins per yard measurement). In addition, 2 additional "specialty" dive are needed. These 5 first dives will count toward the specialty cards they later grant if you desire to take another specialty. Their AOW can be taken immediately after OW.

With SSI, the AOW card is granted after you have completed 4 or 5 specialty, I believe 2 must be in deep and night. I don't believe a formal course is given, but the end result is likely more experience gained (more dives, more environments) than the AOW earned through PADI. Disadvantage is you have to pay for more dives, and more classes. Advantage is you get more direct contact with an instructor, and more experience.

NAUI seems to be more rigorous. The initial requirement is higher. The swim is longer. Fin and snorkel are not allowed. You might want to PM Thalassamia or other NAUI instructors for more information. They spend more time focusing on basic skills, air management, buoyancy control. End result is - you are likely a better new diver. Disadvantage is more time committed to get your C card, perhaps cost a bit more. It is harder to find a Naui class in your area than PADI or SSI. I am sure there are a few naui instructors who teaches PADI class.

Bottom line is, if you ask an instructor to do all that Walter like to see a new diver learn, you will likely have to pay your PADI or SSI program more money for additional instruction. I think the limitting factor might be the time component. PADI and SSI just prepare you for the bare minimum to safely dive, but not beyond the levels of your OW dives. You are expected to take more classes, get mentoring, etc. before you can plan and execute a more advanced dive.

 

[fisherdvm]

i really want to know the difference between the padi and naui divemaster program.

I looked briefly into this. PADI's requirement is posted in many thread labeled DM requirements. The few posts on NAUI suggest a higher physical requirement (ie. one breath dive across pool 25 meter, 25 ft CESA across a 25 m pool, etc.). The comments made by some instructors seems a higher individual expectation too. But it might really depend on your DM instructor. Both my sister and brother in law are NAUI master diver (same requirement as the DM program, without the required teaching aspect). If my brother in law could do it with a fused ankle and using a cane, I think anyone could train to enter the naui program.

 

[autofreak44]

i know im being naui certified, and we already did the one breath dive across the pool(25 meeters)

phew that was hard.

 

[Hoosier]

alphabet....

 

[SteveDiver]

There is not a difference, the technique is the same regardless of who you get certified with.

 

[mjatkins]

Difference comes in the advance open water certificate. PADI it is a standard class room with text book, followed by 5 advanced open water dives. These must include a night dive, deep dive (over 60 ft), and basic navigation dive (square loop, and fins per yard measurement). In addition, 2 additional "specialty" dive are needed.

A small point, but just to clarify. My current PADI manual calls for only the deep and navigation dives as being manditory for AOW certification, plus any three adventure dives.

Matthew

 

[String]

Thats correct. Night is not mandatory and hasn't been for a long time. Maybe 10 years or so.

Reason being night diving isn't legal everywhere so without lots of waivers would make getting AOW in places like Greece impossible.

Its Deep, Nav then 3 specialities.

 

[String]

i am getting certified through my school, my instructor said that the entire organization has never had a diving accident. using common sense i would say thats pretty good

If by organisation you mean the dive operator/shop in question i suspect MOST or a very large % of shops can claim that.

If you mean certification agency then however the instructor is just telling lies. I doubt theres a single recreational agency out there that hasn't had an incident.

 

[newjack06]

i use to do that in my sleep. i heard taking all your gear off and buddy breath is the toughest part.

 

[CenTexDivin]

I went through padi aow back in 97 and it introduced me to many of the different types of dives like deep, night, navigation, s&r, but overall just skimmed the surface.

Last fall, I went through the naui master/advanced class and it focused more on the physics, physiology, and skills than what I learned nine years earlier. The difference between the cert was advanced required 8 dives and a 70 on the final, whereas the master needed 14 dives and a 90 on the final. The master cert allows you to move on to AI, then DM, then instructor.

I'm in the AI class right now and the skill reqs are a 900 yd snorkel & fin swim in 18 min, 450 yd free swim in 10 min, and more training on basic bouyancy and buddy breathing skills. The real challenge for me is the ditch and recovery and the craziest skill to date: jumping in the pool with ALL my gear in hand, air off, sit on the bottom of the pool, turn the air on and then getting kitted up without moving more than 6" in any direction. There are also training labs with basic students.

In DM, I believe that most of the skills are similar, except there is a skill req where you have a mask and your buddy has the rest of the gear and you must swim around buddy breathing, eventually swap gear underwater, and then continue to swim.

has anyone heard of the OP's training org?