NAUI to PADI

[rshreader]

Hi-

I did my pool and classroom work with a NAUI instructor. I did my OW in Jamaica ith PADI instructor under the Universal Referral Program. Both instructors, Joe Huber of NAUI and Aqua-Tech Scuba in Maple Shade, NJ and Scott Kerr (PADI) of Captain's Watersports at Round Hill in Montego Bay were great.

NAUI did require some additional skill sets that PADI did not. NAUI reqires 5 OW dives vs 4 dives for PADI. PADI required compass work.

PADI said 60 feet per minute and NAUI 30.

I thought PADI's book was easier to read. I ended up with both certifiations.

 

[KrisB]

Ok, despite the original question (and a handful of others) being answered, let's throw this answer in the mix.

Call PADI: 1-800-SAY-PADI -- either follow the menu or hit '0' and ask the operator for someone that can help you with a "never-received-card" situation.

If you have a temporary card, and signed log-book pages that you can fax or e-mail to them, along with a digital photo, I suspect they'll issue your certification card. This may be contingent on the instructor in question having been current at the time of certification but would certainly not require them to *still* be current.

I've done this for another diver whose card never arrived (she blamed it on sketchy S.America mail system), but three years later, PADI was able to take care of it. If you can't find someone at PADI to help you, go see your local PADI dive center -- someone there should be willing to make the call, and occasionally a PADI instructor will be able to find the right person to solve the problem when the student diver cannot.

Once you have your PADI cert card in hand, I'd suggest (as others have) placing a call to NAUI about the offer you received from the shop.