New to SDI. Difference between certifications

[Bryn Joynes]

First certified with BSAC over 30 years ago, and came back to diving and certified with SDI. Things have changed but I thought I would post this thread with what I think I understand about what I can and cannot do. Please correct if you know better.

Open Water
: Depth 60ft 18m

Advanced Adventure Diver
: Depth 100ft 30m
: This course is intended to introduce you to each of the five specialties selected; not complete comprehension of the chosen specialty. One dive from each of the chosen specialties may apply towards the completion of a specialty certification for the Advanced Scuba Diver Development Program.

Advanced Scuba Diver Development Program
: Four complete SDI, TDI, or ERDI specialty courses

To dive to a depth of 130ft 40m, you need to take the Deep Diver Course from the specialty courses.

It might be better to take the TDI Nitrox Diver course rather than the SDI Computer Nitrox Specialty Course, more in depth, same price, and is useful if you go to more technical diving, and want to take the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures courses.

 

[happy-diver]

Combined with heaps of diving, take the shortest route to
TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures

 

[Marie13]

The Advanced program is four SDI classes. It’s an SDI program, has nothing to do with TDI or ERDI courses. TDI is the tech diving arm and ERDI is for public safety (police/fire service) divers.

 

[abnfrog]

sdi advanced program, is more like the padi master diver program

 

[Bryn Joynes]

I was a Sport Diver, and about to work on my Dive Leader with BSAC. I had somewhere around 50+ dives with various endorsements, but that was the 80's. Fast forward to today and although I could maybe jump a few grades I have decided to do it over again. Maybe it is this BSAC training mentality of self reliance, rescue and safety, but too many years have past by and redoing the training for me is a no brainer, cheap at half the price. Maybe as I go through the SDI training the old brain cells will kick in and it will not be too difficult, so far the class work was very manageable.

 

[Marie13]

I did all my OW/Advanced/Rescue training with SDI. Really enjoyed it.

My Advanced specialties were wreck (limited penetration), night, nav, deep. I enjoyed wreck the most.

 

[Bryn Joynes]

I did all my OW/Advanced/Rescue training with SDI. Really enjoyed it.

My Advanced specialties were wreck (limited penetration), night, nav, deep. I enjoyed wreck the most.

I remember a wreck dive off the South coast of England, sheltered and close to shore with the deck/bridge at about 15m, an old WWII liberty ship sitting on her Hull. The visibility was great, which is unusual for the UK, and the welded plate had peeled like a banana. Was able to swim through the cargo hold from the port side to the starboard side.

Then another wreck was a line decent to a small boat in about 150 ft, I recorded 144 ft if I remember correctly, and my dive buddy who was my senior Narced on me, with visibility very green and about 20 ft. Not sure how we where able to go so deep. That was off the South West coast of Wales, so am looking forward to warmer waters, and better visibility.

 

[Edward3c]

I was a Sport Diver, and about to work on my Dive Leader with BSAC. I had somewhere around 50+ dives with various endorsements, but that was the 80's. Fast forward to today and although I could maybe jump a few grades I have decided to do it over again. Maybe it is this BSAC training mentality of self reliance, rescue and safety, but too many years have past by and redoing the training for me is a no brainer, cheap at half the price. Maybe as I go through the SDI training the old brain cells will kick in and it will not be too difficult, so far the class work was very manageable.

As a Sports Diver from the 1980s you will have had a depth rating of 35m. However, today a Sports Diver gets training on Dive Management, Surface Marker Buoy, Delayed Surface Marker Buoy and Nitrox which you didn’t get. And buddy breathing went out in the 1990s, it’s alternate source now (an octopus).

You could join a BSAC club and do refresher training to the current Sports Diver certification.

 

[Bryn Joynes]

As a Sports Diver from the 1980s you will have had a depth rating of 35m. However, today a Sports Diver gets training on Dive Management, Surface Marker Buoy, Delayed Surface Marker Buoy and Nitrox which you didn’t get. And buddy breathing went out in the 1990s, it’s alternate source now (an octopus).

You could join a BSAC club and do refresher training to the current Sports Diver certification.

Thanks for the reply. I'm in the USA now, so hooked on to the SDI training. I do remember Surface Marker Buoy training. I also took the boat handling course down in Milford Haven, that was a lot of fun.

 

[Bryn Joynes]

@Edward3c Would you have a clue what level of SDI training I would need to complete, to compare to my old Sports Diver training? Thanks.