I have only been diving for 3 years, but I have heard that PADI has drastically changed their OW program from years ago. I went through a smaller organization called IDEA for my OW and then PADI for my AOW, Nitrox and subsequent other certs.
IDEA Scuba lessons Instructor Crossover I am grateful to IDEA which comprised of 6 in-classroom classes for 1.5 hours and then 1.5 hours of pool sessions (yes, 9 hours of pool sessions and 9 hours of in-classroom) PLUS 6 open water dives. I actually thought that was how all organizations were and since PADI was the more expensive class (by a lot) I assumed it was because of their excellent reputation. I had held PADI as this esteemed exclusive club that must be the best. When I started diving I had so many people tell me that IDEA was not a real organization and that it wasn't as good. Imagine my surprise when I found out what PADI certified divers had to do to get certified. In speaking to my diving friends who have been diving for 20+ years PADI has gone from a similar model to IDEA (apparently they use to require weeks of in-classroom and more pool session) to the cookie cutter churn them out model they have today. Unfortunately, I think part of this are the people. People don't want IDEA. They want it NOW and FAST and get me under the water ASAP. PADI is successful because if you want a certification you can get one in just two days if not one day! IDEA is not as successful. They are a smaller organization dedicated to churning out more skilled and safer divers, but very few people want to dedicate eight days and 18 hours of training. That said, I think we all agree the 18 hour model is what's needed if you want a safer and better diver. I went with IDEA on cost alone ($300 cheaper than PADI at the time) and am so glad I did. The foundation that was laid for me was way better then any of my PADI divers. Do I think PADI is a joke when it comes to safety and education? Yes, I do. Do I think it's the most effective business model for making money. Absolutely. While all my other certs have been PADI since I would not recommend them for initial OW if an individual wants to truly learn about scuba diving. Would I recommend them if you just want to get under the water quickly without much knowledge? Yes.