PADI Bashing

[scubajoe]

I started diving with the shop I work for now. I was certified as a PADI diver. I was hooked from the first breath under the water. AOW and lots of specialties with PADI. Then on to Dive Master with plans to become an instructor. About two weeks after I got my DM card the shop owner crossed over to SSI. I was pissed! I'd never even heard of SSI. Pat Dunn with SSI came and put on a program for us. He convinced me that all would be cool being SSI. I believed him. So I did a cross over to Dive Con. It seemed like a lot more work to me. I learned a lot in both courses. I continued with my SSI instruction to my current level of AOWI. And I love it. I have had two other instructors Dusty on the TCA taught me to use a Draeger Dolphin the TDI way. Steven guided me through a SSI photo course on the CA 4. I have been very lucky in my choice of instructors, all of them have been great or better! I hope my students say the same thing about me.

Joe

 

[nauifins73]

I did a PADI ow class with a NAUI ow checkout. My class was the worse class that you could imagine BUT it had NOTHING to do with PADI - IT WAS THE INSTRUCTOR. My husband took it as a refresher class (he was certified in 69) - he could not have believed the class if I had tried to tell him. Agencies have NOTHING to do with the class it is ALL the Instructor. I know from what I speak - I have since taken other classes.

Becky

 

[Matthew]

I agree that the choice of instructor is more important than the agency, but as I understand it my instructor (PDIC) couldn't have taught me as much as he did if he was PADI because he would not be allowed to exceed or modify the course.

 

[armyscuba]

PADI OW Thru DM
Why is this thread called PADI Bashing?

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Report the shop to Padi? You think Padi doesn't want the certification? Padi encourages such behavior.

 

[Bretagne]

FFESSM: Fédération française d'Études et de Sports Sous Marins.
French agency, one of the founders of CMAS.
I was certified in a club, not a commercial structure.

 

[El Orans]

IDD (Instructor Dive Development) from Open Water to Rescue Diver

 

[headhunter]

NAUI in '79 and L.A. County in '85.

The L.A. County course was quite impressive. This was a full semester class at Cal State University Northridge. In agreement with what others have said here, what made it impressive was the instructor. I think I remember that he was one of the original UDT divers for the Navy and that as a kid he actually started diving in the limestone caverns of the midwest using a Model A waterpump as a regulator.

A very interesting man. I remember that if you didn't take things very seriously, he had no problem failing you. I think that was a good thing. There is plenty of time for light hearted fun once the basics of safety are taken care of.

Christian

 

[SDAnderson]

I originally certified through NASDS in 1971. After one particularly longish hiatus from diving, I started over again and recertified through PADI.

 

[scottyroz]

PADI OW Thru DM
Why is this thread called PADI Bashing?

It was started that way because i see a lot of PADI bashing and was just wondering where people started their dive careers. Not that the thread was going to bash any specific agency. Surprisingly enough there has been no bashing of any agency and it appears that we almost all agree that its all in the instructor.