PADI Dive Master Vs. SSI Dive Guide

[Mike Klieb]

Ok venturing into the dive professional end of the pool. I am wondering what are trhe differences between the 2 different qualifications (divemaster and diveguide). I am hearing there is any if much difference between the 2 except name but I thought i would throw it out here and see what responses and opinions i get from the experienced divers and dive professionals on here. Ready go !!

 

[Scuba Scott]

The biggest difference is a PADI Divemaster will work under a PADI Instructor and the SSI Dive guide will work under a SSI Instructor.

Do you plan on working at a PADI or SSI shop? If you don't know that answer all other opinions are irrelevant except for the possibility you just want that certification level and plan to find work later at a shop yet to be determined. If you are planning on finding a place to work later then PADI has a lot more locations and therefore more job openings.

 

[Mike Klieb]

All of the training I am doing right now is at an SSI shop so i was going to continue there because I really like the shop and the people. I will once i am certified I will DM for them for classes and trips I am assuming and who knows might even venture into the instructor role at some point. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some glaring difference between the 2 agencies that would cause one to reconsider their choices

 

[kmarks]

The difference is in the acronyms.

PADI - Professional Association of Dive Instructors
SSI - Scuba Schools International

A PADI instructor essentially works on their own (though most work as part of a shop), but SSI instructors must be working under a shop's banner. If you want to buy a whole bunch of your own training gear, your own insurance, and instruct independently on the weekends out of your house, go with PADI. SSI will not allow you to do that. PADI will let you partner with a shop and do it just like SSI requires instructors do, which is to basically be an independent contractor, but you get to use all of the shop's equipment, resources, and, most important, insurance.

I'm an SSI Dive Master right now, and will be starting the ITC soon. As an SSI Dive Guide, you can lead groups of certified divers, but you cannot instruct. Once you get the Dive Master recognition (by taking Science of Diving if you haven't already) you can be an assistant instructor for an Open Water classes (but not an Assistant Open Water Instructor - that's a certification that allows you to teach Scuba Skills Update and Try Scuba). Dive Masters assisting with OW classes are not allowed to do certain skills in the pool, like anything that relates to CESA or turning a student's gas off while underwater, and can only unofficially evaluate a student's skills, but not sign off on mastery. I believe it is the same for PADI DMs when assisting with classes. Dive Guides are also certified snorkeling instructors, so if your shop has students sign up for the snorkeling recognition, you can be the lead instructor and issue cards and earn pro points.

 

[fxb]

Apologies in advance for committing hearsay on an online forum -- I have very little experience with SSI though my cousin is an SSI Divemaster. It seems, at least as of a couple years ago, you could not with SSI be an active status dive professional without a direct affiliation with a dive center, unlike PADI, SDI/TDI, and now RAID.

If true, that would mean in order to continue to "be a dive guide / DM", you would need to have a dive center add you to their "staff". Even if you are not a paid employee, I believe there are still fees associated with that in terms of liability insurance, etc, that a dive center may not be willing to pay. In my cousin's case, despite him diving regularly for fun and for work, his status has lapsed because no dive centers in the area (all SSI) wanted additional staff.

Again, hopefully someone with more direct SSI experience can chime in there.

Pretty much any other major agency will allow you to maintain teaching status independently.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'm a former SSI instructor (great OW online materials, but I digress). They were supposed to come out with a new policy, but I don't know if it has been made public. Let me ask and update if it is true, else I'll request mods to delete my comment.

 

[Mike Klieb]

The difference is in the acronyms.

PADI - Professional Association of Dive Instructors
SSI - Scuba Schools International

A PADI instructor essentially works on their own (though most work as part of a shop), but SSI instructors must be working under a shop's banner. If you want to buy a whole bunch of your own training gear, your own insurance, and instruct independently on the weekends out of your house, go with PADI. SSI will not allow you to do that. PADI will let you partner with a shop and do it just like SSI requires instructors do, which is to basically be an independent contractor, but you get to use all of the shop's equipment, resources, and, most important, insurance.

I'm an SSI Dive Master right now, and will be starting the ITC soon. As an SSI Dive Guide, you can lead groups of certified divers, but you cannot instruct. Once you get the Dive Master recognition (by taking Science of Diving if you haven't already) you can be an assistant instructor for an Open Water classes (but not an Assistant Open Water Instructor - that's a certification that allows you to teach Scuba Skills Update and Try Scuba). Dive Masters assisting with OW classes are not allowed to do certain skills in the pool, like anything that relates to CESA or turning a student's gas off while underwater, and can only unofficially evaluate a student's skills, but not sign off on mastery. I believe it is the same for PADI DMs when assisting with classes. Dive Guides are also certified snorkeling instructors, so if your shop has students sign up for the snorkeling recognition, you can be the lead instructor and issue cards and earn pro points.

Thanks for the input i am working on my science of diving right now i am at the point of ready for the test ( fingers crossed ) which i will complete shortly when the instructor has the time for the lecture that goes with the Science of diving online course. hopefully this weekend!!

 

[kmarks]

Apologies in advance for committing hearsay on an online forum -- I have very little experience with SSI though my cousin is an SSI Divemaster. It seems, at least as of a couple years ago, you could not with SSI be an active status dive professional without a direct affiliation with a dive center, unlike PADI, SDI/TDI, and now RAID.

If true, that would mean in order to continue to "be a dive guide / DM", you would need to have a dive center add you to their "staff". Even if you are not a paid employee, I believe there are still fees associated with that in terms of liability insurance, etc, that a dive center may not be willing to pay. In my cousin's case, despite him diving regularly for fun and for work, his status has lapsed because no dive centers in the area (all SSI) wanted additional staff.

Again, hopefully someone with more direct SSI experience can chime in there.

Pretty much any other major agency will allow you to maintain teaching status independently.

This is true (see above). My shop reached out to me and asked me to become an instructor, but in other, less landlocked parts of the world there may be more instructors than there are opportunities for them. I do not have to carry personal liability insurance if I am working for the shop and they reimburse my professional dues each year as long as I teach or assist with students - they give me the whole $70 as soon as I have taught 7 students, even as an assistant. That obviously will vary from shop to shop, just like what they pay you to instruct/assist.

I'm a former SSI instructor (great OW online materials, but I digress). They were supposed to come out with a new policy, but I don't know if it has been made public. Let me ask and update if it is true, else I'll request mods to delete my comment.

As a current SSI DM, i'm interested to hear more.

Thanks for the input i am working on my science of diving right now i am at the point of ready for the test ( fingers crossed ) which i will complete shortly when the instructor has the time for the lecture that goes with the Science of diving online course. hopefully this weekend!!

Good luck! It's not a terribly difficult test, and you only have to get 80% to pass instead of 90% as required for the professional courses, but it is long and fatigue may set in. Just make sure you read carefully. I think I missed four questions, all of them because I wasn't reading carefully enough. I'm still bothered by one of them that asked about the pressure at a specific depth of fresh water or something like that, and I was thinking salt water because that's all you ever talk about, which is very slightly different. Of course, they had the answer as it pertains to salt water, just to catch people who aren't reading closely.

I forgot to mention earlier that Dive Masters can also teach the ecology classes (Coral ID, Fish ID, Shark Ecology, Manta Ray Ecology, Marine Ecology, and Sea Turtle Ecology) as long as you have the certification that you are teaching.

 

[Mike Klieb]

Good luck! It's not a terribly difficult test, and you only have to get 80% to pass instead of 90% as required for the professional courses, but it is long and fatigue may set in. Just make sure you read carefully. I think I missed four questions, all of them because I wasn't reading carefully enough. I'm still bothered by one of them that asked about the pressure at a specific depth of fresh water or something like that, and I was thinking salt water because that's all you ever talk about, which is very slightly different. Of course, they had the answer as it pertains to salt water, just to catch people who aren't reading closely.

I forgot to mention earlier that Dive Masters can also teach the ecology classes (Coral ID, Fish ID, Shark Ecology, Manta Ray Ecology, Marine Ecology, and Sea Turtle Ecology) as long as you have the certification that you are teaching.

I have been taking practice tests on GoproCaribbean.com they have some really good practice exams and yeah you really have to read the questions on there as well because they have thrown freshwater questions in there and if your not reading it will catch you and yeah it pisses me off because i knew i missed it because of not reading carefully.

I am going to look into those classes doesn't really enhance my diving skills but it would definitely enhance my knowledge..

Again thanks for all of the information.

 

[DBlohowiak]

This is true (see above). My shop reached out to me and asked me to become an instructor, but in other, less landlocked parts of the world there may be more instructors than there are opportunities for them. I do not have to carry personal liability insurance if I am working for the shop and they reimburse my professional dues each year as long as I teach or assist with students - they give me the whole $70 as soon as I have taught 7 students, even as an assistant. That obviously will vary from shop to shop, just like what they pay you to instruct/assist.



As a current SSI DM, i'm interested to hear more.



Good luck! It's not a terribly difficult test, and you only have to get 80% to pass instead of 90% as required for the professional courses, but it is long and fatigue may set in. Just make sure you read carefully. I think I missed four questions, all of them because I wasn't reading carefully enough. I'm still bothered by one of them that asked about the pressure at a specific depth of fresh water or something like that, and I was thinking salt water because that's all you ever talk about, which is very slightly different. Of course, they had the answer as it pertains to salt water, just to catch people who aren't reading closely.

I forgot to mention earlier that Dive Masters can also teach the ecology classes (Coral ID, Fish ID, Shark Ecology, Manta Ray Ecology, Marine Ecology, and Sea Turtle Ecology) as long as you have the certification that you are teaching.

7/16/20 Tests not that hard, I just did both the PADI and SSI tests back to back (gotta love that COVID) The SSI is more detailed and makes you think more (took me 8 hrs)

Both were very informative! I have been PADI for 35+ years but because of working with multiple dive shops and currently going thru Diveheart Advanced Dive Buddy training I am interested in comparing them all.