Padi & Naui

[tribaltim]

I have noticed a lot of divers are both PADI and NAUI certified why is that and is it a big deal?

 

[DiveTyme]

A lot of instructors carry the cards of more than one agency so they can do referrals from different agencies.
Tim

 

[tribaltim]

Thanks for the reply

 

[String]

Or did their initial course with one agency, travelled elsewhere and did a follow up course with someone else.

 

[Footslogger]

When I got out of the service in 1971 and signed up for a SCUBA class in south Florida it was a solid NAUI market. Basic Open Water certifications back then with NAUI were like the current OW and AOW combined. I dove under my NAUI card for years and then when I decided to do my Divemaster (in Atlanta) there wasn't a NAUI shop to be found. All I could find was PADI and SSI. So ...a lot of it is timing and the rest (at least in my case) was location.

I'm a PADI Divemaster now and have on a few occasions been offered a cross-training opportunity with NAUI and SSI but I've declined. Might be a bigger deal at the Instructor level thoug.

'Slogger

 

[Walter]

Those are two very large agencies and as a result are very common.

 

[AaronR103]

They also offer different specialty courses, as well as access to the same course but at different experience levels.

A

 

[SteveDiver]

It is no big deal....there is a lot of debate on which agency is the best however IMO there is no big difference between the two of them. I have both certs just because it was convienent. I received my PADI OW in Houston,NAUI AOW in Hawaii, PADI Rescue in Houston. You will find that some feel the need to see who's is bigger. Some will beat down one agency to drum up their as being the "better" one making it appear that they are the more experienced diver because of their certifying agency... They do this to satisfy their insecurity or superiority complex.

In short it makes no difference what agency one uses. You get out of it what you put into it. A lot of your training will come from diving with others.

 

[DelightedDiver]

I did my OW with one agency because they were the ones operating in my area and later, after we moved, did my AOW with PADI.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Same courses, same level of training, same business model......no difference. The thing is to get cards that will be recognized when you want to fill/dive. In USA not a big issue since most dive agencies are well known and widely accepted. Around the world your mileage may vary.