PADI or SSI for additional training?

[scottgrizzard]

Until you get to the divemaster level, the recreational courses are basically interchangeable between the agencies.

The instructor you like is way more important than the agency the instructor teaches for.

Small exception: if you are a card collector, determined to get PADI specific Master Scuba Diver, then the 5 specialties you do need to be PADI specialties (who you do advanced and rescue with does not matter). I think SDI does not care, and I think SSI has some limit on how many can be non-SSI.

 

[divingdayz]

Until you get to the divemaster level, the recreational courses are basically interchangeable between the agencies.

The instructor you like is way more important than the agency the instructor teaches for.

Small exception: if you are a card collector, determined to get PADI specific Master Scuba Diver, then the 5 specialties you do need to be PADI specialties (who you do advanced and rescue with does not matter). I think SDI does not care, and I think SSI has some limit on how many can be non-SSI.

Both SSI and PADI will accept two specialties from other certifing agencies.

 

[PJ4863]

Until you get to the divemaster level, the recreational courses are basically interchangeable between the agencies.

The instructor you like is way more important than the agency the instructor teaches for.

Small exception: if you are a card collector, determined to get PADI specific Master Scuba Diver, then the 5 specialties you do need to be PADI specialties (who you do advanced and rescue with does not matter). I think SDI does not care, and I think SSI has some limit on how many can be non-SSI.

This. 100% this. What I did was decide what my goals were and then took the courses I wanted to with the instructor that I wanted in order to meet those goals. I was truly agnostic to which agency the instructor was affiliated with because at the recreational level, all the certificates will be recognized in some way. Once you get to the professional or technical levels there's some planning that you'd need to probably choose and agency. Of course, your mileage will vary!

 

[tursiops]

Both SSI and PADI will accept two specialties from other certifing agencies.

PADI does NOT accept specialties from other agencies for MSD.
From the PADI Instrictor Manual for MSD:

"Note: Specialty diver, Public Safety Diver or TecRec certifications must​

be PADI – no other certifications qualify. One PADI Freediver (not​

Basic) certification may credit."​