PADI & SSI Certs

[Jon Brunner]

I have question concerning the steps up from Open Water diver for both PADI & SSI. I was certified 20+ years ago in college and have not dove hardly since then. I didn't have any friends who were interested, so my interest waned. After a vacation in KW where my wife had the chance to experience diving, she has decided she would like to become certified.

The only local classes offerred are through SSI, so she will be certified with SSI. Since I have been out for a long time, I am taking the refresher course with her. My question has to do with going beyond "Open Water Diver" Certification. It will be a simple process for her since she will be certified with SSI, but since I am PADI Certified, how will that all work for me to get the certifications beyond "Open Water Diver"? I am just confused about how this will all work out.

The simple answer is to just pay the extra cash and get completely recertified through SSI, about $100-$150. I just am wondering what alternatives and options there are to all of that.

 

[Bappelt]

I'm a little confused by your statement of taking the "refresher course with her". It sounds like she is taking the Open Water Course to get certified. So are you taking the same course with her and the shop is calling it a refresher or are you just doing a one day refresher course?

Either way if you are "refreshed" to the satisfaction of the shop you should be able to take the same additional certifications/specialty classes that your wife takes and be certified as well. OW certifications between PADI and SSI are generally accepted equally for additional training.

We've had PADI divers come take our SSI courses with no problem.

 

[Jon Brunner]

They offer the "refresher" course in either the one day mode, or one that goes through all of the basic Open Water class & pool material, you just aren't paying for the checkout dives and the card. I felt that would be a more thorough refresher for me, and allow us to basically do the course together.

I guess what I am wondering is how then is any recognition for say "Advanced Open Water" or "Rescue Diver" established. Having never pursued any of those type addtional certs, if asked by a dive boat or shop how does a person establish that, yes, they do have the appropriate certifications and can show that if asked?

Right now it is all a moot point though. She had been fighting sinus problems all winter. She felt that she was OK to begin the classes last week. We went through the "Scuba Experience" as the YMCA calls it. Very basic, allows you to try it out in a controlled setting before you completely enroll in class. She left there feeling good and happy about it. Woke up in the morning and felt terrible. Huge sinus and ear pain. She apparently didn't have it when we left. She was miserable. Apparently she wassn't as healed as she thought? She is seeing an ENT specialist Thursday to try to get to the bottom of this.

 

[H2O 70]

Typically you can cross back and forth between agencies. If you look at one agencies 'advanced diver' or 'advanced open water' prerequisites, you will see what that agency offers, or 'equivalent'.

If you have a PADI Open Water cert and your wife ends up with SSI Open Water cert, your PADI cert will count towards an SSI Advanced Open Water Diver cert, provided you do for of their specialties and have logged 24 dives.

I have PADI OW, SDI Advanced, PADI DM and I'm currently doing SDI AI.

Hopefully she is just dealing with allergies. They've been getting bad around here.

 

[Bappelt]

I guess what I am wondering is how then is any recognition for say "Advanced Open Water" or "Rescue Diver" established. Having never pursued any of those type addtional certs, if asked by a dive boat or shop how does a person establish that, yes, they do have the appropriate certifications and can show that if asked?

Like H2O 70 said you can cross back and forth between agencies. If you pursue additional certs and meet the requirements then you will be issued a dive card that, for instance, identifies you as being an "Advanced Open Water" diver. Then when asked by a dive boat or shop, you just show them that card.