PADI vs NAUI

[Sirena_Elena]

Walter, I guess I crossovered because people would always say to me - But you're not padi - when trying to sell scuba programs or myself as a scuba instructor. Quite honestly, I prefer the freedom of the naui program and such will never abandon that cert, but I feel from a business standpoint to be mass marketable I have to be padi.
Anybody ever thought of running for naui bod?

 

[Thalassamania]

The problem with the NAUI BOD is that once the "Professional Development Centers" were permitted to replace the branch ITC system the Mucky Mucks from the PDCs had such a numerical advantage in NAUI (and, by and large, the least commitment to long held NAUI beliefs) that the only reason left for belonging was that the alternatives were so much worse.

 

[offthewall1]

Where I come from NAUI has no real representation... and that is solely because the area rep is a disinterested party. We tried to contact him when we opened to give NAUI a major presence in our market. All we had here was SSI and PADI... but the rep (and I'll leave the egghead un-named) never bothered to return our calls.

This is because he put his eggs into the wrong basket. He (I'm told) is also a manufacturers representative and was selling his brands to our competitors. He cost NAUI a large amount of money and a large influx of new divers.

This is yet another fundamental problem in the industry. Should manufacturer's reps also be agency reps? I can continue to put issues on the table... but as I stated before, the industry is in a complete shambles... current economy aside.

The mucking and collusion between manufacturers, agencies, shifty LDS's, internet giants and the like is completey run afoul.

PADI Vs. NAUI... VS (fill in the blank) is again I declare... irrelevant. I pity the consumer that treads into the quagmire.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm so glad to be with the agency I'm with!

 

[Thalassamania]

I'm so glad to be with the agency I'm with!

Jim, If I had any use for an agency and was shopping for one, you folks (along with LA County) would be at the top of my list.

 

[grumpie]

Jim, If I had any use for an agency and was shopping for one, you folks (along with LA County) would be at the top of my list.

Well jim im glad that im with NAUI, I have been with them 23 years and iv been treated great all through the years and my CD is great and always there when i need him.
Randy in training is all ways able to help me too with my PSD stuff.

 

[mongodives]

Walter
Yep, you're right no implied tasks none what so ever.

Implied: involved, suggested, or understood without being openly or directly expressed

 

[cflJason]

Within each agency that's true, but a PADI instructor can not add a requirement to make a dive with effective buoyancy control and no rototilling, a NAUI instructor can and should.

Yes, but you have to compare the apples to apples. You seem to be switching your argument back and forth. If you are going to cite minimum PADI standards to counter R0gue's statement that he can have a student perform most skills while neutrally buoyant, then you should be citing the minimum NAUI standards too.

There is no doubt that you can add to your standards (congratulations). I am just stating that there are plenty of opportunities in the PADI standards to get the students to maintain neutral buoyancy. There is the 50 yard underwater swim, which specifically states "Swim underwater with scuba equipment while maintaining control of both direction and depth, properly equalizing the ears and mask to accommodate depth changes."

If a student is "rototilling" they won't be able to maintain depth and direction. If they are going up down and all round, then they have not demonstrated "mastery" of the skill.

Each confined water dive has a "Fun and Skills Practice Plan sufficient time for practice exercises, games and remedial training." I could weigh down hoola hoops and have neutral buoyancy contests, etc.

Each OW dive has an "Exploration" part: The instructor manual states "... the novice is learning and assimilating a great deal, such as buoyancy control..." Which by the way, the exploration portion of the dives have no pre-defined time limit.

Then there are also the "excursion dives". The definition of which is: An excursion dive has no formal performance requirements and is made prior to completion of all open water training dives. There is no limit to the number of excursion dives a student may participate in while in training. Excursion dives give enthusiastic student divers an opportunity to go on another dive just for fun. During excursion dives, student divers gain supervised experience by applying general diving skills such as buoyancy control in the open water environment."

So technically I could keep a diver on excursion dives until they don't bounce off the bottom. Then move on to the next open water dive.

 

[cflJason]

Where I come from NAUI has no real representation... and that is solely because the area rep is a disinterested party. We tried to contact him when we opened to give NAUI a major presence in our market. All we had here was SSI and PADI... but the rep (and I'll leave the egghead un-named) never bothered to return our calls.

This is because he put his eggs into the wrong basket. He (I'm told) is also a manufacturers representative and was selling his brands to our competitors. He cost NAUI a large amount of money and a large influx of new divers.

This is yet another fundamental problem in the industry. Should manufacturer's reps also be agency reps? I can continue to put issues on the table... but as I stated before, the industry is in a complete shambles... current economy aside.

The mucking and collusion between manufacturers, agencies, shifty LDS's, internet giants and the like is completey run afoul.

PADI Vs. NAUI... VS (fill in the blank) is again I declare... irrelevant. I pity the consumer that treads into the quagmire.

I have heard that the local NAUI rep here being a manufacturers rep has caused some issues too. I have no first hand knowledge of this. All I have are the stories form the LDSes, so it's all hearsay coming from me, but i know one of the local shops went PADI because of it. The interesting thing is the owner is a NAUI instructor, never switched to PADI that I know of. They just hired a few PADI instructors and went on with business.

 

[Brewski]

If PADI does not allow open book or take home exams how do they handle on-line class exams? Are these proctored? Maybe on-line learning is the exception.

Do they allow folks to take a test this way, or do you review the material on-line and then take the test at the LDS? I have no idea. Just curious.

Online students are required to be evaluated by an instructor in person, take the final test in person and do the pool work at the LDS. you can't take the test on line.