PADI vs SSI certification

[jarhed]

Another issue to consider, PADI has a very robust business structure, as such, they have better maintained web enabled data bases. This can be useful, for example, about a year ago my wife (SSI certified) lost her OW card. SSI could not find her in their data base, but afre reviewing her log, the SSI LDS issued her a temp card and mailed a form to get her another card.

This never happened and she eventually took another "speciality course" from PADI (after showing a PADI instructer her log book to prove OW) to get in their system. Now a lost card can be replaced online without hassle.

Just a nice feature that comes with going with a better established organization.

IMHO of course.....
John

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Welcome to the diving community Angie.

There is a lot of good advice here, and some advice that is a bit suspect. It would be helpful to know where you are located, and what kind of diving you want to do.

Jeff

 

[Walter]

Walter, I said, "All the agencies use the same standards. Real differences are minimal".read the second sentence. In context, I was saying that, for an OW student, differences between standards (for a qualified diver) was minimal. It's true, not ridiculous.

The first sentence is an outright lie. Each agency writes its own standards. They are different in style as well as basic requirements. The second sentence is an opinion I don't share. The differences in the basic requirements in the standards are differences that determine the quality of the class and the safety of the newly certified diver. Such differences are not minimal.

 

[Walter]

I agree...and that varies from instructor to instructor.

It happens in the agency written standards.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The differences in the basic requirements in the standards are differences that determine the quality of the class and the safety of the newly certified diver. Such differences are not minimal.

What's important is the growth of the industry. So what if we lose a few along the way...they'll float up in the spring and then they won't be lost anymore.

 

[deepblueme]

To funny I have been hearing this "my way is better" for the past 20+ years.
A C-card is a chance for you to learn how to dive by taking more classes, reading books/fourms and diving with the kind of divers you want to become.
It doesnt matter how well your Inst does his job if you are just going to be a "cowboy diver"
No class is going to teach you everything you need to know.
What class teaches how to deal with a downwelling?

So a dive boat heads out with a NAUI Inst. and his 4 students, a SSI Inst and his 4, and a PADI and his 4.
On the way out the boat starts to sink.
The capt tells everyone to get ready to abandon ship.

The SSI guy tells his people to gear up and take a compass bering on the island and start swimming.

The NAUI guy tells his people to gear up and get ready "cuz we will have to save the SSI divers"

The Capt wakes up the PADI Inst. telling him what is going on, The Inst. hands out waivers asks for 50 bucks and tells all his people to get ready for a wreck dive.

 

[muddiver]

Hi Angie,

The main difference between the agencies is that some (PADI being one) have spent the time and money to do the research using a medical team to make their own dive tables. The rest are based on the U. S. Navy Diving Tables that are based on trial and error (it's called imperical data so you will think it is sientific and fancy) by observing Navy divers working at various depths and times. When one got bent it signified the limit for the table at that point.

The other differences are PADi is the king of self promotion and SSI & SDI are more Tech Diver oriented (i.e. old school he-man divers).

I have never heard of GUI. Must be some bloke from overseas.

I am certified by L.A. County, PADI, NAUI and the Association of Commercial Diving Educators. I have also been diving sice 1984.

Have fun learning what it is all about.

Also don't buy brand new gear until you have made a dive in the ocean (or lake) and you know you really like it.