PADI vs SSI

[Mauifish]

It is about the instructor but that's because the agencies are useless. If the agency contributed anything meaningful to the class then the agency would matter. Of course, you almost have to wonder about an instructor who is willing to pay (and have you pay) an agency that doesn't matter. Can we still call him/her a good instructor?

Why would a good instructor want to go through the trouble of designing a good course and let some agency, who doesn't matter, put their name on the card?

If the agency doesn't matter, why should they be the ones who set the standards?

Why bother with them at all if they don't matter?

My opinion is that we should completely ignore all the agencies that don't matter (because they don't matter) and the instructors who peddle their cards (because they want you to pay an agency who doesn't matter). Instead, look for instructors who are good enough to know the difference between an agency that matters and one that doesn't.

What tha??:11:

 

[loosebits]

It is about the instructor but that's because the agencies are useless. If the agency contributed anything meaningful to the class then the agency would matter. Of course, you almost have to wonder about an instructor who is willing to pay (and have you pay) an agency that doesn't matter. Can we still call him/her a good instructor?

Why would a good instructor want to go through the trouble of designing a good course and let some agency, who doesn't matter, put their name on the card?

If the agency doesn't matter, why should they be the ones who set the standards?

Why bother with them at all if they don't matter?

My opinion is that we should completely ignore all the agencies that don't matter (because they don't matter) and the instructors who peddle their cards (because they want you to pay an agency who doesn't matter). Instead, look for instructors who are good enough to know the difference between an agency that matters and one that doesn't.

Well said. The only reason someone might object to this is they don't understand it.

The 1st thought I had after reading part of your post was who teaches these private lessons & the university ones??...My experience in this is a LDS instructor.....Sounds like you might get the same guy/gal.......

Nope, many private instructors are not associated at all with LDS's.

 

[scubanatic]

Boy how many times has this question been asked... I as a former PADI Master Diver and now SSI Master Instructor...here is my reply

It truly is the instructor and not the agency. Both agencies adhere to the WRSTC standards (http://www.wrstc.com/). What I like most about SSI training is that it focuses on the divers training via confidence through repetition. We believe that to be confident competent diver you must have four things. This is our Diver Diamond.
Knowledge-Our course materials and instruction provide you the education you require
Experience-Our trainings sessions and requirements provide you the experience to progress through the various diving levels ensures that the diver is comfortable with diving
Skills-Practice, practice, practice, this is where comfort through repetition come in to play. We work with each student to ensure they not only understand what they need to do but it becomes an automatic reaction.
Equipment-Ensuring that you have the best equipment to ensure a safe and enjoyable dive experience. We teach you about having the right equipment for the type of diving you want to do.

I could go on and on. Good luck on your diving adventure.

 

[Walter]

How to choose the best class in your area.

Of course agency is important. Which agency is usually the single most important factor in choosing a class. Very few instructors teach anything other than required by their agency. There are rare exceptions. Those instructors do make a difference. They are hard to find.

 

[Minipinny]

I am not sure how true this is or not but when I was doiing my research into different agencies, I got the impression that PADI was not as internationally recognized as some of the other agencies. I remember my OW instructor who was once PADI affiliated going on about how PADI was more concerned with raking in the money than ensuring that it's instructors provide adequate training. I was doing my Nitrox when she was blabbing on and on about PADI.

What made me decide to go with the dive shop where I do all my certification with is from the following:

- how comfortable I am with the people I deal with
- course material
- support and
- customer service

Oh and with the other PADI dive shops that I visited - they all wanted me to go do my OW in a wetsuit in COLD WATER with the temperature around 8 degrees celsius. I said " I don't think so!"

 

[RS]

The student is a very important part of this as well.
Be a good student and it will really pay off.

 

[Bob Vincent]

My God Diver 85 are you for real? If you can't find a decent instructor why don't you do the world a favor and become an instuctor yourself then you can share your perils of wisdom with less knowledgeable people.

 

[scubanatic]

Walter- I may agree slightly with you as the agency does matter, but the agency does not do the training the instructor does! I take every student that I instruct personally as they may be my buddy someday and before I put my name on their card I ensure that they have demonstrated to me their comfort and competency in their diving skills. That is not the agency, that is the instructor!

 

[fisherdvm]

I take every student that I instruct personally as they may be my buddy someday and before I put my name on their card I ensure that they have demonstrated to me their comfort and competency in their diving skills. That is not the agency, that is the instructor!

I read this alot about which agency is better than what agency. But since alot of folks chose to do their OW via referral, isn't that a big chunk of your dive training. Many places outside of the US cerfity divers in almost every major agencies. How can you assure that they are not all ran through the same program?

Are we assure that the same dive instructor who is cert by SSI, PADI, and NAUI will give the same quality of instruction in the OW as the one who work with you at home??

Its been a while since my OW, but as I remember, a significant chunk of my training is OW.

 

[Walter]

I am not sure how true this is or not but when I was doiing my research into different agencies, I got the impression that PADI was not as internationally recognized as some of the other agencies.

It's not true at all. PADI is internationally recognized just as much as any other agency. While there are some concerns by some people about PADI's standards, that has not created a recognition problem.

Walter- I may agree slightly with you as the agency does matter, but the agency does not do the training the instructor does! I take every student that I instruct personally as they may be my buddy someday and before I put my name on their card I ensure that they have demonstrated to me their comfort and competency in their diving skills. That is not the agency, that is the instructor!

That sounds like it is in complete agreement with me:

Very few instructors teach anything other than required by their agency. There are rare exceptions. Those instructors do make a difference. They are hard to find.

But since alot of folks chose to do their OW via referral, isn't that a big chunk of your dive training.

It shouldn't be. Training should be over by the time students get to open water. Open water is a testing environment, not a training environment.