SDI vs PADI

[Kingpatzer]

Nearly all US based agencies align their standards to ANSI Standard Z86.3 Minimum Course Content For Safe Scuba Diving as well as the standards created by the World Recreational Scuba Training Council -- which requires that all member organizations' standards include specific minimum skills. Both PADI and SDI are member organizations.

All this means that it is instructors and stores that matter, not agencies.

 

[simmonsjr]

Just after it gets ugly, but before anyone has hurt feelings, a impish cherub will step-in and hand out "you're special" ribbons to all concerned before he locks the thread.

Well heck, if that's the case I'd better get in on it now. I'd love to get a "you're special ribbon"! What color are they?

By the way a (troll) is someone who posts only to see if they can start an argument or cause other such mischief. The troll is not interested in providing anything of value to or in learning from the ensuing discussion; they are only interested in getting a reaction to what they have written.

Therefore, the best way to thwart a troll is to deny them the satisfaction of seeing things turn ugly. That is why no one is attempting to answer the question posed.

Perhaps if the OP comes back on here and elucidates the meaning of their question, thereby proving that they are not really a troll, they will then receive a serious answer to their poorly stated question.

 

[Walter]

Nearly all US based agencies align their standards to ANSI Standard Z86.3 Minimum Course Content For Safe Scuba Diving as well as the standards created by the World Recreational Scuba Training Council -- which requires that all member organizations' standards include specific minimum skills. Both PADI and SDI are member organizations.

All this means that it is instructors and stores that matter, not agencies.

This is misleading. There is no requirement for any agency to follow those standards. Those who belong to the RSTC are required to meet or exceed those standards. Some meet them (they are set so low, it's almost impossible not to meet them), while other agencies exceed them. Some agencies far exceed them. I will admit that there is very little meaningful difference between these two specific agencies, there is a great deal of difference between these two (and others) and those agencies who've written higher standards.

 

[simmonsjr]

I will admit that there is very little meaningful difference between these two specific agencies, there is a great deal of difference between these two (and others) and those agencies who've written higher standards.

Which agencies have the higher standards? PADI is all I know but I would be interested in switching to another agency if they expect more from their divers, and had a presence in my area.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

My understanding is that the basic skills are pretty similar and any differences are going to be lost in the noise of good versus bad instructors.

As an aside they did research with counselors where they took counselors from one theoretical perspective and had them apply techniques from another theoretical perspective and they found that a good counselor was a good counsleor regardless of the counseling approach they applied and a bad counselor still sucked no matter what approach was used. I am sure the same thing could be said about dive instructors.

The only significant difference with SDI will be their tendency to teach the use of dive computers with less focus and reliance on dive tables as opposed to PADI which uses their own RDP very heavily and treats computer diving as a specialty course.

The "number of dives" issue is subect to abuse by specific instructors. I have known many instructors, regardless of agency, who will do "dive one" then float on the surface for 20 minutes before decending and doing "dive two". In practice this just gives the student 2 short dives in place of one longer one and results in dives where nothing is done beyond demonstration of basic skills. In the end, the diver gets half as much time in the water and only assmbles/dissembles the dive gear half as much on the checkout dives.

 

[Walter]

Which agencies have the higher standards?

SEI Diving has much higher standards.

 

[Steve SDI/TDI HQ]

If the original poster would like to be a little more explicit, I might be able to supply some information.

I cannot compare our agency with another, but I can explain why we do things the way we do and why we put an emphasis on certain skills and procedures... using a dive computer for open water divers, teaching a solo diving program for example.

Much of the mindset for SDI has its genesis in the simple fact that it was formed in 1999 by Technical Diving International to provide our member instructors, a sport program that would integrate well with that agency's educational and operational philosophy.

 

[RJP]

PADI has 33% more letters than SDI, so I imagine it's better.

But how can that be, when SDI only has 25% FEWER letters than PADI?

It just doesn't add up!

 

[iztok]

But how can that be, when SDI only has 25% FEWER letters than PADI?

It just doesn't add up!

You guys are cracking me up!

 

[Kingpatzer]

SEI Diving has much higher standards.

"Agencies" with next to no presence really aren't worth considering. And as far as I am aware, SEI is not part of the WRSTC, which pretty well doesn't answer the question.