SSI and PADI

[FrankP]

I've also had a PADI instructor who told me much more than was in the books for OWD and AOWD - so for my experiences it's like the PADI instructor is also possible to add...

My current "home dive base" is a SSI training center, but also offering CMAS and PADI. What i've seen here is: it doesn't matter, what organization you are certified by, but what are the contents during the education for the certification - and between SSI and PADI there may be only very small differences, if there are any differences at all!

I totally agree with sid101s last statement: for some people one organization may adapt better to them, for other people may be the other.
My opinion: PADI and SSI are almost equivalent.

 

[JamieUSFGirl]

I am recently certified by SSI and from what I've learned from others who were trained PADI or NAUI, they did not get as much time in the pool training as I did and were not made to practice each skill as much as I was. I also like the fact that I finished my OW course and had a specialty already! The "Perfect Buoyancy" Specialty is a part of the OW training for SSI and I found that I can actually control my buoyancy better than those I know who have PADI/NAUI certification and have been diving for years.

 

[Captain Crocs]

I have taken both PADI (OW, AOW) and SSI (stress and rescue) classes. It is hard to compare the two on an even keel, because of taking the classes with 2 different instructors in two different countries. The rescue class with SSI seemed to be exceptionally rewarding- I found out that two of the 'students' in the class weren't students at all, but friends of the LDS who 'joined' the class just to go gear up and 'drown' while we were taking a lunch break in between training dives. We found one panicking on the surface, and had to locate the other who was 'unconscious' on the bottom of the lake. It was a great class, and I'll guarantee it was all due to the instructor, not SSI. Really, I think it depends on the instructor.

I was concerned about mixing certs, but I was told that If I got an SSI rescue it would count towards PADI DM. I haven't looked into it yet, so we will see what happen with that.

Another difference is that PADI teaches the classes in a different order than SSI. Padi goes
OW>AOW>Rescue. AOW you can take with as little as... what is it, 5 dives? SSI instead does OW>rescue>AOW. SSI's philosophy is that all divers should be rescue certified, and you aren't eligible for AOW until 24 dives, which I think is a fantastic idea. I got certified as PADI, but find both agencies work great... but I've had two phenomenal instructors.

 

[Web Monkey]

Then there is SSI wich i knew very litle about, i went to a SSI dive center and started talking to one of the instructors, he explained to me the SSI system and i was glad to see SSI puts a big emphasys in experience and security, that's what got me to take the course with them. They are known everywhere and the instructor i found is a

A few years ago, I'd have recommended SSI over PADI in a heartbeat, however they're both currently in a race to the bottom, and I'm not certain there's a really big difference anymore.

If you're looking to pick a place for training, I haven't found anything any better than Water's post:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ng/287780-how-find-excellent-scuba-class.html

Terry

 

[Owen Butler]

Its called educational validity, building from simple to complex and following a proven system. I am a PADI Instructor and often add more practice and techniques (the standards manual says that students must be able to demonstrate the skill in a comfortable, fluid repeatable manner to prove mastery and meet the performance requirements but unfortunately many Instructors in all agencies don't follow this definition) but don't agree that Instructors should be allowed to add extra skills. This could cause task loading and of course there are a million situations when it could or could not be appropriate but leaving that in the hands of so many instructors, with differing skill/experience levels and judgement, I could see that being hard to defend in court if something should happen.

I'm unsure what you mean by the tables being liberal. They were designed and extensively tested for use by recreational divers instead of the Navy Tables used elsewhere, designed primarily for fit young men doing decompression diving. The spencer limits 60 minute washout model employed by many computers is the same model as the PADI table. PADI tables give shorter dive times for single dives but becuase they use a shorter surface interval credit (60 minutes instead of 120) they give more time on repetitive dives. Out of 2,000 dives i've never seen anyone get bent diving within the table limits even when they have other pre-disposing factors.

To me, all systems have been proved valid and I don't think anyone can say who does it better than the others as we all have our bias but as a dive center manager I don't think of any one certificationc card as being more acceptable than another and really believe it mostly comes down to the instructor that you had; their experience, comprehension and application of the tools that the agency puts at their disposal and personal passion, methods and personality.

 

[LastManOut]

The age old question strikes again. And once again the answers have gone totally off track.

And yes of course Walter, he's just here to collect cards, just like everybody else. I have so many they are propping up one leg of my dining table, being used as a door jamb and paint scrapers too. I love having all that plastic around, it makes me a better person

Seriously though, if you want to be dual certified purely for the purposes of employment, then the easiest way to go is PADI - SSI. I know this because I am an SSI DiveCon Instructor and am soon getting my PADI DM's then Instructors done.

Doing it this way is easier simply because you pay your PADI ripoff fees, get certified, then you can get crossed over at a lower cost to SSI without having to buy more bollocks Paks and pay for IE's and all that kind of thing. With SSI buy your instructor kit and sit some exams and maybe a pool checkout with an Instructor. Simple.

SSI realises that decent Instructors can teach any brand of diving, as long as they are up on training standards, tables, and all the other little bits and pieces. Doing the skills and putting people in the water are the same - that's the stuff that comes down to you.

If you need more advice, dont hesitate to ask.

-- Nemo

 

[JoshP]

So for the rest of us who may not know the different training differences, what are they? I'm not provoking the PADI v SSI topic, but I am curious what SSI offers in their training regime that PADI doesn't. PM me if you think it's more appropriate

I am PADI certified and I am doing my PADI AOW this weekend. However we just moved and I am looking to get my girlfriend OW certified, so I have been talking to the instructors at the 2 local dive shops 1 is PADI and one Is SSI. The major differences I have noticed are as follows:

I have seen with SSI and PADI it is not in the instruction, but how they are allowed to conduct it. With PADI when you do your OW cert in the ocean, you can’t "advance" to your regulator exchange until you can clear your mask successfully, so you have to do everything in a row. However with SSI you can go through the whole cert process and then repeat the part you failed at the end to get certified.

SSI Instructors must be affiliated with a shop, where as PADI instructors are independent contractors. PADI instructors just have more freedom to operate; they could basically just put up a craigslist ad and ask if anyone wants to get certified. I only deal with PADI instructors though a shop since you can file complaints and it is easier to get your money back if for some reason you needed to. So that is easily rectified.

SSI was $50 more after rentals and instruction, but I’m sure that will vary with every store and agency you deal with.

 

[*dave*]

The "Perfect Buoyancy" Specialty is a part of the OW training for SSI and I found that I can actually control my buoyancy better than those I know who have PADI/NAUI certification and have been diving for years.

While a good SSI OW course should provide instruction on buoyancy control, the specialty is not part of the OW course. It sounds like your LDS added it, but that's not the case with very many shops... Not to say it isn't a good idea.

 

[AndyNZ]

Some of the differences I see are basically that PADI instructors cannot step away from the "formula" they are told to teach, nothing less and nothing more

Completely untrue - though a common misconception. The PADI system is flexible, with a defined minimum standard that cannot be subtracted from the courses.

Just like NAUI, a PADI instructor may add additional skills in to any programme provided they are relevant. The difference is that a NAUI instructor may with hold the certification on the basis of a student not mastering those skills, where as a PADI instructor may not.

 

[Bob DBF]

As an old phart who has taken some courses almost 30 years after my Open Water Certification which would have been NAUI as well as PADI if I wasn't so cheap. In 1980

1. They don't teach classes like they did in the old days ( I'll get back to you about better or just different when I figure it out)
2. I walked into each class knowing the material, prepared to learn and with a set of questions due to my experience vs the material. I also went over my basic OW class material from "the day". Found a lot of students were not well prepared and hadn't had a dive outside of a class environment
3. The instructor was quite knowledgeable and helpfully. The assistant instructor was young, my problem not his, he kind of hits you like the Energizer Bunny. The Jury is out on the Divemasters.
4. The sessions I took had multiple classes and the orchestration of the Instructor was excellent. but if anyone wanted to skate through the classes without learning much, it could be done.
5. All instruction has a formula, the question is, is it effective for you. I found my instructor would go into any topic as deeply as the student wanted, although it may have to wait till after the dive. After the required exercises, he outlined and encouraged practice excesses for each team to practice to finish off your tank.

Through my life, in any school I attended this same scene plays out, so find someone you can learn from and learn what you need to get your Cert. and keep learning.

I'm thinking about trying different instructors in different agencies to compare styles and possibly find an instructor more suited to my way of learning. I'm not looking for the card, I'm looking for the knowledge.

A Card is a Card, get one and don't loose it.

bob