I just complete my test and pool classes, and am traveling to central america soon and am going to do my open water dives down there to complete my certification. Problem is that I trained w/ SSI and the dives in central america are going to be through PADI. Does PADI and SSI share a database so that my local instructor can confirm that I did my open water dives? Or is the sign referral all I need to submit?
SSI Open water referral
- Thread starter rthompson
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garyfotodiver
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I just checked the SSI website (www.ssiusa.com) and there are SSI shops in Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama.
vondo
Contributor
rthompson:
Is SSI the agency that focuses on teaching diving with a computer? When I was diving in Belize last year, there were two guys who had trained with that agency trying to do checkout dives with a PADI outfit. At first, they were going to have them redo most of the PADI material and get a PADI certification. I think, in the end, they were allowed to just do the checkouts and demonstrate enough knowledge of the dive tables (that was the main issue) that the instructor "passed" them.
I assume their C-card still comes from their home dive shop. (I.e. what the PADI instructor did was sign a form that they completed the checkout dives to her satisfaction.)
So, it may work. You should definitely talk to your instructor at home and your shop there to make sure there are not going to be any problems. If you can, consider doing your entire certification locally.
bruinfan
Guest
I did a referral, started NAUI (LA), finished PADI(MAUI). My NAUI instructor gave me a letter. The PADI instructor took it, and that was it. They did not seem to care, and I feel the instruction was good. The Hawaiian instructor gave me the paperwork to turn in. I filled it out and sent it to PADI. I guess it helped that my LDS is both NAUI and PADI accredited (so was the Maui store, but the instructor was a PADI instructor). So i just used the LDS' PADI number when filling out the paperwork.
The prudent thing to do would be to ask SSI or your SSI dive shop. And can't you cancel your booking?
The prudent thing to do would be to ask SSI or your SSI dive shop. And can't you cancel your booking?
cobaltblue
Contributor
Check with the shop that you took your classes at. They can give you a universal referral form that pretty much any certified teaching agency can use. You can then take that back to your home shop and they will get you your C-card.
garyfotodiver
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vondo:
The card comes from the shop or instructor that last signs the papers. My daughter (boy, if she knew how famous she is) took classroom and confined water in Illinois, then did checkout dives in Florida. Her card has the name of the instructor that took her on her last two dives. He finished the paperwork and sent it to PADI.
awall54308
Contributor
I did all of my classes with SSI in Michigan. They had me fill out a referal sheet any pay approx. $35. I took the paperwork to a PADI shop in Hawaii and had no issues. After I finished the open water testing, PADI filled out the bottom of the paperwork. signed my dive logs, and sent me home. I had to turn in the paperwork and my dive logs to my local dive shop. It was really simple process.
bruinfan
Guest
Yes, the card is from whoever finishes your cert. However, I would recommend obtaining the paperwork and sending it yourself. This way, you can have peace of mind that the paperwork was sent, and you don't have to worry about a dive shop thousands of miles away losing your paperwork.
JRScuba
Contributor
awall54308:
That sounds like a winner.
Your answer can be found at the dive shop you did your paperwork at.
Since you already signed with a PADI shop, does it really matter??
When you signed with the PADI shop did you ask them. They would have
to come up with some kind of answer. Otherwise you wasted or are going to
waste more money.
I think you should go to the dive shop that you did your paperwork at and
go from there.
JMHO
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