SSI or PADI

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I don’t know if or why my experience was unique. I teach independently now, so no longer under SSI.
independently as in "not assigned to some dive shop", like PADI allows its instructors? is it under SDI or DDI?
 
The instructor matters most

Generally speaking though, PADI is nice and fun for just recreational regular old open water diving

If you wanna do something technical or cave related, do SSI. They're less fun and more in your face, but they give you better information and make sure you know it so that you are safer and better trained. PADI is still helpful and gives you all the knowledge you need, but they are more laid back about it
 
The instructor matters most

Generally speaking though, PADI is nice and fun for just recreational regular old open water diving

If you wanna do something technical or cave related, do SSI. They're less fun and more in your face, but they give you better information and make sure you know it so that you are safer and better trained. PADI is still helpful and gives you all the knowledge you need, but they are more laid back about it

I trained with both and I agree completely with this. Great guidance/explained my experience(s) exactly.
 
The instructor matters most

Generally speaking though, PADI is nice and fun for just recreational regular old open water diving

If you wanna do something technical or cave related, do SSI. They're less fun and more in your face, but they give you better information and make sure you know it so that you are safer and better trained. PADI is still helpful and gives you all the knowledge you need, but they are more laid back about it
That is complete nonsense.

PADI and SSI are huge training agencies. Obviously, PAD is the biggest, but SSI is #2 and growing. In general (as I have taught for both agencies in the past), the materials and skills are quite similar.

You should have stopped at your first sentence, as it is about the instructor. There are differences in framework and business models, but that is something that most students will not notice. PADI also has their own tec program.

I generally advocate training across different agencies with different instructors that people interview to get details on exactly how their classes are going to be run to ensure there is a fit for goals.
 
That is complete nonsense.

PADI and SSI are huge training agencies. Obviously, PAD is the biggest, but SSI is #2 and growing. In general (as I have taught for both agencies in the past), the materials and skills are quite similar.

You should have stopped at your first sentence, as it is about the instructor. There are differences in framework and business models, but that is something that most students will not notice. PADI also has their own tec program.

I generally advocate training across different agencies with different instructors that people interview to get details on exactly how their classes are going to be run to ensure there is a fit for goals.
Same here. Started out as a NASDS instructor, went to SSI for work reasons, went to PADI , again went to where the work is. KTeaching someone to dive is same with all agencies , very little difference in standards. All about the skill of the instructor on how he / she runs the course.
 
The instructor matters most

Generally speaking though, PADI is nice and fun for just recreational regular old open water diving

If you wanna do something technical or cave related, do SSI. They're less fun and more in your face, but they give you better information and make sure you know it so that you are safer and better trained. PADI is still helpful and gives you all the knowledge you need, but they are more laid back about it

As others have said the first sentence is correct but the rest is not really true.

Both SSI and PADI train to WRSTC standards so the base material is likely to be pretty similar. How it is presented might change but the biggest thing to me is how the instructor deals with the material and how they interpret the standards. Two instructors , irrespective of agency, can read the same standard and have different views with regards to mastery of skills etc.

Some instructors will teach beyond the standard but others will just cover the bare minimum.

YMMV
 
Both SSI and PADI train to WRSTC standards so the base material is likely to be pretty similar.
5-6 years ago their standards were almost identical, and they matched the WRSTC standards. Since then PADI has added a significant amount to its OW course. I don't know if SSI has made any changes.

As for technical dive training, PADI did that through a subsidiary called DSAT, but it took over that program years ago and now teaches it under the PADI name. Although the name is new, it is the same program that was taught through DSAT for many years. Of course, there have been updates. For example, it has dropped the requirement for deep stop training in the trimix program due to recent research suggesting deep stops are not such a good idea. I do not know when SSI started teaching tech, but I believe it was fairly recently.
 
The instructor matters most

Generally speaking though, PADI is nice and fun for just recreational regular old open water diving

If you wanna do something technical or cave related, do SSI. They're less fun and more in your face, but they give you better information and make sure you know it so that you are safer and better trained. PADI is still helpful and gives you all the knowledge you need, but they are more laid back about it
I agree that it is the instructor that matters most, but to say SSI is less fun is questionable to say the least. I had great fun doing my SSI deep diver and nitrox. Most of the dive operators I use teach both SSI and PADI.
 
I trained with both and I agree completely with this. Great guidance/explained my experience(s) exactly.

I have also trained with both and completely DISAGREE with this except that it is all (almost) about the instructor.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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