SSI/ PADI Crossover Questions

[MWright254]

Hello!

I am certified OW and Nitrox through SSI. My LDS is SSI. I'm headed to Cozumel and thinking about taking the PADI advanced course while I'm there. The company I'm diving with is PADI.

So, if I take the PADI Advanced course and do night dive, deep, navigation, fish ID, and either boat diving or buoyancy, would those translate to individual SSI specialities? Or do I have to take PADI Specialty courses instead of the Advanced program?

Any other info on this cross over would be much appreciated!

 

[formernuke]

PADI advanced is not those speciality courses. It is one dive of each think of it as a intro to those courses.

So if you want those certs you will need to take them either through PADI or SSI. Once you have a cert it is recognized across each agency until you get to DM and instructor.

My advice is unless you need advanced to get on charters (some require it for certain dives) find a good instructor and just take bouyancy and for your water temps from what I've heard drysuit.

 

[scubaozy]

Aowd course consists of 5 adventure dives, if you complete that, you receive aowd certification. At the same time each adventure dive is the first dive of corresponding specialty, so if you did deep adventure dive during aowd certification, this will count as credit towards deep diver specialty.
A2B crossovers recognize full certification, not part of it and usually if you are A you can enroll to next higher equivalent course of B.
If you complete aowd during your dive holiday you will unlock access to more dive sites due increased depth limits. I would drop fish id and boat dive in favor of something more useful like peak performance buoyancy, search and recovery, drift etc.

 

[P-Dog]

PADI advanced is not those speciality courses. It is one dive of each think of it as a intro to those courses.

So if you want those certs you will need to take them either through PADI or SSI. Once you have a cert it is recognized across each agency until you get to DM and instructor.

My advice is unless you need advanced to get on charters (some require it for certain dives) find a good instructor and just take bouyancy and for your water temps from what I've heard drysuit.

So...SSI and PADI do not recognize DM or instructors across agencies? That's good to know. I'm searching the threads looking for an answer to that question right now as I consider getting my DM. I've had my PADI certifications since 1994. It would be a pain to change agencies now.

 

[formernuke]

So...SSI and PADI do not recognize DM or instructors across agencies? That's good to know. I'm searching the threads looking for an answer to that question right now as I consider getting my DM. I've had my PADI certifications since 1994. It would be a pain to change agencies now.

I don't know exactly what at the pro level is recognized. I know that before pro level they are recognized.

 

[P-Dog]

I don't know exactly what at the pro level is recognized. I know that before pro level they are recognized.

Oh. Shoot. I thought you were saying they recognized until DM and Instructor. I misunderstood your post. Time to keep searching for information!

 

[formernuke]

Oh. Shoot. I thought you were saying they recognized until DM and Instructor. I misunderstood your post. Time to keep searching for information!

Me to as I'm going pro

 

[Diverlady13]

I'd skip fish ID and take Peak Performance Buoyancy. Fish you can learn about as you dive and the buoyancy class, if taught correctly, is really useful. The Deep dive is required, I believe, and I think Navigation is as well. Things could have changed in the last couple of years thought.

Also note that not every option is available in every location, so check with your chosen dive op to see which of the adventure dives they do. The great thing is that each of these dives counts as the first dive toward that specialty, so if you do want to get specialties in any of those areas you've already got one dive under your belt. Some complete specialties (ex. drift diver) only require 2 dives, so you'd be half way there if you want a specialty certification. I'm not a card collector, but some of the specialties can be helpful, IMO. PADI issues the Master Diver certification based on completing a certain number (5??) of specialties. That might not be of interest to you, though, if you intend to carry on with SSI later.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What's your goal? If you find a good instructor from any agency, take the course.

If going pro, be sure you really want to. The ROI is nonexistent unless you are independent (and teach like crazy) or plan to open your own dive center.

 

[formernuke]

Peak Performance Buoyancy.

This. A good bouyancy class will be the best class you ever take even if it doesn't count for a cert.