SSI/ PADI Crossover Questions

[wetb4igetinthewater]

My goal is to simply become a better dive for myself, and more importantly, my buddies

Then definitely go the DIR route (or BSAC if available) with GUE as they are all about precision skills and team diving. Even if you have no interest in tech diving, work on a GUE fundies tech pass.

In your situation, becoming a dive pro makes no sense and will not help you with your goals really. I was an IDC staff instructor when I took fundies and it was the coldest shower of my life. If my goals were your goals, I would have saved time and money just sticking to their training.

 

[tursiops]

My apologies to all for my horse riding of agency bashing, that's the problem of vague subjective standards. Mastery is sometimes interpreted as "didn't drown."

That might be somebody's definition, but it is not PADI's. They clearly state in the Instructor Manual:

During confined and open water dives, mastery is defined​

as performing the skill so it meets the stated performance​

requirements in a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable​

manner as would be expected of a diver at that certification level.​

 

[Wibble]

That might be somebody's definition, but it is not PADI's. They clearly state in the Instructor Manual:

During confined and open water dives, mastery is defined​

as performing the skill so it meets the stated performance​

requirements in a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable​

manner ​

Hmm. "...as would be expected of a diver at that certification level."

That's not a normal definition of mastery, it's somewhat of a cop out effectively changing the definition to "relative mastery". Mastery, certainly IMHO, is someone who can demonstrate that skill to a high standard of competence.

Finning for example. Mastery of finning is someone who is competent on all strokes including backfinning. Absolute Mastery as it were. Relative mastery might be someone who can flap their legs around and move forwards, as per an Open Water level. Is that actually mastery? What about "mastery" of buoyancy?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Hmm. "...as would be expected of a diver at that certification level."

That's not a normal definition of mastery, it's somewhat of a cop out effectively changing the definition to "relative mastery". Mastery, certainly IMHO, is someone who can demonstrate that skill to a high standard of competence.

Finning for example. Mastery of finning is someone who is competent on all strokes including backfinning. Absolute Mastery as it were. Relative mastery might be someone who can flap their legs around and move forwards, as per an Open Water level. Is that actually mastery? What about "mastery" of buoyancy?

some instructors (of all agencies with subjective definitions of mastery) translate that to "Student didn't drown performing skill while thrashing like a seal caught in the jaws of a shark". Agencies don't get involved with how instructors translate.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

That might be somebody's definition, but it is not PADI's. They clearly state in the Instructor Manual:

During confined and open water dives, mastery is defined​

as performing the skill so it meets the stated performance​

requirements in a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable​

manner as would be expected of a diver at that certification level.​

As I stated above, the definition is vague. it can, and has, been interpreted as just completing a skill. Some people have very low expectations of open water divers, so what they expect is not the same as what good instructors expect. If agencies, and I mean all agencies, with subjective standards published videos of newly certified divers performing skills "appropriate for that certification level", it would go a long way.

But enforcement of such would result in fewer certifications and therefore less revenue, so it isn't going to happen.

 

[Wibble]

Do wonder if they confused mastery with mediocrity. One wonders what they confused advanced with?

 

[Robert H. Diver]

If you are SSI, DO NOT take the padi “advanced” class. It’s just a sampler of 4-5 different dives and doesn’t really help you any. Take the SSI specialties that your interested in. It’ll be an actual class.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Do wonder if they confused mastery with mediocrity. One wonders what they confused advanced with?

There's so many champions of mediocrity I don't know where to even begin. But they can always sell their customers yet another classI. I personally prefer to focus on quality and fewer courses. And base my business on referrals. But that's just me

 

[Beate]

I was wondering the same, as I am going for my AOW with padi, I have Ow, nitrox with SSI. But it seems that padi is a better option and everywhere.

 

[Marie13]

I was wondering the same, as I am going for my AOW with padi, I have Ow, nitrox with SSI. But it seems that padi is a better option and everywhere.

If all you’re doing is taking recreational diving classes, it literally does not matter. However, PADI may not not count dives from other agencies’ specialties towards AOW, from what friends have told me they’ve run into.