Switching from PADI to SSI

[scubachris2]

Thinking About Switching from PADI to SSI – Looking for Input


Hey all,


I own a PADI 5-Star Dive Center in Missouri that's been affiliated with PADI for over 30 years. We've certified thousands of divers and always promoted the PADI brand proudly. That said, I'm seriously considering switching to SSI due to ongoing issues with customer service and support from PADI.


Lately, it's been really difficult to get any kind of meaningful response from our rep or the organization as a whole. It's frustrating, especially given the time, money, and effort we've put into representing the brand. I'm also concerned about the direction PADI seems to be heading—more corporate, less support-focused, and in some ways even competing with local shops through their own trip promotions.


I’ve started looking into SSI and like what I’m seeing so far—lower costs, better support, modern tools—but I’d love to hear from other dive shop owners or instructors who’ve made the switch (or considered it).

• How has the transition gone for you?
• Are students receptive to SSI?
• Any regrets?
• Does anyone operate both PADI and SSI under one roof?

Appreciate any insights. Not trying to start a brand war—just trying to do what’s best for my divers and staff.


Thanks in advance,
Chris Heitman
Scuba Adventure – Missouri

 

[ARScubaChef]

I'm an AI with SSI and love it. I've never worked under PADI but I'm sure that each have their own pros/cons. I do know there are some flexibility with SSI and it has been good for the local dive shop in Arkansas.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

There's been a surprising shift from PADI to SSI in some places, like Greece. According to one dive center owner that is a friend of mine, it was based on cost, not the flexibility of training. That is something I have personally experienced shortly after crossing over as I was teaching for a shop where we had 2 3-hour sessions to complete confined water training. Partway through the first session, I could no longer equalize. No problem as I shifted to surface skills. The next session I fortunately had no equalization issues and was able complete the course. If I was teaching for PADI I had two choices: violate standards by doing what I did or cancel the course. I think if given this choice, it is obvious what I and any other sane person would choose.

 

[Capt I]

Thinking About Switching from PADI to SSI – Looking for Input


Hey all,


I own a PADI 5-Star Dive Center in Missouri that's been affiliated with PADI for over 30 years. We've certified thousands of divers and always promoted the PADI brand proudly. That said, I'm seriously considering switching to SSI due to ongoing issues with customer service and support from PADI.


Lately, it's been really difficult to get any kind of meaningful response from our rep or the organization as a whole. It's frustrating, especially given the time, money, and effort we've put into representing the brand. I'm also concerned about the direction PADI seems to be heading—more corporate, less support-focused, and in some ways even competing with local shops through their own trip promotions.


I’ve started looking into SSI and like what I’m seeing so far—lower costs, better support, modern tools—but I’d love to hear from other dive shop owners or instructors who’ve made the switch (or considered it).

• How has the transition gone for you?
• Are students receptive to SSI?
• Any regrets?
• Does anyone operate both PADI and SSI under one roof?

Appreciate any insights. Not trying to start a brand war—just trying to do what’s best for my divers and staff.


Thanks in advance,
Chris Heitman
Scuba Adventure – Missouri

FWIW, here's a student perspective: originally, I got certified under PADI up through deep diver, some 22 years ago. I then got my whole family certified (wife & 2 daughters). At the time, of course, as a new student, you're naive to the different agencies and I didn't really have a choice among them, frankly, for where I was. Fortunately I had a really good instructor. We dove avidly for a while, and then needs of career, put diving on hold for a few years. Having since retired and now able to pursue our interests, my wife and I resurrected our diving passion and hooked up with Diventures in Columbia, which, as you probably know, is an SSI organization. At the time, I did look at PADI and decided that we probably should go SSI because of the different (better) emphasis on knowledge that I saw in the SSI training curricula. Plus, I saw that, from a student & diver perspective, PADI was earning that "put another dollar in" moniker. I found it annoying, and saw that SSI was less focused on squeezing $ out if people. Of course, the quality of the instructors and how they approach teaching has a lot to do with the satisfaction that a student has in taking a course, and I and my wife been very, very satisfied with what we have found at the Diventures shop in Columbia. Further, I'm impressed with the level of knowledge and thoroughness of the discussions & content presented in the training materials (both Imperial and Metric) as well as the maturity of the phone app (though there are aspects of the web based app that needs some polishing!). Bottom line, we're committed to SSI to the point that both my wife and I are pursuing our DMs with them. Hope this helps! Good luck!!

 

[Edward3c]

Disclosure: I’m the former BSAC Chair.

We setup a licensee BSAC Egypt, as a consequence PADI issued a mandate that no PADI operation could jointly sell another agency’s courses. Although initially in Egypt the policy is being zemblanitly enforced in other areas. However, we have shops selling our courses alongside other agencies, like Underwater Tulum, in Mexico.

 

[paddydiver]

I've been a PADI instructor for years. As you are a Dive Centre, yes, switch to SSI. Over the years I've seen PADI become increasingly distant from the people that are supposed to make up their 'community' i.e. Instructors and Dive Centres. You cannot escape the feeling that you are the product and not part of the organisation. Selling Dive Trips directly was the final piss take, As mentioned above the training program is also pretty rigid and slow to change and whether Instructors admit it or not many are always tweaking or violating PADI's system to get the course taught. PADI of course don't really care as long as the money is pouring in and nothing bad happens. On top of this I find their new PRO's website a total mess and their teaching material was always a bit meh.

For an Instructor to switch, for the moment, it's still a bit of an issue. PADI is still more widespread. It still gives you the flexibility to teach as an independent Instructor and in many places it's expected that you are PADI qualified (PADI Instructor that is, from my experience running liveaboards no one cares what agency you got certified with).

 

[diver257a]

Edward

...
We setup a licensee BSAC Egypt, as a consequence PADI issued a mandate that no PADI operation could jointly sell another agency’s courses. Although initially in Egypt the policy is being zemblanitly enforced in other areas...

Never heard or seen the word ‘Zemblanity’ before, but after checking online, I think it is a good choice as an adverb in your post.

 

[GDHLEWIS]

Disclosure: I’m the former BSAC Chair.

We setup a licensee BSAC Egypt, as a consequence PADI issued a mandate that no PADI operation could jointly sell another agency’s courses. Although initially in Egypt the policy is being zemblanitly enforced in other areas. However, we have shops selling our courses alongside other agencies, like Underwater Tulum, in Mexico.

PADI threatened at least 1 of the larger operators in Qatar as they were advertising SSI. Heard the same across the Middle East

 

[Mobulai]

How I see it (as a user/customer, with friends in the dive industry):
PADI<SSI<else
SSI will be an improvement on the horribly monopolistic ways of PADI, and they’re doing well by their “people” — for now

But SSI is also growing strong, big, and a part of a “scary” conglomerate (HEAD, which owns Mares, Revo, Liveabord, and now Aqualung); doesn’t give me too much comfort in their POTENTIAL choices down the line.. but it could go eitherway

I’d recommend SDI as a safe bet. TDI gave me the best experience as a user (vs SSI and Padi)

BTW: there is a forum here on SB for professionals (with subs for operators, ITs…); you might get better answers/advice for your poll there:

Scuba Industry Professionals: Instructor to Instructor, Business to Business, and forums dedicated to support diving.
Scuba Industry Pros

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I'm not going to vote in your poll as I don't really quality for those you want feedback from and I don't love the options.

As a former PADI pro member (just a divemaster, not an AI or Inst), I really do not like what PADI has become. SSI has grown immensely over the past 5-10 years because of PADI's short sighted decisions.

However, SSI has its own issues. I don't like the way they push student gear sales that most benefit the dive center in a borderline unethical manner, nor do I like the fact that they are owned by a large conglomerate. The two really go hand-in-hand and as they continue to grow in size and influence, I'm not encouraged by the thought.

Similar to the poster above, I too would vote for SDI/TDI. Yes, they are quite a bit smaller than PADI and SSI, but they are still a very strong and solid agency. They seem to have improved their materials and systems and from what I've heard from instructors who also teach through SDI, they have very strong standards. The shop I use in SWFL (SCUBAdventures in Naples) is exclusively an SDI shop, plus the dive shops I use in SEFL & the Keys (Force-E and Horizon Divers) are SDI shops along with SSI (Force-E) and PADI (Horizon).