Taking SDI/TDI courses with a

[GearheadExplorer85]

Any reason to not take the PADI versions?

With PADI AOW, you're doing sampler dives of different specialties. But you don't get any of the specialty qualifications at the end. Your basically leaving with a card saying you're advanced when that is not necessarily the case.

With the SDI Advanced Diver program, you do 4 FULL specialty courses that go into more detail. TDI Nitrox also goes beyond the scope of recreational nitrox. You're also required to complete 25 dives to get the rating. So, you're leaving a more knowledgeable and skilled diver. This is what I'm after...the knowledge, skill, and experience to back up that advanced card.

I'm wondering if a way around this would be to take the 4 individual specialty courses through PADI, do the required experience dives, and get the SDI Advanced retroactively. SDI accepts PADI specialty qualifications as equivalent. But I don't think it works the other way around.

At the same time, I'm wondering if I should give up on this whole SDI training idea, settle for AOW, and call it a day if I can't access the training I want.

 

[went_postal]

With PADI AOW, you're doing sampler dives of different specialties. But you don't get any of the specialty qualifications at the end. Your basically leaving with a card saying you're advanced when that is not necessarily the case.

With the SDI Advanced Diver program, you do 4 FULL specialty courses that go into more detail. TDI Nitrox also goes beyond the scope of recreational nitrox. You're also required to complete 25 dives to get the rating. So, you're leaving a more knowledgeable and skilled diver. This is what I'm after...the knowledge, skill, and experience to back up that advanced card.

I'm wondering if a way around this would be to take the 4 individual specialty courses through PADI, do the required experience dives, and get the SDI Advanced retroactively. SDI accepts PADI specialty qualifications as equivalent. But I don't think it works the other way around.

At the same time, I'm wondering if I should give up on this whole SDI training idea, settle for AOW, and call it a day if I can't access the training I want.

So... SDI has a similar thing called Advanced Adventure that is like the PADI AOW you described... I believe SSI calls it the same thing. Though with SDI it's not entirely pointless... it does expose you to navigation, deep, and other stuff. When you get Advanced Adventurer via SDI it does extend your depth.

SDI OW - 60 feet
SDI AA - 100 feet
SDI Deep - 130 feet

I thought I heard that most of the agencies only accept two specialties from others... that may differ from agency to agency.

 

[VikingDives]

Thanks for the response! I'm just trying to figure out the lay of the land and making sure that I'm not inadvertently doing something wrong.

A month ago, I contacted this instructor to do refresher training and the SDI Advanced Diver development program back-to-back. We chatted in the shop a couple of times and had good rapport. Then we did the pool refresher two weeks ago and everything went well.

After the refresher, we went back and forth through email and agreed to do the SDI Navigation, Deep, Wreck, and TDI Nitrox courses. I'm waiting for him to send me pricing, course codes, and confirmation that I'm booked in for the practical portions. It's been two weeks and I haven't heard anything. So, I started the Navigation eLearning in the meantime and let him know this. But he asked me to hold off on buying more courses until he sends me the codes (which I still haven't received). Apparently, he is waiting for the shop he works at to do something. But if these SDI/TDI instructors are free agents like you said, I'm not understanding what the complication is. This is what prompted me to write the OP.

It's super aggravating because I've been trying to get this training done for two years and it's been non-stop roadblock after roadblock. This is the last shop near me with a staff member that teaches SDI/TDI. I love this hobby a lot. I'm willing and able to pay for quality training. I'm not against paying for private lessons either. But how does one stay active in a hobby when the shops won't help their customers?

You can take 4 courses from any agency and get the sdi Advanced diver... look for SSI shops in your area - they should have the courses you're looking for. That said, if you want to DM me and take a road trip, I can hook you up as soon as next week. . . There are probably instructors who are closer, but it sucks when you can't get what you want and I get it.

 

[GearheadExplorer85]

Hi all, I just wanted to provide an update. I decided to forget about this whole SDI advanced diver idea for now. The weekend before last, I made a three-hour drive to take the PADI AOW instead. I used Pacific Pro Dive in Courtenay, BC. I'm very happy with the level of service and instruction I got there. I'm still going to do full specialties later on. Now that I have AOW, it at least opens doors to allow me to do more local sites, trips abroad, liveaboards, etc.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

So... SDI has a similar thing called Advanced Adventure that is like the PADI AOW you described... I believe SSI calls it the same thing. Though with SDI it's not entirely pointless... it does expose you to navigation, deep, and other stuff. When you get Advanced Adventurer via SDI it does extend your depth.

SDI OW - 60 feet
SDI AA - 100 feet
SDI Deep - 130 feet

I thought I heard that most of the agencies only accept two specialties from others... that may differ from agency to agency.

Those depths are for training courses only.
Every OW diver is certified to 130 ft - the accepted recreational limits.
When I taught as a YMCA instructor, OW included gas management and rescue skills as well as emergency deco procedures.

I ran into many people who thought that their OW card meant they could not go deeper than 60 ft. And if I were acting as an instructor or guide, I would not take an OW diver deeper than 60 ft.

And when I got certified as an OW diver, I was given the impression that to go deeper than 60 ft, I needed AOW or Deep. The same instructor told me I needed AOW or night to dive at night.

Neither of those was true. Those impressions were designed to sell additional training.

Nothing stops an OW diver from diving to 100 or 130 ft if they have the gas and experience to do it. When I taught OW, I made sure that if my students decided to do this, they had the skills and knowledge to. I strongly advised them to work up to those depths over a number of dives. But they knew they did not have to come back to get a card to do them.

If they wanted to, that was fine, and I made sure the AOW class gave them more knowledge and skills.

Ops requiring AOW to allow you to dive on deeper sites is not about making sure you know what you are doing. They are covering their butt so that if you do screw up and die, it's on you. They can say "He had the card."

So, those courses are supposed to give you more knowledge and a few extra dives with an instructor. But they don't "extend" your depth. You were always certed to 130 ft. And now you can do that in other training dives. But you don't need it to do them.

As for the night diving I mentioned, what do you need to do that? An underwater flashlight. Period. It helps to know how to use a compass or a line and reel, but you always have the option to pop your head up to see where you are.

 

[went_postal]

Those depths are for training courses only.
Every OW diver is certified to 130 ft - the accepted recreational limits.
When I taught as a YMCA instructor, OW included gas management and rescue skills as well as emergency deco procedures.

I ran into many people who thought that their OW card meant they could not go deeper than 60 ft. And if I were acting as an instructor or guide, I would not take an OW diver deeper than 60 ft.

And when I got certified as an OW diver, I was given the impression that to go deeper than 60 ft, I needed AOW or Deep. The same instructor told me I needed AOW or night to dive at night.

Neither of those was true. Those impressions were designed to sell additional training.

Nothing stops an OW diver from diving to 100 or 130 ft if they have the gas and experience to do it. When I taught OW, I made sure that if my students decided to do this, they had the skills and knowledge to. I strongly advised them to work up to those depths over a number of dives. But they knew they did not have to come back to get a card to do them.

If they wanted to, that was fine, and I made sure the AOW class gave them more knowledge and skills.

Ops requiring AOW to allow you to dive on deeper sites is not about making sure you know what you are doing. They are covering their butt so that if you do screw up and die, it's on you. They can say "He had the card."

So, those courses are supposed to give you more knowledge and a few extra dives with an instructor. But they don't "extend" your depth. You were always certed to 130 ft. And now you can do that in other training dives. But you don't need it to do them.

As for the night diving I mentioned, what do you need to do that? An underwater flashlight. Period. It helps to know how to use a compass or a line and reel, but you always have the option to pop your head up to see where you are.

So (imho) it's not just to sell more training... but to also give dive centers / boat owners coverage when something goes sideways with a diver. (as you more or less stated). I agree a lot of the training has a wicked amount of overlap (and depending on where/who you do it with) it can get crazy expensive.

Additionally... Almost all the diving course require more dive time with an instructor. And honestly... I don't think that's a bad thing. What is OW at this point? 4 dives? I am sure there are people that are part dolphin where after 4 dives they could hop in the water and go wherever they want without any issues... but that's probably the exception and not the rule. So more "supervised" diving with an instructor in a controlled setting is not a horrible thing in my personal opinion.

And as a friend of mine that wants to start diving pointed out... there's no scuba police. So if someone want to get the gear, get on their own boat, and jump in the water without ANY training... they can. The only "penalty" would be if they make a mistake and something goes wrong.

In the classes that I've taken there has been a bunch of overlap... but they all had new information that was helpful. (To be fair I think the most informative class I had was Nitrox (aside from the original OW)).

So yeah... a lot of it is CYA for Dive Centers and Boats... but it's also CYA for you as well (imho) so that you gain more experience and knowledge before just going for the limits.