What has Happened to PADI

[GrandpaScuba]

I am not PADI, I'm SSI and I have to say SSI has always been responsive to me. I am currently in "Retired" status and still get regular updates from SSI.

That said, when writing in to a big organization with a complaint there are a couple things to remember. First, it helps if you can address your communication to a specific individual. In this case, whoever is in charge of curriculum at PADI. At SSI we have a top executive who is in charge of the program. Second, if you are expecting a reply, you really need to make that clear. You need to ask a specific question or say something like "please send me your thoughts on..." Lastly, complaints to an organization by someone in that organization, shouldn't just complain, but contain specific recommendations to fix the problem.

 

[The Chairman]

PADI doesn't certify divers: instructors do. Instructors from the same agency can teach quite differently and there's nothing wrong with that. Just as instructors need to make sure their agency fits them, you need to make sure the instructor fits YOU. If English is a second language, it just doesn't make sense to hire an instructor who only speaks English. There are enough conceptual barriers teaching Scuba with a common language that you certainly don't need to make it worse with a language mismatch. That's a decision that just has "FAIL" and "FRUSTRATION" written all over it.

As for PADI locking you out when you are no longer an instructor, that's par for every agency I know of. They have enough problems with posers trying to pass themselves off as being current for them to allow non-instructors to access the instructor's back room.