Which agency?

[Norboo]

All things being equal (instructors and facility), if you can start over again or which agency would you recommend to a friend? Which agency would you pick for Advance Open Water Certification?

Any additional comments are always welcome. If you have selected other, care to share which agency? Thank you

 

[Charlie99]

If the instructors and facility are truly equal, then PADI wins because they have better training material.

In real life, though, the attitude and skill of the instructor far outweighs everything else, except the attitude of the student.

AOW can vary from a very perfunctory course where you learn little to a very intensive and rewarding course. It depends a lot upon how YOU approach the course, and expectations you set for the instructor.

 

[tedwhiteva]

Charlie 99 hit it on the head - its all about the instructor, and a little about the facility. To me, the advantage of NAUI is the greater flexibility allowed the instructor.

 

[Walter]

I don't recommend AOW, I would recommend a class with more meat to it. LA County's Advanced Diver program is perhaps the best on the planet. If you don't live in southern California, the best program would be YMCA's Silver Advanced. Don't bother with their AOW, it's similar to other agencies' AOW and is not worth taking either.

PADI & YMCA AOW includes 5 dives with very little academics. NAUI's AOW includes 6 dives and more in depth academics. YMCA's Silver Advanced includes 10 dives and excellent academics. SSI doesn't have an advanced course, their Advanced certification is similar to PADI's Master Diver program. You complete a certain number of dives/specialties and the buy the card. The card itself is meaningless as it doesn't represent an actual class.

 

[scubatoys]

If the instructors and facility are truly equal, then PADI wins because they have better training material.

I might argue the better training material comment. I much prefer the Naui text to the Padi text. Ever since Padi started allowing 10 year olds to take the class, the text sorta' became "see fish - see fish swim".

I prefer text that includes information on Pneumothorax, Tissue Emphysema, Arterial Gas Embolism, etc instead of "lung overexpansion injury".

But that might be a personal preference.

 

[Norboo]

I might argue the better training material comment. I much prefer the Naui text to the Padi text. Ever since Padi started allowing 10 year olds to take the class, the text sorta' became "see fish - see fish swim".

I prefer text that includes information on Pneumothorax, Tissue Emphysema, Arterial Gas Embolism, etc instead of "lung overexpansion injury".

But that might be a personal preference.

Seems PADI is investing into future market shares

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I might argue the better training material comment. I much prefer the Naui text to the Padi text. Ever since Padi started allowing 10 year olds to take the class, the text sorta' became "see fish - see fish swim".

I prefer text that includes information on Pneumothorax, Tissue Emphysema, Arterial Gas Embolism, etc instead of "lung overexpansion injury".

But that might be a personal preference.

Or to put it a different way ... given the same activity or skill, PADI emphasizes what you should do, while NAUI emphasizes why you should do it. One is more practical application, while the other is more contextual.

For example, on the topic of bouyancy control, the PADI materials emphasize the need to add air to your BCD as you descend and release air as you ascend. NAUI materials begin the topic with an overview of Boyle's Law.

Which is the more effective approach depends entirely on ...

a) your learning style
b) your instructor's effectiveness in presenting the material

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Charlie99]

PADI also has a variety of media, including videos for those that are more visually oriented. Read it in a book. See it in a video. Hear it from the instructor. Do it under his supervision. Hopefully, at least one of those teaching methods works for each individual.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

PADI also has a variety of media, including videos for those that are more visually oriented. Read it in a book. See it in a video. Hear it from the instructor. Do it under his supervision. Hopefully, at least one of those teaching methods works for each individual.

FWIW - Depending on the class, NAUI instructional materials also include videos, as well as audio cassettes.

However, a good instructor doesn't just rehash your instructional materials ... and you shouldn't just base your decision on the quality of the materials that come from the agency. A good instructor will use the instructional materials as a platform upon which to build the course curriculum ... and will provide the context around which to learn from the materials the agency provides.

For the most part, regardless of agency, the stuff you get from the agencies doesn't really go into much depth, nor does it teach you much about diving in the cold, limited vis conditions that many of us learn how to dive in ... that's where the value of a good instructor really becomes apparent.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jbd]

All things being equal (instructors and facility), if you can start over again or which agency would you recommend to a friend? Which agency would you pick for Advance Open Water Certification?

Any additional comments are always welcome. If you have selected other, care to share which agency? Thank you

I prefer NAUI's approach, which is why I switched.

Since reality is that not all facilities, shops or instructors are equal; I would in all seriousness recommend that you take the AOW course as taught by NWGratefulDiver. It might be a long commute but I think you would be very well satisfied with the content of the course.