which course is best?

[Louma]

I could do with a bit of help if possible, i'm looking into SCUBA courses with the intention of attending an expidition to the bahamas within a years time. My problem is which training program to i sign up for BSAC or PADI?

PADI is very widely recognised but expensive, i'm looking at least ~£500 to be trained to the level i need (advanced open water)

BSAC on the other hand can train me up to advanced open water level for £175 (which includes a years membership with a shed load of nifty extras and post qualification access to the pool at £1.50 an hour) but I don't think it's as widely recognised, i certainly hadn't heard of it before i started looking.

The problem is that i'll need to be able to hire equipment in the bahamas, would a BSAC be recognised in a PADI or NAUI dive shop?

thanks for any help you can give.[/QUOTE

I have nothing to do with BSAC but I know that their approach is one of the best ways to learn SCUBA, you'll be ready to dive when they say you are ready to dive. They have not succomed to using shortcuts to remain competitive. Have no fear, their certifications are honored worldwide.

 

[Ghandi]

Thanks louma.

 

[drew52]

I recently had a student who was a BSAC diver. Went to Mexico and they wouldn't recognise it so she did a PADI Dive Course. So I would say that although most places recognise bsac not all do.

 

[String]

BSAC on the other hand can train me up to advanced open water level for £175 (which includes a years membership with a shed load of nifty extras and post qualification access to the pool at £1.50 an hour) but I don't think it's as widely recognised, i certainly hadn't heard of it before i started looking.

The problem is that i'll need to be able to hire equipment in the bahamas, would a BSAC be recognised in a PADI or NAUI dive shop?

thanks for any help you can give.

BSAC is equally recognised anywhere on the planet as well as padi. There is no issue anywhere. If you really want you can get a CMAS card off them to prove the point although i've never needed it and dont know anyone that does. The qualification book states clearly what it allows and if they dont recognise CMAS (the effective governing body) its a cowboy outfit that doesnt deserve customers.

Also bsac dont have "advanced open water" level. Are you talking about Ocean Diver (first grade, 20m depth limit) or Sport Diver (2nd level, 35m depth, mandatory decompression allowed)?

Club or school? Im assuming school as if people are charging for courses as a club its illegal and breaches HSE regulations. Or is the £175 made up of £45 BSAC membership and the rest club membership? If thats the case it sounds about right.

If you want to learn to dive quickly the do PADI. If you're prepared to do it in a club environment which will take longer but give you far more dives by the time you're ready then BSAC is the way forward.
Also if you want to be allowed to do mandatory decompression then BSAC is the only option.

 

[Ghandi]

It's the ocean diver qualification at a club with the cost being club membership and BSAC membership, long time before the dive and i'd rather study in the environment a club would offer. Also like the price of learning since i've just come out of uni (Bangor, Wales) and hope to do an msc hence saving money is an important factor.

 

[String]

Ocean Diver is the basic level, roughly equivalent of padi AOW but has a 20m depth limit.
However if its a club environment they're more than likely to put you through ocean diver and sport diver in a few months (for no cost since you've already paid membership). Club membership will more than likely offer cheap local diving as well as most clubs own 1 or 2 boats and as they cant make a profit they're operated at just for-cost basis. It also means you'll be diving even outside training with more experienced buddys (and at OD level probably an instructor) so you're gaining experience as well as getting through the grades.


If you arent in a desperate rush to get trained which it seems you arent id recommend joining the club. Regular pool access is also great to check out kit and practice skills.

 

[robway034]

Here's my two cents
I'd worry more about the quality or professionalism of the instructor, than which certification agency they are affiliated with...the two tend to be mutually exclusive. You can find the most expert and professional instructors in any agency and you can also find the worst! There is no "gold standard" cert agency, so stop wasting your time on ,that arguement. I would pay more attention to the choice of instructor NOT THE AGENCY! I wonder if anyone from a smaller cert agency (meaning not PADI) has ever been denied accesss to dive? I have been around the world diving with guys/gals of various cert agencies and cert levels (SSI, NAUI, TDI...?) and its never been a problem for them to get on a boat and have fun. I have, however, noticed that thier attetion to safety was never indicative of who issued thier card!

The other advice offered by the others, previously within the post, is sound too...just tossing out my point of view for you to consider.

Regards,

Robway

 

[String]

BSAC he's likely to have 3 - 5 instructors and that number again as semi regular buddies.

 

[Prostar]

I have cards from PADI, NAUI and SDI. It works out kind of like this.

PADI card? Welcome board.
NAUI card? Welcome aboard.
SDI Card? Well, you get the point.

Go out and learn to dive well. You will be fine.

 

[rakkis]

BSAC is equally recognised anywhere on the planet as well as padi. There is no issue anywhere. If you really want you can get a CMAS card off them to prove the point although i've never needed it and dont know anyone that does. The qualification book states clearly what it allows and if they dont recognise CMAS (the effective governing body) its a cowboy outfit that doesnt deserve customers.

I would agree that CMAS should be recognized by most anyone in the industry. And yes.. if they don't, then they are excluding a huge number of divers. However CMAS is not the effective governing body of diving. There is no such thing. The only thing that comes close is RTSC (Recreational Scuba Training Council). And its only function is essentially coming up with consensus guidelines for its member agencies and diving as a whole. It does not hold any kind of power over any of the agencies.

BSAC however is not recognized "anywhere on the planet as well as padi". Should it be? Sure.... but the fact of the matter is that it is not.