Will PADI Recognize SSI specialties (Perfect Bouyancy)

[Str8shooter]

Have opportunity to take SSI Perfect Buoyancy this Friday have set personal goal to get Master Diver by April this year by end of March before trip to Cozumel in April and need two more specialties for total of five already have AOW, Rescue Diver along with three PADI Specialties (Wreck, Dry Suit, & Enriched Air). Don't care which dive agency I get specialties with as long as PADI will recognize them for Master Diver. taking suggestions for other specialty courses I should look at that will make me a better diver. I have 234 logged dives and in the neighborhood of 100-150 dives that I failed to log that were in my Suunto Cobra Dive computer (stuck in perpetual dive mode till battery died) that I failed to log before it died and I cant retrieve dive data.

 

[scubadada]

I don't believe PADI will accept specialties from other agencies to qualify for MSD

 

[JohnnyC]

Is there any particular reason you want the Master Diver certification?

Unfortunately it really is a participation trophy. I know a couple people that have it that are terrible divers, nothing "master" about anything they do, and quite a few who are fantastic divers that never went beyond AOW. It's not a prerequisite for anything so you're really just paying so you can put another card in the dive wallet, and it's not like a course where you can pick up some knowledge. If it's something you want to do, go for it, I just don't really see the need to pay for what is essentially a useless certification.

And you'd still need to do another specialty, I haven't renewed my professional stuff in a bit so I can't look anything up, but as far as I remember PADI does not accept others agencies specialty certifications as valid towards Master.

 

[Tokenwiz]

I'm not sure if the specialities cross over in this regard but my advice would be to focus less on the Master Diver Certification and more on acquiring the skills and experience. In all honesty I think the PADI Master Diver rating is pretty much a card that doesn't get you anything aside from recognition (I did get it myself along the way but I don't think I've ever shown it to anyone for any reason). The specialities that really count are Rescue, Nitrox, and Advanced Open Water but what's far more important is building and demonstrating your experience. The best experience in my opinion comes from diving with great divers as buddies.

My personal advice is to work on building your experience, training doesn't make you a better diver alone, it gives you the tools to begin learning through experience. If you feel like you've acquired the skills you want and you're ready then consider an introductory technical diving class - that should push your in-water skills and see how well you have your basics and buoyancy down as a platform to start adding some of the task loading that comes with the more advanced skills.

 

[tursiops]

No, PADI recognizes PADI specialties only, for MSD.

 

[tridacna]

The OP has 400 dives. Not sure why someone with that many dives is considering doing this. If you want to perfect your bouyancy do a GUE course.

 

[Str8shooter]

It’s just a goal. Won’t stop taking courses. Dive any chance I get with divers of all cert levels. Just want to expand knowledge. Realize MD is not a skill building cert. just a milestone along the way. Don’t want to get dive master but I do want to expand my skills as a diver. Always learn every time I dive still practice all basic skills learned in OW, AOW on most dives. Sorry to hear MD doesn’t add to those skills, figured there would be at least a couple of dives to demonstrate required skills or at least a knowledge test. Thanks for the info!

 

[northernone]

It’s just a goal. Won’t stop taking courses. Dive any chance I get with divers of all cert levels. Just want to expand knowledge. Realize MD is not a skill building cert. just a milestone along the way. Don’t want to get dive master but I do want to expand my skills as a diver. Always learn every time I dive still practice all basic skills learned in OW, AOW on most dives. Sorry to hear MD doesn’t add to those skills, figured there would be at least a couple of dives to demonstrate required skills or at least a knowledge test. Thanks for the info!

Yes, it's great to continue learning!

As already mentioned about the master diver card. There isn't a skill or knowledge based component, but rather it's an acknowledgment you can purchase showing you've passed 5 Padi specialty courses. A milestone card like a loyalty plaque for year served.

With this in mind, it is necessary to Padi courses.

A buoyancy class can (if well taught) be incredibly valuable.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[yle]

As already mentioned about the master diver card. There isn't a skill or knowledge based component, but rather it's an acknowledgments you've passed 5 Padi specialty courses. A milestone card like a loyalty plaque for year served.

This ^ ^ ^

The "master scuba diver" card is not really an achievement; it's more of PADI's way of saying "thanks for being a loyal customer."

Of course your have to pay PADI for that extra MSD card... you have to pay them so they will thank you for taking a lot of PADI courses. If you want to spend your money on that, PADI will gladly take it.

Disclosure: so that no one has to suggest I'm agency bashing, I'm a PADI instructor. And I'm not bashing PADI here... I'm simply explaining what MSD is without the clever PADI marketing.

 

[BoltSnap]

If you want to move your diving skill and knowledge levels up to much higher levels, entry-level instructor level without the teaching credentials, take the NAUI "Master Scuba Diver" course. NAUI's MSD is a real course with very heavy academic knowledge and skills training. NAUI's MSD is the only "MSD" course in the industry that has actual content at its advanced level, it is without an equal in the recreational dive industry.