Your Opinion On SSI

[venturediver]

So here's the question,
I know that all dive certification agencies have their ups and downs. Everyone probably has their own preference, and is partial to whomever they are certified by. However, I would like to get a general consensus on what you folks think about SSI as a certifying agency. Personal and/or educated opinions are welcome. If you have a personal educated opinion, that would be really great. Thanks.

 

[El Orans]

Don't forget to do a search on Google using the following criteria "SSI site:scubaboard.com".

 

[Marek K]

Our background: Wife and I were PADI-certified in the mid-80's. 14-year-old son was PADI-certified in 2004, with me auditing as a refresher. 12-year-old daughter was SSI-certified last year, with my wife auditing as a refresher -- but I read the entire SSI OW manual.

My layperson impressions? Both programs get you to the same point, and it really does depend on the instructor. Others may disagree, and certainly will.

There are minor differences... the SSI curriculum didn't seem to be as structured as PADI's. By that I mean to say that it was sometime difficult to tell, just reading the SSI book, what the skill and knowledge elements were. With PADI, there are chapter summaries with pre-quizzes, as well as sample tests... if you're surprised by anything on the test, that just means you haven't been doing your homework... and that's a hit on you.

Another example of "structure" was OOA procedures... PADI lays out what procedures to do, and in what priority. SSI doesn't. (I understand that circumstances may require a modification to those standard procedures, by they're good for a beginning student.)

Related to that is my impression that SSI seems a bit more flexible regarding air sharing. PADI at least implies that the "school solution" is to offer the octopus. SSI specifically allows for the option of offering the primary.

Tables are a bit different, with different pressure groups -- which can be a bit confusing. But it's a transferable skill.

Actual table use was stressed and drilled a lot with PADI... there are many different problems on the PADI tests, always including missing surface interval problems that force you to work the tables backwards as well as forwards. I'm not sure how extensively table use is taught or tested under SSI, but SSI is kind of known for de-emphasizing table use. That's also the impression I got from the manual.

Again, I don't think any of these variations makes one of the agencies overall "better" than the other -- but again, some will disagree.

Why do you ask?

Oh... at the end of her SSI training, our daughter had to do a crossover to PADI for her certification dives (the Universal Referral System is a whole 'nuther topic). But I worked through the PADI sample tests with her at home, and she aced the PADI test.

--Marek

 

[garyfotodiver]

Well, let's see now... My daughter did PADI OW about three years ago. I have taken several SSI advanced coursed during the past two years. I also did the PADI refresher course in 1995.

It is all the instructor. I enjoyed working with the PADI instructor in '95 and learned a lot about the new ideas and techniques that developed since I first certified in 1970. Neither my daughter nor I thought much of her classroom and CW instructors. She did a referral for her check-out dives with a large dive shop in Florida (which has switched since to SSI).

Now I travel 120+ round trip to train with a particular SSI instructor. He, like me, is an "old-school" diver and I relate to him more than to a younger instructor.

I like the philosophy and the attitude that I find on the SSI website and with the SSI HQ personnel with whom I have spoken.

 

[diveman7683]

I'm a PADI Divemaster doing my crossover to SSI Dive Control Specialist. The biggest thing I like about SSI is the structured element of the courses. SSI rewards you for experience not read a book and heres another card. An example: to be considered an AOW diver, you need 24 logged dive and 2 specialties. As for the OW book, there are chapter summaries with pre-quizzes. You need to fill these in and hand them in by the end of the course.
Table use is also stessed, at least at my LDS. Same with OOA, we teach only to give Safe Second.
But all in all, I prefer SSI over PADI this is just my opinion.

 

[andydiver06]

Are SSI Courses Price wise cheaper than PADI Courses ?

 

[dbg40]

In general, SSI has always been a more in depth course, that (used to at least) makes you display your skills, and hold's you to the SUCCESSFUL completion of them. They did'nt let you get under the radar. Years ago, an SSI B-card (NASDS) was considered an A card with other agencies. And in fact, all B card holders with SSI were issued an A card when SSI took over NASDS and the standards were leveled out between the agencies.

 

[Gary D.]

They are all just fine. Some differences between them all but they get you in the water.

The instructor is a much more important factor than the agency.

IMHO none of them go far enough with OW now days.

Gary D.

 

[Jason B]

They are all just fine. Some differences between them all but they get you in the water.

The instructor is a much more important factor than the agency.

IMHO none of them go far enough with OW now days.

Gary D.

I agree with Gary on this one.

 

[CompuDude]

Impressions from the PADI side of the fence:

I recently completed the PADI Rescue course. Best class I've ever taken, incidently... I highly recommend it to anyone still at the AOW level.

I was considering going for DM at some point (not right away... see my post a month or so if you care), and evaulated the PADI DM program and the SSI DCS program at another shop.

I have to say I was very impressed with the thoroughness of the SSI materials. They seemed much more solid and down-to-earth than the flashy PADI materials. Looking over the SSI requirements, up and down the line (OW, AOW, Rescue, specialties, etc) they also seem a lot more in-depth than the PADI materials. That said, I didn't care much for the attitude in the shop towards PADI, and there are some specific requirements at the pro level for SSI that really rubbed me the wrong way. (forced association with a specific shop, for instance, and what seemed like very high annual fees... even to be listed as "inactive"... for someone only interested in occasional work. Note that part of the forced shop association that bothered me was the *requirement* that I purchase and wear the gear the shop owner wanted to sell, no matter how much I liked my own gear, and working for another LDS would also be verboten.)

Now, I've heard stories that if you work in the Caribbean or other warm water areas, you have to be PADI anyway because that's what everyone wants, so you'd end up having to do the PADI program anway. So in spite of the fact that [I'm told] SSI has a better rep than PADI these days for turning out good divers, you still need the PADI cert. (at the DM level)

Then there is the fact that I have been a PADI guy since I was first certified.

So I elected to stay PADI, and I'll go the PADI route once I go for my DM. That said, if I had it all to do over again, and was starting over today (and there was another shop I liked the people better at), there's a good chance I'd go for what seems like the more thorough instruction from SSI.

That said, I still agree with what others have said in that it is the instructor who makes all the difference. But (and I think this is key) I really think you'll get better instruction if you find an instructor who says he is willing to teach concepts outside the strict PADI guidelines. So in the end, instructor trumps all.