mixing ssi and padi

[HJeffreyM]

OW Pool & Classroom Training: NAUI in Manhattan, July '08
Open Water Cert Dives: PADI in Maui, Aug '08

No problem with the URP and, in fact, recieved ow c-cards from BOTH agencies.

 

[Arizona]

If the PADI instructor did not do a pre-assessment of skills in confined and testing of theory you would have a clear violation of standards. your situation may not fit that category. All parts of the OW course need to be verified by the last instructor issuing the cert. Other agency paper is not acceptable, this must meet PADI standards i.e skills and exams. PADI internal paper is very thorough on this matter. Can't comment on other agencies. From your experience, perhaps some are willing to bend the rules, but this is a whole other issue and should not be expected.

 

[nikos81]

OW Pool & Classroom Training: NAUI in Manhattan, July '08
Open Water Cert Dives: PADI in Maui, Aug '08

No problem with the URP and, in fact, recieved ow c-cards from BOTH agencies.

Let me get this straight. NAUI accepted you as their certified diver without you having completed the whole diving course? I do beleive you,but that doesn't make sense for what NAUI did. If you finish the course in one agency then you must receive this specific c-card. What NAUI did was not clever at all. Of course there is the possibility of your instructor having filled both NAUI's and PADI's papers stating that you completed both courses,but that is just cheating. No offense meaning

 

[la_diver]

Time is the big factor. My friend has a Christmas trip planned and wanted to get certified at the last minute. So this is where we are now. I am going to call Scuba Du (Padi) in Coz to see if they will do the referral for 4 SSI divers. I will post later to let you all know how it comes out...It appear that this isn't a black and white issue. I agree that this isn't the best way to get certified and if called on sooner I could have helped them avoid some confusion. thanks for all the great comments.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Time is the big factor. My friend has a Christmas trip planned and wanted to get certified at the last minute. So this is where we are now. I am going to call Scuba Du (Padi) in Coz to see if they will do the referral for 4 SSI divers. I will post later to let you all know how it comes out...It appear that this isn't a black and white issue. I agree that this isn't the best way to get certified and if called on sooner I could have helped them avoid some confusion. thanks for all the great comments.

Why make things so complicated when you can just use Albatros or one of the other SSI shops on COZ?
Rick

 

[Divedoggie]

Time is the big factor. My friend has a Christmas trip planned and wanted to get certified at the last minute. So this is where we are now. I am going to call Scuba Du (Padi) in Coz to see if they will do the referral for 4 SSI divers. I will post later to let you all know how it comes out...It appear that this isn't a black and white issue. I agree that this isn't the best way to get certified and if called on sooner I could have helped them avoid some confusion. thanks for all the great comments.

Blue Angel can certify SSI and/or PADI as well.

 

[la_diver]

Already booked with El Presidente. If Scuba Du doesn't work out i'll relay this
info

 

[bmrwizard99]

My two boys (16 / 14) did SSI confined and PADI OW. I was PADI trained / certified and sat in on the classroom for the SSI course they took. Some small differences (max ascent rates, tables etc.) but fundamentally they were the same. It gave us a chance to discuss the differences between the two sets of materials and discuss the inherrent safety built into the programs so that the average joe can follow the rules and generally be safe.

 

[friscuba]

A couple of years back PADI issued a statement along the lines that their instructors could sign off on URS referrals, but the referrals would go back to their originating instructors and there would be possibilities that if the originating instructor caused issues with the certification (not sending in paperwork to their agencies, etc) one might find themselves caught in the middle of a situation they could not correct.... in essence, sign off at your own peril was how I read it.

I talked with SSI representatives at DEMA at the time and they said just sign off, wink wink, don't know if that was the official word though. I've had some SSI/NAUI instructors tell me they wouldn't mind if I signed off on their students, others have said no way letting a PADI instructor getting involved.

If one is thinking about using a non-participating instructor to finish off without doing the PADI crossover others have mentioned earlier, they better clear it with the instructors on both ends of the training ahead of time so everyone's on the same page. I used to sign off with the originating instructor's knowledge, but then one time a NAUI instructor sent a student with absolutely NO referral paperwork. I called him and he said he didn't have any, asked me to just set the kid up with a PADI cert. I had to basically turn the student away unless they took the entire course from me, because with NO paperwork, no proof that I was even talking with a legit instructor, it'd have been a complete do-over for the student. Unfair to the student, unfair to everyone as far as I'm concerned. I tend to not want to deal with that again and shay away from doing referrals from outside agencies.

 

[la_diver]

Talked to my friend and said there should be no problem using the different agencies in this instance. Both dive shops are willing to work together. Don't know if all dive shops would be willing to work together when different agencies are involved.