NAUI vs PADI

[northcoast_diver]

NAUI training is more rigorous than PADI. But since you are PADI OW and AOW, you should at least be as good as the NAUI OWs so don't be shy. Rescue and nitrox are fairly similar by NAUI and PADI. The next huge difference you would notice would be in the Master Diver programs of each. PADI's is just more discovery diving. NAUI's gets you ready to be a D/M or an instructor.

 

[tgaiennie]

I have been certified as an open water and advanced open water diver through PADI. Recently the dive shop i belong to has been slacking in service. I found a really nice one closer to me but they are NAUI. What is the difference? Is one better than the other? Can you get certified both ways but still continue to advance? Thanks....

The bottom line is that it is all about service. If you feel you will get better service and experience at the NAUI shop then by all means go to the NAUI shop. The training that you receive through either agency is up to date and very valid. Both agencies recognize each others training, so if you take a NAUI Rescue course and then you want to take a PADI Master Diver course then your NAUI Rescue Diver course will count. Best of luck whichever route you choose.

 

[whitedragon13]

My first OW instructor (PADI) was excellent. I ended up taking TDI nitrox from her later on. When I went through NAUI instructor training, they took us from OW all the way up. In comparison, the were pretty similar skill-wise back in the day, and both instructors were great. It's definitely mostly about the shop/instructor

 

[Walter]

if you take a NAUI Rescue course and then you want to take a PADI Master Diver course then your NAUI Rescue Diver course will count.

Actually, PADI doesn't have a Master Diver course. They have a Master Diver rating. You get it by logging (I think) 50 dives, getting 5 PADI specialties and PADI rescue and paying your money to PADI. I don't believe the NAUI rescue would count.

 

[^*^BATMAN^*^]

Actually, he didn't. Even if he had, his statement would have no credibility. To paraphrase, he said, 'PADI and NAUI both offer good training, but I don't know anything about NAUI training.'

While I agree NAUI usually offers good training, how could he make that assessment when he just admited he had no knowledge of NAUI training? My point was not that he was mistaken, simply that he destroyed his own credibility.

i think you should re read his post, he said while i have never taken any NAUI courses, not i have no idea about their courses........just a thought

 

[tndiveinstruct1]

Actually, he didn't. Even if he had, his statement would have no credibility. To paraphrase, he said, 'PADI and NAUI both offer good training, but I don't know anything about NAUI training.'

While I agree NAUI usually offers good training, how could he make that assessment when he just admited he had no knowledge of NAUI training? My point was not that he was mistaken, simply that he destroyed his own credibility.

I don't know, but I was thinking that he(wedivebc) had a little bit of Tongue In Cheek when he stated that.

If the agencies' material was that different, then there wouldn't be, IMHO, the ability for instructors from one agency to be able to crossover and become an instructor for another agency so easily. Of course, some remediation might be necessary.

Randy Cain

 

[Walter]

If the agencies' material was that different, then there wouldn't be, IMHO, the ability for instructors from one agency to be able to crossover and become an instructor for another agency so easily.

Actually, standards differ a great deal from one agency to another.

 

[tndiveinstruct1]

Actually, standards differ a great deal from one agency to another.

I didn't say that standards weren't different, I said that the MATERIAL wasn't that different. Here's my post:

[QUOTE-tndiveinstruct1]
If the agencies' material was that different, then there wouldn't be, IMHO, the ability for instructors from one agency to be able to crossover and become an instructor for another agency so easily. Of course, some remediation might be necessary
[/QUOTE]

Standards are guidelines that each business comes up with to define who and what they stand for. That is what the remediation would be for. But the skills that NAUI teaches are not that different from the skills that PADI teaches. And if the were, then those individual skills would be taught in the remediation as well. We both teach mask removal and replace, we both teach scuba unit remove and replace, as well as other similar skills. Nonetheless, you cannot disagree that an instructor from PADI or NAUI cannot easily attend a "crossover" course to become an instructor for NAUI or PADI, and not have to repeat the entire OW to Instructor path at each agency. And wedivebc has stated that he is an instructor for both agencies mentioned above.

In your world Walter I guess you would have required wedivebc or anyone to repeat the entire NAUI course path before becoming a NAUI instructor. Did YOU repeat all the courses for the agencies that you teach for?

NAUI is a fine agency. I took my first OW course thru NAUI many years ago. PADI is a fine agency. I have taken my other courses, as well as repeated OW thru PADI. But does the student learn EVERYTHING in the course? No. The new diver will continue to learn thru experience. They will expand their knowledge thru experience and places such as this. Other businesses have learned over the years that colleges and trade schools don't teach everything that a recent graduate needs to work. The colleges and trade schools have figured it out as well. So what you are seeing now is internships. Schools send students out into the real world for a period of time where they gain EXPERIENCE. The student comes back with a fresh perspective on how things work, and perhaps if enough students come back with similar experiences, then the curriculum changes to reflect the real world. Same with businesses. The work model changes with new ideas. Businesses are trying to figure out how to keep the knowledge that retiring employees have to transfer it to the new employees coming in. And it all boils down to EXPERIENCE.

A certain magazine says it best. Good Divers are ALWAYS learning. I would like to enhance it a bit by saying Good Agencies, Shops and Instructors are ALWAYS learning. And it doesn't matter HOW or WHEN or WHY or WHAT AGENCY. We are ALWAYS learning.

Sorry to be so long winded in the AM, but I felt the need to expand on the post. And now back to the original question.

I have been certified as an open water and advanced open water diver through PADI. Recently the dive shop i belong to has been slacking in service. I found a really nice one closer to me but they are NAUI. What is the difference? Is one better than the other? Can you get certified both ways but still continue to advance? Thanks....

Here is what I would do. Go to the shop that you feel will do you the best in your diving path. But I would also tell the old shop the reason behind your going to the new shop. It is then up to them to take the KNOWLEDGE you have given them and apply it, or simply to disregard it and run the risk of not learning from your situation.

I hope that this helps everyone...

Randy Cain

 

[MyDiveLog]

I first got certified by PADI, then got an AOW certification from the same shop/agency. After diving wtih a number of "NAUI certified" divers on a dive trip, I noticed two things:
1) They seemed to be better divers, with better bottom times, better bouyancy control, and better beach diving skills.
2) MY PADI AOW certification didn't teach me anything; I ended up "rescuing" my dive buddy for the certification, didn't learn much, and certainly didn't feel "advanced."

I switched to a NAUI shop for the rest of my training and certifications (Rescue, Nitrox, Master Diver, and Instructor). The story then was that "NAUI was better than PADI," allowing the instructors to deviate from the material to reinforce points on the fly, or require students to demonstrate skills multiple times until they did so with proficiency, comfort, and ease.

The "NAUI" curriculum, for example, called for two separate ocean experiences PRIOR to every entering the ocean on scuba, while my first (PADI) experience in the ocean was on scuba. Similarly, they break their pool training up into four 2-hour sessions, rather than the one-day (8-hour) pool session that I went through to become PADI certified. The theory is that students have more time to "internalize" the pool sessions if they are broken up this way and spaced over three weeks.

I bought the "NAUI is better than PADI" story...until the shop switched to SDI for administrative reasons. They still teach the same way, using mostly the same materials and certainly all the same methods, but the students get an SDI OW card. If they want, for a nominal fee they can also get a PADI card. All this pretty much obviated the "NAUI vs PADI" story.

My $0.02 worth: it's the instructor/shop, not the certifying agency that matters. It's easier to find examples of "PADI mistakes", such as teaching students to enter surf with their fins on and walking backwards ... getting chronically knocked over by small waves ... because PADI is so darn big (something like 700,000 certifications/yr in the US). If you looked hard enough you'd probably find NAUI and SDI teaching errors as well.

 

[Walter]

Randy,

Actually, your definition of agency standards are off base. Standards are what the agency requires (and sometimes prohibits) instructors to teach in their various courses. I do agree they reflect (if not necessarily define) an agency's philosophy.

We both teach mask removal and replace, we both teach scuba unit remove and replace, as well as other similar skills.

These are standards. NAUI & PADI both require mask removal & replace. Yes, some of the standards are the same. NAUI requires the student to remove & replace the "scuba unit" unassisted. PADI allows the student to receive assistance on this skill if needed. Some of the standards are similar. NAUI requires students to be taught in water rescue breathing. PADI does not. Some of the standards are different.

If an instructor can show a high degree of skill in teaching, has excellent dive skills, and is willing to meet or exceed the standards of the new agency, there's no reason to make them repeat everything from the beginning. Just because I am not blind to differences does not mean I'm blind to similarities. The ability to see one thing does not make one blind to others.