PADI or NAUI

[Divedoggie]

The instructor makes the biggest difference.
Experience and repetition are paramount.
The actual curiculum is always interpreted by the instructor, and you cannot retain every little thing that is taught. Get your cert, continue your education, dive with experienced people whom you can continue to learn from.
My PADI Rescue class could not have been more demanding unless we used actual victims. We had an absolutely great time learning, too!
My SSI classes were fairly easy, but only because the instructor made it that way.

I do like the fact that NAUI requires some of the skills of Rescue diving, but all of the skills of a Rescue diver should be in place, if that is the line of thinking.

 

[TSandM]

I think I had very good PADI instructors for my OW course, but the course itself was limited, and the written materials were written at the elementary school level.

I've only taken one NAUI course, and the instructor was exceptional (but I knew that going in). What I can say, though, is that the written materials were much more appropriate for an educated adult audience.

 

[SharkDZ]

I think I had very good PADI instructors for my OW course, but the course itself was limited, and the written materials were written at the elementary school level.

That bothered me, too since I read at the 8th grade level.

 

[Bruciebabe]

PADI does have exceptionally good educational materials.
The manuals, videos and in class presentations are all first class.

 

[Walter]

I already hooked up and payed for half the class with a padi instructor in March in Fla. Went to a dive shop here in Atlanta and it seemed that the NAUI instructor was going to teach more. Sort of wished I had talked to her about the AOW course before I hooked up with the PADI course for AOW.....Oh well....

If I were you, I'd ask for my money back and take a better class. Honestly, after 21 years of diving, all you'll be doing is buying a card. There's probably nothing in the AOW that isn't old hat to you. You have one of the best instructors I've ever met right there in the Atlanta area.

Kenneth Nemeth
4561 River Mansion Court
Duluth, GA United States 30096
Day Phone: (770) 242 - 7712
Evening Phone: (770) 840 - 8585
Email Address: nemeth@sseb.org

Tell him you want the Silver Advanced course. You'll actually learn something.

 

[Obsessed?]

Age old question. Unfortunately, you usually get the parochial view of the world, like in religion: my religion is the right religion because I am that one, and all others are wrong, otherwise I would be one of those. There are good, bad and indifferent instructors in every agency. Best advice is find an instructor in whom you have confidence and that is excited about teaching and has the time and patience to teach you what you are looking to learn, and you will have a good experience, agency notwithstanding. I am a PADI instructor, and I have sent friends to NAUI and SSI instructors I know when I felt those people would be more appropriate to their needs. On the instructor side, its about the diver, not about promoting yourself and your agency, whatever that may be. When you are in a service oriented business (or a teaching one) the students needs should be put before anything - just MHO.