PADI or NAUI

[CamG]

Greetings Robert00 and welcome to Scuba Board! The differences between the two agencies are the easy things to find or research. Wadding through the opinions and conjecture are quite another. I know awesome instructors on both sides who are outstanding individuals who I respect immensely. I appreciate your interest in training divers it sounds like a good fit for you being in the military moving around every couple of years.
You have received some really good information and already checked out the threads mentioned. What I do know is both agencies work with independent instructors and it is true that Padi likes to work with LDS / instructors but there still are those out there independently instructing. I would consider which agency would be the toughest to become certified through. This is the route I have chosen so that once I have completed the training obtaining the instructor certification I can cross over to other agencies of my choice. But I must confess the biggest factor is my instructor who is a independent that has shown me the ropes so to speak. I would like to encourage you to seek your options and ponder them awhile working with an instructor as a DM or DC. What I have learned is that observation has taught me a lot. Some of my motivations were incorrect and new ones I discovered based in reality.
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you would like references of the individuals who could best help you in your quest. I can put you in touch with them.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[DCBC]

Am looking into obtaining OWSI certification and am trying to figure out which way to go. Can someone please educate me?? Thank you in advance.

You have read quite a bit of information already. To set the stage, I've taught through both organizations for a 17 year period. I currently do not teach with either organization and hold teaching status with other organizations. In the past, I've owned both a PADI Training Facility and a NAUI Training Center. I suggest that my comments are not self-serving in any way.

I would agree with what many others have said in-that it really depends upon the Instructor, however PADI controls its Instructors more than NAUI regarding what can be taught to a student (Buddy Breathing for example). Some other differences are:

1) PADI is an "Association of Diving Instructors" in name only. In-fact it's not an Association, but a for-profit company run by private share-holders.

NAUI is a not-for-profit Association of Diving Instructors run by its Instructor members who elect a Board of Directors from their ranks.

2) PADI is the largest and has the lowest minimum requirements. PADI Instructors can add material to the program, but can't examine on anything added and cannot withhold certification if you pass the minimums.

NAUI is smaller and although it has minimum standards, it's left to the Instructor to teach whatever s/he sees fit. The Instructor can withhold certification until they are personally satisfied with your performance, even though the minimum standards are met.

In other words, with PADI you primarily have to satisfy the organization, with NAUI you have to satisfy the organization AND the Instructor.

3) PADI has a better QA program than NAUI and has led the industry in many new administrative and teaching methods.

There are always exceptions, however if I wasn't an Instructor and a family member wanted to learn to dive; if I didn't have any other information available to me and I had to choose between NAUI or PADI. It would be NAUI without question. That said, if I knew of a fantastic PADI Instructor who taught what was really needed and not just recited the PADI mantra, I'd have no problems with sending a family member to him.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Nearly every federal agency in my area such as NASA's neutral buoyancy lab, police and sheriffs office as well as several private agency such as Disney, and The Florida Aquarium require NAUI training. Something to think about.

 

[Walter]

You might want to look at the philosophy of both and other agencies to see what suits you best. Which is best depends on you. PADI is best for some, NAUI is best for others, still other agencies fit other instructors best.

PADI's programs are more structured. You must teach this skill during this session and that skill during that session, although you can teach them at any time during the session. You can add material, but you can't require it. They require very little in the way of skin diving or rescues and snorkeling can be substituted for swimming in the OW class.

NAUI's programs are less structured. The instructor can teach skills in what ever order he feels is most logical. NAUI's standards are somewhat higher in that they require more skin diving and rescue skills in their entry level class. Snorkeling cannot be substituted for swimming. There is no distance swimming requirement, but rather a set number (12?) of stroke cycles. Instructors can add and require material. NAUI sets a limit of 8 hours per day for any class.

Both agencies now allow certification of 10 year old children.

SSI and SDI seem (I've not read their standards and am going on hearsay) to have similar standards to PADI, although there are differences. SDI requires computers instead of tables. I believe both require shop affiliation. I'm not sure where either stands on the issue on 10 year old divers.

SEI allows instructors the latitude to teach in any order they feel is best. SEI instructors can add and require material. SEI's minimum age is 12. SEI's minimum hours are true minimums, not a recommendation. SEI requires 300 yds swimming, snorkeling cannot be substituted. Skin diving and rescues are required in the OW class. SEI requires confidence building skills.

What suits you best?

 

[ONESPEED]

I say PADI all the way!

Based on?

 

[Thalassamania]

This is a more complex question than meets the eye. The simple answer is that for most circumstances the agency affiliation and all that goes with it is likely overshadowed by how well you relate to the instructor and a myriad of other considerations, however, there are some differences, NAUI courses are required to include some items (such as rescue skills) that PADI courses will not feature. At the extreme end, well ... there is no extreme end for PADI ... PADI's got what they've got being in the middle of the pack and doing what the pack does, you can do that with any agency, but PADI makes it easiest; NAUI certifications are used for courses like Scripps Model 100 hour programs and training programs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and can open a whole world for you if you aspire to something out of the ordinary.

 

[Robert00]

Wow, thank you all for the time that you have taken to help me out, I really appreciate the support that you have all shown me!

 

[Walter]

Good luck. I hope you find a good fit.

 

[Hoomi]

I'm OW certified through PADI, and will be doing my AOW dives next month, also through PADI. That said, if there had been a NAUI affiliate listed for our area, I would have gone through NAUI, and that was even before having read all the various discussions comparing the two.

Part of that is that I knew some NAUI instructors way back when I was in High School (in the 70s), and had a lot of respect for them, even without knowing much of anything about what dive training entailed.

 

[Captain Bil]

Am looking into obtaining OWSI certification and am trying to figure out which way to go. Can someone please educate me?? Thank you in advance.

It really isn't the agency, it's the instructor. I'm a NAUI Instructor. That being said, I've met my share of crap NAUI Instructors and some really great PADI, TDI, SSI instructors. The person is the key. I tell all of my students to seek out instructors who they feel confident in for follow on training.