PADI vs. SSI

[Fotoz4FX]

SSI is accredited as well.

I knew they were working towards that but didn't know if they had reached accreditation yet (PADI has been for many, many years).

Good to know that someone else is recognized by Colleges throughout the Country too now.

 

[pterantula]

I knew they were working towards that but didn't know if they had reached accreditation yet (PADI has been for many, many years).

Good to know that someone else is recognized by Colleges throughout the Country too now.

(This is a great bonus for dive education, but I was also informed that even with accreditation (?) it's still up to the school to which you hope to apply the credit to accept it or not...)

 

[rico68]

pterantula is correct. None of the diving agencies are "accreditted." Accreditation is only for schools (ie. colleges and universities). The American Council on Education (ACE) reviews non-college education experiences and makes recommendations on how many college credits they believe they are worth. They review all sorts of things; like military training (i.e. infantry school is worth 4 undergrad phy ed credits and 1 undergrad geography credit, etc.).

Colleges and universities aren't obligated to accept the course if they don't want to.

Any way.... still a benefit. If someone can use a scuba course to knock out some college work, great!

 

[Scuba-dooby-doo]

We went to our first day of OW class last night, which was 100% academic. There was a sign on the wall stating that you could earn college credits for certain SSI courses:

"Four SSI Programs have been recognized by The American Council on Education (ACE) for College Credit. They are the SSI Open Water Diver, SSI Diver Stress & Rescue, Dive Control Specialist, and SSI Open Water Instructor."

So that's not a "written in stone" fact that you can use those courses to gain college credits? Just wondering because now that my wife has finished her masters degree, I may be considering going back to college to finish some sort of degree to put on my resume. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[jham2081]

My college gave one physical activity credit per course for SSI OW and AOW.

 

[rico68]

So that's not a "written in stone" fact that you can use those courses to gain college credits? Just wondering because now that my wife has finished her masters degree, I may be considering going back to college to finish some sort of degree to put on my resume. Inquiring minds want to know.

Correct. It's not written in stone. Colleges and universities aren't even required to accept classes you took at another accreditted school. While many or most do, they are not required to do so. There is no governing body for what schools accept. ACE only makes recommendations.

 

[farmyou]

I completed my open water certification earlier this summer through a major university. At the end of the course I received certification through SSI. During the course the instructor taught his own curriculum based on SSI, YMCA, PADI, and many years of experience. We were expected to read and understand the SSI book outside of the classroom and were required to pass exams on both the book and classroom material. I learned more than I ever knew existed about SCUBA. This weekend I will be wreck diving with my instructor for my first specialty.

If I can add anything, don’t skimp on instruction! I’m perfectly comfortable within my personal limits (and know what they are). I am ready for more training and time in the water.

As far as colleges go, the acceptance of credits is entirely up to the receiving school. Most colleges want your business and will accept a variety of material for elective credit, but never assume. Talk to an advisor before you assume anything.

Learn and enjoy!

BTW: I am a 43 year old college administrator with a background in computer sciences. I have dreamed of SCUBA since I was a kid. I finally had the opportunity to pursue it. Next spring, my wife and two of my children will begin diving. Life is good.

 

[SparticleBrane]

I would avoid PADI at all costs. They seem to do a great job of teaching to the lowest common denominator...

 

[sytech]

I agree with SparticleBrane 100 %.

PADI is a very successful business organization and it's main focus is moving students through it's training system which is very profitable for it's dive centers.

I have taken courses from YMCA, NAUI & PADI. My YMCA Basic OW course was much more rigorous than the PADI "Advanced" OW Course. Because I was so dissatisfied with the PADI course I re-took the Advanced OW course through NAUI and it was superb. I was on a boat a few years ago that had a group of new PADI Divers, most of whom were very obese and probably had no business diving in the first place. I can't imagine how they could have fulfilled the swimming requirements or other basic skills required by other agencies.

The usual glib response you will hear is that "it all depends on the instructor" not the training organization. There may be a grain of truth but it means that the instructor had to have been motivated and intelligent enough to learn and study beyond what PADI requires. I would much rather have an instructor who learned his sklls through a program which was more demanding in the first place.

What convinced me that PADI was the "degree mill" of the diving industry (beside the many negative things I had heard and read about it) was the manual that came with the PADI Advanced OW course. The questions at the end of each chapter are geared for a child. They are virtually impossible to fail. Something like this:

Which of these is a danger in Scuba Diving?

a) O.J. Simpson

b) Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

c) Nitrogen Narcosis

d) Paris Hilton

Of course I'm exaggerating but not by all that much

Also , I bought a DVD set put out by PADI and it has a goofy and comedic quality to it that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Avoid PADI at all costs unless you have compelling reason to believe that the instructor is unusually good.

I would avoid PADI at all costs. They seem to do a great job of teaching to the lowest common denominator...

 

[sweatfrog]

PADI is a very successful business organization and it's main focus is moving students through it's training system which is very profitable for it's dive centers.

That is the focus of all of the Agencies.

I have taken courses from YMCA, NAUI & PADI. My YMCA Basic OW course was much more rigorous than the PADI "Advanced" OW Course. Because I was so dissatisfied with the PADI course I re-took the Advanced OW course through NAUI and it was superb. I was on a boat a few years ago that had a group of new PADI Divers, most of whom were very obese and probably had no business diving in the first place. I can't imagine how they could have fulfilled the swimming requirements or other basic skills required by other agencies.

I also have cards from a number of other agencies. What makes you think that a rigorous course is a better course? Conditions change and as we get older, our bodies can also. Dives need to be chosen by the responsible individual. I can't imagine that your lifestyle changed, just because you wanted to learn to dive. People who dive are of all makes and sizes and all of the recreational agencies Instructors will help you pass the course.

The usual glib response you will hear is that "it all depends on the instructor" not the training organization. There may be a grain of truth but it means that the instructor had to have been motivated and intelligent enough to learn and study beyond what PADI requires. I would much rather have an instructor who learned his sklls through a program which was more demanding in the first place.

I could start my own agency and make it so hard that few people would be able to pass the course. There's no value to that situation. The PADI Instructor course is quite rigorous in it's own way. Other agencies, been there, done that. There's a reason that PADI has the market share, but they won't let quality slide like other agencies do.

What convinced me that PADI was the "degree mill" of the diving industry (beside the many negative things I had heard and read about it) was the manual that came with the PADI Advanced OW course. The questions at the end of each chapter are geared for a child. They are virtually impossible to fail.

Before PADI opened it's doors, there was Basic Diver, where you learned everything and Instructor. PADI started continuing education and the emphasis on Advanced 'Open' Water is in the middle word. Beginners need more experience under the auspicis of an Instructor. That course should be the most fun course, not the most strenuous. The more divers there are, the less expensive things become and the more buddies you have to go with. The more experience a diver has, while learning good habits, the better buddy they make.

Also , I bought a DVD set put out by PADI and it has a goofy and comedic quality to it that doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

So, you think that a serious DVD covering Air Embolism, Mediastinal Emphasema, Subcutaneous Emphasema and Pnuemothorax would be better. Hopefully, the industry has moved beyond that for recreational diving.

Avoid PADI at all costs unless you have compelling reason to believe that the instructor is unusually good.

For beginners (with one notable exception) all of the agencies teach essentially the same course.

Since this thread is about SSI versus PADI I do have a question. Why do exPADI employees and Instructors go to work for SSI headquarters, doesn't SSI have people within their own organization that can do the job?