I am certified as a PADI DM (non renewed) and have two NAUI Tech certs (Intro and Helitrox) in addition to my SEI Instructor. I had the opportunity to crossover to NAUI but chose not to when SEI started up.
SEI does indeed offer specialties. But at the present time they are limited to - Dry Suit Diver, Equipment Service, Nitrox, Diver Rescue and Accident Management,Search and Recovery/Public Safety Diver, Full Face Mask Diver, Ice Diver.
Many of the specialties that were available under the Y program are being reevaluated, updated, or left on the shelf. In some cases they really were lacking in content and perhaps a bit outdated. If you'll look at my website there is more info on some of the other courses such as Master Diver and DM/ AI. If you'd like details just ask.
At present there are SEI Instructors taking on the challenge of rewriting and updating specialties and toughening up the requirements and standards to reflect our philosophy of skills and education based training. As opposed to being based on profit and numbers of students processed.
I myself have rewritten the UW Nav Specialty that is currently under review by the training development dept. The old course was similar to many of the others out there now. some self study, a review of that, and 2-3 dives. The new one requires 6-8 hours of classroom, and 6 dives in addition to a test and other things. I spent a couple months on the outline, student guide, Instructor guide, and power point presentation as well as diving to self evaluate my idea.
Our goal is produce courses that will benefit the student above all else. Yes our instructors should be able to make money, but not on frivolous courses that in reality have little benefit to the diver. There are enough places where they can go and take courses like mantee or fish ID or a certain kind of mask use. I wish to offer those that will benefit them as a diver on every dive. It's why I went with SEI. Every course is set up to provide them with knowledge that they can conceiviably use every time they go diving.
Also we do not offer specialties in thing s that should be covered in OW or AOW and AOW plus. OW we cover boat diving techniques and info, buoyancy control and proper weighting, as well as rescue skills that the beginning diver may need. The full rescue course goes into much more detail. In my advanced class we do a night dive/low vis depending on the area. Sometimes it's both at the same time!
But there is no self study. I do 6-8 hours of classroom going over the dives we will do. During that time I cover night diving equipment, communication, buddy techniques and skills, and hazards. If one would want to expand on this they merely need do more night diving with a competent buddy or mentor. As their experience level builds they develop the skills and techniques that best suit them and their environment. For further training that would suit them in this type of diving the SEI Search and Recovery/Public Safety Diver is an excellent next step. Even if you do not want to look for evidence or bodies the skills and naviagtion techniques covered still apply.
One thing that should be made clear is that a number of "Master Diver" ratings out there rely on a number of specialties being aquired and then a card sent for. The SEI Master Diver course is nothing like that. There are required dives in different disciplines but they are part of a course that includes much of the DM content except for the teaching sections. There are watermanship skills like another swim and more skin diving skills including one to 30 feet. THere are academic sections including more dive theory, deco theory, more in-depth physiology and physics, and medical issues. Things like knowing fish species, how to take a photo, or video do not count towards a Master Diver rating. If anyone would like the full requirements PM me.
In addition there is the full support of independent instructors that SEI offers. We also all have a vote in board elections, standards changes are brought to the full membership and everyone has a voice. SEI HQ has no say over how we set up our shops if we have one, we can alter courses to suit our students as long as standards are kept. For instance I can change a skill from one session to another if it will enable my student to better learn and understand the skill. I can require more pool time or additional dives if I feel they are needed. In short we are guided by our Standards and Procedures but we are in control of our classes. I can choose to teach in BPW if I want to and put students in them.
And I am under no obligation to recommend to them that they buy a certain type or brand of gear if it will not meet their needs, wants, and means to aquire it. That is true freedom for me. The student comes first- not the shop. But I'm finding by putting the student first the shop is benefitting big time.
I was there yesterday to pick up a new suit and the owner has the same philospohy. As a result another independent instructor picked up six students as a result of the owner allowing one person to come in and try on gear a few times even though the guy bought on line after doing this. Well one time he did actually buy something and as a result he noted that he had a friend who wanted to get certified. It turned out there were not one but 6 of them and they all bought full sets of gear from the shop. Had he put his interests first and got nasty with the guy chances are he'd have never made those sales. Good lesson for me.
