SDI vs PADI standards

[nivtup]

So,

I am just completing my PADI OW course.

By no means do I think I know enough.

I believe that I ahve been taught one thing that matters in this discussion. I will never know enough, I will have to pursue this as a quest for knowledge if I am going to be worth my salt at this. I see myself in several years, still wanting to learn more.

I do not know what other agencies are doing in thier courses, but I can say that I personnal would not be comfortable "skimming over" tha tables, and relying on computers for my health and safety. (Anyone ever see the famous Bule Screen of Death?) OK, none of these dive computers are windows based are they? Hope not.

Don

 

[turnerjd]

Originally posted by Bob
Wouldn't it be better to have a impartial dive examiner test students to make sure they have been taught the proper skills and that they are able to successfully demonstrate those same skills? If the student is found to be competent, the examiner would then issue a temporary card. Makes sense to me. Of course it would add to the overall cost, but what are we most worried about, producing competent divers or a inexpensive product?
Bob

Bob,

Can I steal that Idea from you?

Jon T

 

[tomcat]

or...we could have NAUI examiners for PADI trainees and vice versa. That way, we can be sure that mistakes and inadequacies will not be overlooked! kekekekekekeke

 

[Bob]

Hello Jon T,
Use it my friend! I'm convincd that we have to get away from the cheap and easy way of thinking. If change occurs in the way we certify divers, the dive community itself will have to affect the change. This is a excellent forum to make that start. Dive safely.
Bob

 

[DivingGal]

OK, I'm a wee bit confused. I've read this thread through a few times now, and quite frankly I can't quite figure out what some of you are trying to say.
Here's what I've got out of the discussion -- correct me if I'm wrong - in the opinion of some, but not all, the comments go something like this:
- SDI is gaining in market share (where? USA or world?)
- training received in most agencies is similar, with some focusing more on tables, others computers
- many in this thread agree that the best training is really from the kind of instructor you get. In any agency you get toads, and you get princes (or princesses)
- PADI wheels are used (I use one -- it's my backup non-technical computer)
- scuba C-card acceptance (for different agencies?) are not accepted all over the world -- well gee neither are other certifications for other professions. If you want to go somewhere and 'practice' your profession wouldn't you confirm that you could before you go?
- Rescue skills, first aid skill should be stressed earlier in a diver's career. The skills should also undergo some sort of regular review. Our shop conducts a annual rescue review for any qualified Rescue Diver, DM, Instructor prior to our dive season (It will be occurring sometime next month or early May). Personally I have always maintained a first aid level cert. -- it's just gone to a higher level to include CPR since diving
- People who get certified and have diving only in warm waters, should undergo some sort of review/instruction on how to dive in cold waters. E.g. What to wear! Salt vs. Fresh

Well that's what I got out of the lengthy discussion. Did I understand it all?

(Blue Screen of Death -- yup, been there done that way to-o-o many times!)

 

[The Chairman]

Hey All,

OK, I am a PADI Divemaster, with a ton of spring experience and some Saltwater experiencs. I am contemplating doing the IDC within a couple of months. Up until now, I was thinking PADI was the only way to go. Any thoughts on this???

And while you are mulling that over, where would be the BEST place in the Central Florida area to take the IDC???

BTW, I am serious science fanatic, and seem to understand more about the physics and phsyiology than my instructors. I have had bad instructors and great instructors, and really beleive that SAFETY has to come first and foremost.

Pete from Orlando

 

[Walter]

........PADI is certainly one of them, but not the only one by any stretch of the imagination. The first step is to determine which philosophy agrees with your own. Once you figure that out, do some research into those agencies you tend to agree woth to see which one fits you best.

There are two basic philosophies followed by various agencies.

#1. Diving is fun and easy. It is possible to make the course easy as well if we eliminate skills that might possibly frighten anyone on their first day of class. If too many skills are included it results in task loading which will interfere with a student learning necessary tasks and make them an unsafe diver.

#2. Diving is fun and easy. It is possible to make the course easy as well if we begin with simple skills and allow plenty of practice time on each skill. Once a simple skill is mastered, other elements are added to the skill allowing plenty of time to practice each element. When those added elements are mastered, still more elements are added in the same manner. By approaching skill development in this manner we are able to teach quite complex skills in a manner that makes it easy for students. Skills that might seem frightening to a student on the first day of class are a logical and easy progression by the time those skills are presented in class. This gives a student confidence and the ability to solve problems without panic.

Some agencies use viewpoint 1, others use viewpoint 2. There are some which fall somewhere in between.

Decide what's best for you, then start looking at agencies.

WWW™

 

[Mario S Caner]

Hey there NetDoc,
If it's a single agency you are looking into, than I'm sure that most will agree that PADI is nore global and therefore has the most opportunity to teach in the greatest variety of locations.

If you really want to become marketable, start looking into getting qualified to teach multiple agencies standards. Currently I teach for PADI/TDI & SDI, but I intend on getting NAUI & SSI teaching credentials as well. It may seem like a little overkill to most, especially since you have to pay membership dues to all of the agencies you are affiliated with. But to me this type of cross-overs give me a better understanding of the different agencies, and provide me the greatest flexibility in both career choices and locations to live.

In my opinion, no one agency is better than any other. It's the instructor that makes the difference. Whatever agency you choose to go with, strive to be the best instructor you can possibly be, and you will have nothing to worry about.

[red]Remeber that mud thrown in ground lost[/red]

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Walter, Mario, and All...

Good points all! Walter, I would wonder if you would classify which agency falls into which philosophy. Mario, I would wonder if you are searching for the "Holy Grail" of cert agencies. I agree that PADI is the most proliferate, but I guess I need to take calsses with the other agencies to see how I like them. The cost of the individual classes/books/teaching aids seem miniscule compared to the price of my regs or even my BC, so I am not worried about that. After having a PADI instructor half scare me to death (by endangering us both), I definately want to look at other agencies. Pease, no flames, I know the instructor BROKE all of the PADI rules, but you can tell alot about a tree by it's fruit. I have had other PADI instructors that I could dive into hell with, and know they would bring me back safely.

Again, I would ask for any recomendations, PADI or otherwise, for an IDC here in the Central Florida area.

Pete from Orlando

 

[Walter]

........but I'm not familiar with all agencies. I'm trying to learn more about other agencies.

If you like the first method, PADI is your agency. If you prefer the second, check out both NAUI and YMCA to see which suits your style.

HTH,

WWW™