PADI v SSI Instructor

[Cutter1470]

I started as an SSI diver and I'm now doing a PADI rescue course. I'm planning to keep going at least to the Dive Master -Dive Con level and possibly instructor.
What is the real difference between a PADI v SSI Instructor and why chose one over the other?


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[iztok]

PADI is much larger and allows independent instructors while SSI is smaller and instructors have to be associated with a shop.

 

[oly5050user]

Better chance of employment with PADI

 

[beanojones]

SSI instructors have to be associated with a shop.

DOuble triple emphasizing this. Basically unless someone is making you an SSI intructor for free, or a long established shop that you live right next to is an SSI shop, becoming an SSI instrcutor is a questionable decision if you ever intend on using the rating in general space. But SSI the organization has always made excellent education materials, so if the organization matches your needs, it is a member friendly one, and a good one.

Most instrcutors only ever teach (if they ever really teach at all) at the local shop and an even more vanishing number of instrcutors ever dive exclusively for a living, so if your shop is SSI it will work out fine for you.

On the other hand, as someone who works as a diver for a living, I (PADI instructor) was offered a basically free crossover to SSI many years ago and turned it down because of the shop restriction. I have taken basically free crossovers to NAUI, TDI, and SDI, and I paid something for my IANTD crossover.

I have only received income from teaching PADI and IANTD dive classes though. I have used my NAUI rating to fit under an operations umbrella liablity policy.

 

[tstormdiver]

Guys, being affiliated with a shop is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, some do not like it,... that's OK, nothing wrong with it. I have been an SSI instructor for the past 5 yrs, and really can not complain. I instruct for 2 different shops. There are some advantages,... At my shop, I am a professional & treated as such. I have no overhead for classroom (set up for advanced multimedia) or pool rental. I have equipment readily available for use for my classes & don't have the headache of trying to schedule classes, set up pool, logistics of equipment use (yes, this weekend our shop has 2 Open water evaluations & a class going on at the shop- 3 different instructors), try to figure out who needs & gets what equipment. I'm lucky in the fact that the head instructor is an Instructor Certifier & generally, if I have any questions, he has the answers. Yes, there is closer monitoring of classes for quality,... doesn't bother me in the least, though to some it is totally repulsive. In a nutshell, I have support that an independent would not have & would have to deal with themselves. It is all a big trade off. There can be advantages, it is not all evil.

 

[oly5050user]

This past year I know of at least 3 SSI facilities that closed in the NYC area. Some of those instructors knocked on our door looking for employment with us. As we are probably one of the largest scuba , if not the largest, facilities in the area. Nothing we can do for them until they crossover, at what they considered a high expense , to PADI..we welcome independent instructors and offer them very reasonable rate so that they can actually make some $$$ , to use our facilities classroom, on site pool, computer in classroom for presentations, all bcd's,regulators,tanks,etc during pool sessions. All they have to do is show up with their students and teach their class. If SSI allowed them to be independent, I am sure the owner would allow SSI instructors can use the facility as well.
I teach alone about 20 group ow courses a year and almost as many private ow courses.