can you crossover your divemaster certification to another agency?

[Lou101]

Hello everyone

So in need of some helpful advice. I am an SSI certified and very experienced divemaster, and have been working in Thailand for a long time. However, I am looking to move on and it seems that a majority of dive centres will not accept me as a divemaster as I am not PADI certified. Is it at all possible to do a crossover to PADI so that I have an opportunity to work in the places where I wish to work? Does anyone know if that is possible? I don't really want to go up to instructor, I am thinking more of eventually working towards professional underwater photography. Any helpful advice on how to crossover to PADI would be great, as far as I am aware so far, I would have to take the course again

 

[Diving Dubai]

I know we took some SSI DM's and put them through PADI IDC but they had to learn some skills covered in PADI DM that weren't in SSI - so there will be course discrepancies.

Generally shops (if sensible) accept certs of a different (mainstream) agency if equivalent. I don't know the SSI Course or ratings to judge equivalency

Generally cross over courses start at Instructor level. beneath that you take the agency course. I was a BSAC Dive Leader (DM) but took the PADI DM course anyway. I was glad I did because I learnt different things in both courses

 

[rsingler]

Unlike SSI, I am not aware of a PADI crossover program per se. Maybe I missed it, looking over my Instructor Manual, just now.
On the other hand, as an experienced SSI Divemaster, I would guess that you could talk to a PADI shop, and could accelerate with a very short course where you demonstrate your skills after learning the PADI "system". Especially since SSI's Divemaster requirements are roughly equivalent to a PADI Assistant Instructor.
If it were our shop, we'd give you a discounted price, as well.
I went the opposite route, where SSI quickly certified me as an Instructor through their defined crossover program.
But frankly, since you do have a course obligation, I'd apply for PADI Asst Instructor, since the prereq is "PADI Divemaster or leadership level with another diver training organization."

 

[Bubble Junky]

Yeah, there is no PADI crossover, you would have to complete the course performance requirements. But as rsingler noted above, as an experienced SSI DM, you could do a shorter version of the course. An SSI DM could start a PADI IDC, but cannot crossover the DM rating to become a PADI DM.

I work on Koh Lanta in Thailand, and we offer two-week programmes in addition to our longer internships - PADI Divemaster Internships Thailand - SCUBA Diving Courses

We also offer uw photography courses for people looking to work as a photographer on dive boats - Underwater Photography Courses Koh Lanta with Narcosis Nick

 

[Billy Northrup]

I don't know the answer. I'd just call Padi HQ and talk to course director.