Advanced training with NAUI and/or PADI.

[Archhill Divers]

My son is PADI certified and I am NAUI certified and we would like to take an advanced SCUBA course together. Does anyone know if you can be certified by one agency or the other, to enable us in taking a course together (even though we are certified by different agencies) to further our dive training?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You should be able to take Advanced Open Water with either organization. They each recognize the OW cert offered by the other. Find the advanced course you want and when you interview the instructor (which you plan on doing right? ) be sure and ask just to make sure.

 

[Thalassamania]

You can both attend courses from both agencies, but do not think that both agency's courses are the same, or even similar, just because they have the same name. Make sure that you're signing up for the kind of course that you think will best advance your skills.

Frankly the LA County Advanced program is head and shoulders above the either the PADI program (which is five non-integrated "adventure" dives) or the NAUI Advanced Program (which is six dives integrated into a course), in any case ... consider the NAUI Master Diver Program after your advanced course, that will get you to about the same point at the LA County Advanced program. I'd not get involved with the PADI Master Diver program which is just a recognition program rather than a course.

Best of luck, I have the pleasure of diving with my son too ... ain't it great?

 

[BKP]

I agree with everything Thalassamania said above.

I certified with NAUI for OW and AOW. There are a few strings on here about the value of AOW (I enjoyed it just for the skill self-test aspect), however, there seems to be broad agreement that AOW doesn't offer that much value.

However... I took my Rescue cert (and EFR, and DAN 02) with PADI. EXCELLENT course. Real world, applicable, valuable. (PADI recognized NAUI's OW and AOW, however, they didn't recognize my NAUI Nitrox cert towards their Master Diver).

In any case, in the advanced courses (such as Rescue), never mind the agency -- find the best, most conscientious INSTRUCTOR you can. Collect good skills... not badges...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There are a few strings on here about the value of AOW (I enjoyed it just for the skill self-test aspect), however, there seems to be broad agreement that AOW doesn't offer that much value.

Depends on who you take it with ...

In any case, in the advanced courses (such as Rescue), never mind the agency -- find the best, most conscientious INSTRUCTOR you can. Collect good skills... not badges...

Yup ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)