Anything simpler than Open Water?

[Trace Malinowski]

Technically speaking, Nitrox is simpler than Open Water because several agency standards allow instructors to conduct the course with no dives involved. But, yes, you have to complete an open water certification course first.

 

[tridacna]

Maybe I am the one person to give the troll-roll-call post, but here goes!
Switch from challenging SSI to super-easy-peasy-PADI, and get your checkout dives done lickety-split!

That’s untrue. I’m familiar with both and they’re both “easy-peasy” “lickety split”. (Who talks like that any more?). If you want to see REAL differences between programs, compare GUE to SSI or PADI.

 

[Neilwood]

OW is the minimum level that allows you to safely dive with a non professional diver (such as a DM or instructor).

As someone above has said, if scheduling with a local shop is a problem, get a referral and do it somewhere else.

 

[nolatom]

The thing is, diving shallow is harder to do because each foot of that zero to ten feet affects your buoyancy much more than each foot of fifty feet to forty. Breathe in a little too deeply? Oops, you just surfaced when you didn't mean to.

Get the OW cert. It's not all that painful, and you may just (probably will) come to enjoy the beautiful stuff at 20 and 30 feet. And if your buddy, or another diver, leads you deeper (or needs assistance deeper), you can follow/

 

[nolatom]

That’s untrue. I’m familiar with both and they’re both “easy-peasy” “lickety split”. (Who talks like that any more?). If you want to see REAL differences between programs, compare GUE to SSI or PADI.

Hang in there. In another ten years or so, the hipsters will rediscover 1920s-speak, and we will both be totally on the beam, and soooo cool.

 

[maj2]

When I was at the same stage as the OP, I also thought that I knew what I wanted out of diving-- OW was going to be fine with no interest in going much deeper, and no interest in other more advanced types of diving. And the thought of ice diving back then was absolute craziness!

Lets just say that my interests started changing rapidly once I started diving and exploring the local sites, and my ice diving course was my favourite course of them all!

My advice to the OP is to pursue OW and keep all options open. Interests change and evolve with time. Also suggest doing the OW checkout dives in the local quarry if thee is any possibility of diving those shallow lakes in anything other than the warmest times of the year. Best to be used to the cold water environmental protection if there will be much local diving.

 

[yle]

Switch from challenging SSI to super-easy-peasy-PADI, and get your checkout dives done lickety-split!

Are the OW dive requirements much different between SSI and PADI? I'm asking because I don't know what the requirements are for SSI. My brother did SSI for his OW cert, and I was under the impression he had to do pretty much the same stuff we did with PADI (i.e. four OW dives, a handful of skills on each dive.)

The PADI skills on the OW dives are essentially mask removal, replace and clearing; oral inflate BCD; compass navigation; OOA response; CESA; and several things on the surface. (This isn't an exhaustive list, just the highlights.)

 

[JohnnyC]

All of the major certifying agencies are members of the WRSTC. As such they must all teach to a minimum set of standards. While individual instructors and shops may add additional material, as long as you meet the minimum standards they must issue you a certification. This is true for all agencies that are member of the WRSTC. Functionally speaking, it means that all OW classes are essentially the same. Of course you'll still get bad shops and instructors that don't follow the rules, but by-and-large all OW classes will cover the same materials, cover the same skills, and require the student to demonstrate said skills in open water.

 

[GreggS]

Jeez, just how rigid/intense is SSI certification? I got OW certified in 2 weekends (4 days) with SDI. That includes classroom/book work, pool time, and certification dives.

To have been involved in getting OW cert for over half a year seems way excessive.

 

[yle]

All of the major certifying agencies are members of the WRSTC... Functionally speaking, it means that all OW classes are essentially the same... by-and-large all OW classes will cover the same materials, cover the same skills, and require the student to demonstrate said skills in open water.

Right... which is why I'm curious about the "challenging" SSI vs the "easy-peasy" PADI. Usually statements like this are made by people that do not have direct experience with both, but instead have simply been told this and are parroting someone else's opinion.

And of course the dedication of the instructor is a far greater factor in the quality of the OW course than the agency they're associated with.