Crossover courses counting towards Advanced Scuba Diver Development Program?

[stuartv]

I have my SDI OW, Computer Nitrox, and Advanced Buoyancy Control certs. Though I believe it brings no practical value to the table, I want to do the additional specialties that would qualify me for the SDI Advanced Scuba Diver cert. In my mind, it would just be cool to have.

I intend to do the Deep specialty, the Underwater Nav specialty, and one other, which I haven't decided on yet. Like I said, I want to do those anyway, Advanced card or not. Getting the Advanced card, once I've done those specialties and logged 25 dives anyway seems like a "why not" kind of thing.

So, the question is, if I take the PADI Deep Diver course, will that count for the Deep course requirement of the SDI Advanced Scuba Diver card?

If so, would I have to go through some process to get the PADI Deep cert recognized by SDI and entered into my SDI Diver profile, so that when I login to the SDI website it shows me as having an SDI Deep certification? I ask because I can imagine my Advanced Diver card getting kicked out of the system (or not accepted) because the SDI computer system doesn't know that I have the Deep cert. If yes, then how do I do that? Show my PADI Deep card and my log to my local SDI shop and pay them some money to enter into the SDI system and print me a card?

If not, why not?

On a related note, I've already been on two dives with a DM (just recreational though, not training dives) that went to between 85 and 90 feet. Would having those already in my log reduce the number of training dives I have to do to complete the SDI Deep Diver certification (if I take the SDI Deep course)?


I am mainly asking about this because it would be inconvenient and expensive (because I'd have to travel) to do my Deep course with my local shop that I've been training with. So, I'm thinking about arranging to do the deep course when I'm in Hawaii in March. And the shop I'm considering diving with in HI is only a PADI shop.

 

[tursiops]

The SDI Advanced requirement includes: "Completion of 4 SDI Specialty Courses or equivalent" and the PADI Deep is more than equivalent to the SDI Deep specialty....4 dives instead of 2, for example. But you'd need to confirm with your SDI instructor who will send in your Advanced registration that he will accept the PADI Deep card.

The SDI dives you did must be with an instructor, not a DM, so they would not count toward the SDI cert.

The SDI dives will NOT count toward the PADI cert; they did not have a PADI instructor on them, you were not registered for the PADI class, you did not do the required skills.

 

[Steve_C]

Note that many instructors can teach in more than one agency. The difference between a cert in one agency or another may be just where the fee and paperwork is sent, and which test is taken. But the tests are usually the least of what you get out of the course, in MHO. The flexibility of SDI is one good reason to go with that agency at the starat. If you ever do decide to go for DM/DiveCon later the SDI background can be counted toward either.

 

[stuartv]

Got it. Thanks, tursiops and Steve.