How did you choose your first agency?

[CaptBill]

I chose NAUI because the LDS was and the Instructor sounded like she knew what she was talking about. She did, and it possibly saved my life some years later. She said "as long as you don't panic you can get out of any situation while diving". I had an equipmet failure doing a bounce to hook up the line at 95ft and found myself with one gulp of air left. Her words came into my mind, I swear I'm not making that up, and I "calmly" did a controlled ascent. I incorporate that story into my OW classes.
I switched to PADI for my AOW and beyond because the shop I picked for these was PADI. I also wanted to do these on my vacations in a warm climate.
When choosing an agency for my Instructor certification I chose PADI because I was, and still am, their standards for teaching. I am also a believer in the positive model of teaching rather than the attacking the student model.
I still believe in PADI because contrary to popular myth they will allow you to expand their standards for teaching and incorporate some of your own.

As an Instructor, and working diver in Key West I have seen bad, dangerous divers from every single agency in the world. Probably the worst are the divers that have been taught by their Instructor that PADI is an inferior agency. At PADI we are taught to never put down another agency to our students.

 

[garyfotodiver]

I went to my hometown YMCA when I learned they had a class. Supposed to get a YMCA card (the rule was if the Y was used, the students received a Y card). We got NASDS cards. Big Deal!

I would point out that the title of this thread and the poll title/choices don't quite match...

 

[KJackson60]

I got my Open water Cert. with my son through a program associated with a BSA summer camp. The shop was/is PADI affiliated. At that time I had no idea about any certification agencies, I just wanted to learn to dive. I was happy with the experience so we have continued using them for additional groups of youth who wanted to learn to dive.

Being more involved in diving now I have investigated other agencies to see if we might want to switch to them for our youth training. I see no appreciable difference in the Open Water level courses for most of the agencies that are available in our area.

As I progress in my diving I may switch to a different agency for additional training. Not because I think PADI or this shop are bad, but because I feel other agencies that I have now learned about may have better experience with or are more focused on areas I may want to go. Some of these areas are Tech. or Cave diving.

Dive Safe.

 

[ScubaDocER]

GUE does have an open water class now, and it has actually been taught a few times already.

I did not know that. I had heard that it was being discussed but did not know it was being conducted. That might change my vote

 

[sabbath999]

I chose PADI only because that is the agency that the shop that I trusted the most uses.

It isn't about the agency, it is about the instructor... I wanted to go with the best I could find, and in this area that means cave divers who have been diving hard core for 20+ years.