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Well, yes and no. I got my O/W with SSI, my Nitrox with TDI and everything else with PADI. For AOW with PADI, there is a specific course. For SSI a certain number of specialties & # of dives add up to AOW. Just looked at my first log book and SSI says 24 dives and 4 specialty courses equals AOW. Same thing with most of their other levels until you get to DiveCon. SSI levels many are # of specialties and dives not seperate classes. PADI requires classes for levels, there is an AOW class, a Rescue class, a Dive Master class etc. PADI will accept your SSI ratings towards the next higher level class you are looking to take with PADI (must have AOW or equvalent from accepted organization). So yes they are interchangable but you won't get PADI AOW by just having the dives and specialties that you will with SSI (you would have to take the PADI AOW course) but your SSI AOW will count as AOW for higher up PADI courses. Make any sense? :06:exile824:
