New PADI certification!!

[mike_s]

I'm confused now. Should I not go to my local dive shop and take the PADI ow certification ? Should I use another outfit ?

I'd ask around and find which shop has the best instructors that can teach you the most in a way you understand it to make you a better diver. That in my opinion is what is more important over who's logo is on the card. (Padi, Naui, etc..)

 

[drew52]

I'm confused now. Should I not go to my local dive shop and take the PADI ow certification ? Should I use another outfit ?

Nothing wrong with the PADI course or any other agency course for that matter.

Some people on this board dislike PADI because they are the biggest agency. These same people are generally disillusioned with the dive industry as a whole and then use PADI as the example (when they could easily use SDI, SSI, NAUI, IDEA, PDIC, etc).

Most of the agencies, while not having identical standards, have very similar standards and are easily interchangeable. (ie You can take PADI O/W then later do the NAUI Advanced Open Water then come back and do SSI Rescue or SDI Nitrox).

The best thing is to go to a couple of shops and find an instructor that you think will suit you. Chat to your instructor before the course and get a feel for them.

 

[The Chairman]

Some would have us to remove all humor from the board in the name of "Agency Bashing". Some would have us remove all criticisms of the various agencies under the same aegis. One of the many definitions from www.Dictionary.com:

Bashing: To engage in harsh, accusatory, threatening criticism.

So, if you see a post that crosses the line for ANY agency that meets this criteria, please use the "Report Bad Post" link in the bottom left of every post here on ScubaBoard. However, please respect the fact that not everyone shares your opinions and that we exist to discuss those differences of opinion. In that respect we allow a modicum of expression about likes and dislikes as well as open criticism as long as it does not descend into harsh, accusatory and/or threatening.

As a caveat, DIR (GUE) probably accounts for the most "bashing" through humor and downright ire on this board. Our goal is not to sanitize our discussions to the point where we are useless, but to keep the animosity some feel towards these various agencies to a tolerable level.

 

[mlkco]

Every sport has the disgruntled and after a while they just get tiresome!