opinions please
- Thread starter missy
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
King_Neptune
Founder
missy,
Is there any reason for the switch? Not that there is really any reason not too either. To be honest with you the whole NAUI vs PADI vs SSI vs Mr Rogers Scuba Shack is really nothing more than a bunch of huffing and puffing. I could list what I think are pro's and con's of all of them but thats all they would be ... huffing and puffing!
Many people have multiple certifications and for one person to get all pompous and tell you one is better or worse than another is really just trash talking and this sport is plagued with too much of this already so I am not about to start it back up here.
For my real feeling and what I think is the most important thing about finding a CERT company you can read another post I made on the forum here that spells it out.
=-)
Is there any reason for the switch? Not that there is really any reason not too either. To be honest with you the whole NAUI vs PADI vs SSI vs Mr Rogers Scuba Shack is really nothing more than a bunch of huffing and puffing. I could list what I think are pro's and con's of all of them but thats all they would be ... huffing and puffing!
Many people have multiple certifications and for one person to get all pompous and tell you one is better or worse than another is really just trash talking and this sport is plagued with too much of this already so I am not about to start it back up here.
For my real feeling and what I think is the most important thing about finding a CERT company you can read another post I made on the forum here that spells it out.
=-)
I was hoping to get advice from a present British Sub Aqua Club member as I know that they offer "at cost" boat diving free equipment hire and stuff like that and was interested to know details of other stuff they offer if you know anything about this particular organisation then please feel free to tell all, or if you know someone who belongs to BSAC can you please put them in touch?
thanks
thanks
Scuba Sal
Guest
Hi Missy,
I'm currently a member of BSAC but I've only been diving since June. I'm lucky enough to be a part of a local diving club which allows the hiring of equipment and even have their own rib which is great when diving around the UK.
I feel that every organisation has different things to offer and if there is anything specific that you would like to know I'm sure I can find out for you. I will be going to the Red Sea with quite a few members of the BSAC committee next week so if you get your questions to me I'll be more than happy to get some answers for you.
Hope I can help
Scuba Sal
I'm currently a member of BSAC but I've only been diving since June. I'm lucky enough to be a part of a local diving club which allows the hiring of equipment and even have their own rib which is great when diving around the UK.
I feel that every organisation has different things to offer and if there is anything specific that you would like to know I'm sure I can find out for you. I will be going to the Red Sea with quite a few members of the BSAC committee next week so if you get your questions to me I'll be more than happy to get some answers for you.
Hope I can help
Scuba Sal
Chris_BSAC_Diver
Guest
Hi Missy,
I've been a member of BSAC since May '98 and have no complaints about them.
The difference between BSAC and PADI is not a question of training (they are both very similar) but more about approach.
PADI seem to be a bit faster method of learning scuba. Alot of the time you will find that courses have a better structure to them and you can climb the qualification ladder more quickly - without cutting corners. It's really a question of how much you want to spend your time.
BSAC is a club based system. Basically this means that there is a very similar progregression through the ranks to PADI but the training is free and just as good (some would say better for cold water and low viz diving).
Because it is club based there is a pool of experience in the club which is free and a great resource, whether it's advice on buying gear or diving techniques it's always worth asking someone's opinion.
In my club for example I pay £120 per year for full membership including free training. Boat dives are £2 per head and there are regular weekends away to various parts of the UK and abroad and the social side is also pretty good.
The dive training programme usually takes a bit more time. The BSAC Sports Diver qualification could be gained in the same time as a PADI AOW but what's the point. Diving is not just about collecting qualifications but building up experince along the way.
It is possible to do a 'cross-over'. I'm not sure what it involves but I could find out if you want.
Cheers
I've been a member of BSAC since May '98 and have no complaints about them.
The difference between BSAC and PADI is not a question of training (they are both very similar) but more about approach.
PADI seem to be a bit faster method of learning scuba. Alot of the time you will find that courses have a better structure to them and you can climb the qualification ladder more quickly - without cutting corners. It's really a question of how much you want to spend your time.
BSAC is a club based system. Basically this means that there is a very similar progregression through the ranks to PADI but the training is free and just as good (some would say better for cold water and low viz diving).
Because it is club based there is a pool of experience in the club which is free and a great resource, whether it's advice on buying gear or diving techniques it's always worth asking someone's opinion.
In my club for example I pay £120 per year for full membership including free training. Boat dives are £2 per head and there are regular weekends away to various parts of the UK and abroad and the social side is also pretty good.
The dive training programme usually takes a bit more time. The BSAC Sports Diver qualification could be gained in the same time as a PADI AOW but what's the point. Diving is not just about collecting qualifications but building up experince along the way.
It is possible to do a 'cross-over'. I'm not sure what it involves but I could find out if you want.
Cheers
King_Neptune
Founder
missy,
Did you ever make the switch? If so what have you found so far?
=-)
Did you ever make the switch? If so what have you found so far?
=-)
Hiya Missy,
All I have is positive experiences of BSAC, I am a PADI DM, when I was in my previous but 1 job, there was no padi diving place near me, so I joined the local BSAC branch, it was a bit expensive to join (about £100), but after that, any training I did was free (consider PADI OW - about £300 normally). Boat dives were for about £3 to the club + petrol for the RIB. A weekend away was usually less than £50 for diving + B&B. They never made me cross over, They said that my PADI rescue (which is what I was at the time) was approx equiv. to their sport diver level, and I could do all any dive with the club that required this level of experience.
It is probably worth contacting BSAC head office, as there will be a couple of branches near you. They will all be different in character, so go along wor a couple of weeks, and then choose which one you want to join!
Go for it!
Jon T
All I have is positive experiences of BSAC, I am a PADI DM, when I was in my previous but 1 job, there was no padi diving place near me, so I joined the local BSAC branch, it was a bit expensive to join (about £100), but after that, any training I did was free (consider PADI OW - about £300 normally). Boat dives were for about £3 to the club + petrol for the RIB. A weekend away was usually less than £50 for diving + B&B. They never made me cross over, They said that my PADI rescue (which is what I was at the time) was approx equiv. to their sport diver level, and I could do all any dive with the club that required this level of experience.
It is probably worth contacting BSAC head office, as there will be a couple of branches near you. They will all be different in character, so go along wor a couple of weeks, and then choose which one you want to join!
Go for it!
Jon T
Hi Missy
I am Padi and CMAS qualified and have dived with other agencies as well. In my opinion there is little difference in the quality of divers they turn out. The most important aspect of training is the Instructor. He is the one which will affect most the quality of the diving. There are bad and good instructors in every agency. Also the attitude of the divers themselves has to be taken into account. You can have the best instructor in the world but he cannot guarantee that his student will follow his lead when he qualifies. What I have realised that the more I know about diving the more I realise I dont know. I have a non-diving husband so I am always diving with strangers - there is always something you can learn from them. Even if it is what not to do.
I am Padi and CMAS qualified and have dived with other agencies as well. In my opinion there is little difference in the quality of divers they turn out. The most important aspect of training is the Instructor. He is the one which will affect most the quality of the diving. There are bad and good instructors in every agency. Also the attitude of the divers themselves has to be taken into account. You can have the best instructor in the world but he cannot guarantee that his student will follow his lead when he qualifies. What I have realised that the more I know about diving the more I realise I dont know. I have a non-diving husband so I am always diving with strangers - there is always something you can learn from them. Even if it is what not to do.
Similar threads
