PADI Certifications - Couple of questions...

[Aquatic Eagle]

Don't want to invite debate, but my certification is PADI and I want his OW certification to be PADI too.

My son does not have much free time between school, extra-curriculars and a p/t job. Only one LDS in our area that does PADI certifications, and their schedule just doesn't work.

I'm certainly not trying to invite debate either but if their schedule doesn't work then what's the big deal with him going with PADI just because you did? Why not go with the shop, agency and instructor that works with the schedule? What's the reason for doing PADI other than the fact that you did PADI?

 

[Pearldiver07]

Actually, I agree with Aquatic Eagle on this one.

If you have reservations about doing e-learning for the OW, using the option of another agency might work better. Although I have been fully "assimilated" by PADI, I understand that no one solution fits everyone.

On the other hand, my experience has it that as long as your son isn't the initial experience for the shop accepting e-learning students, there should be no problem. PADI requires its shops and instructors to be aware of this option, even if they don't personally agree with it. If the shop doesn't want to run this option, then you can revert to option 1, above.

Talk to the shop, integrating him into a class is no big deal, as long as he can align his pool and OW days with the shop schedule. If you can't do this, then again, it's back to option 1, above.

Either way, talk with the shop people. You'll get a feeling as to where your son will fit in or not with their mindset. Also, you'll find out whether you want to establish a business relationship with the shop or not.

Hope that this helped.

 

[Saint4429]

Time is always the issue and I can certainly relate to that. I’m sure this will start some great debate, but who cares. There are a lot of advantages to the online program. I’ve heard all the debates, but the bottom line is online learning works for most. I’m also above average intelligence (like your son) and I love that online learning allows you to go at your pace! You don’t have to sit in a classroom listening to people ask the same questions over and over again when you’ve heard the answer over and over again. Don’t understand something? Hit the replay button. Still don’t understand it? Contact the instructor that you affiliated with when you signed up. Not to mention how nice it is to be able to fit your lessons in when it’s convenient for you! I don’t think it get’s much better then that!

1. It is more then adequate.
2. He still needs to complete all of the confined water sessions before OW.
3. No one will know that he took it online unless you tell them. There won’t be anything on his C-Card to indicate that he did the academics online.
4. Eventually you’re going to come across a situation where you will need Advanced certification in order to participate. The dives you do are up to you and your instructor (except for Deep/Nav). There’s a good possibility that you may find another type of diving that you like or at the very least learn something new. I think it may even be possible to do an underwater hunt as one of your dives.

 

[RJP]

2. He still needs to complete all of the confined water sessions before OW.

Well, that's not 100% accurate. If my memory serves me correctly...

OW Dive 1 can be done after CW Dive 1 is completed
OW Dive 2 can be done after CW Dives 2 & 3 are completed
OW Dives 3 & 4 cannot be done until all CW Dives are completed

Similarly, Knowledge Reviews are sprinkled in there as well.

 

[Saint4429]

Well, that's not 100% accurate. If my memory serves me correctly...

OW Dive 1 can be done after CW Dive 1 is completed
OW Dive 2 can be done after CW Dives 2 & 3 are completed
OW Dives 3 & 4 cannot be done until all CW Dives are completed

Similarly, Knowledge Reviews are sprinkled in there as well.

I wasn't being that technical, just answering that he wouldn't be able to skip the pool sessions all together (as stated in the OP's #2).

And No, knowledge reviews are completed online (not with the instructor).

 

[Damselfish]

I know you said you didn't want to invite debate, but it's really hard to avoid commenting on - I don't see any reason he needs to be certified PADI just because you are. Sounds like you should pick whatever works for training quality and schedule, whether it is PADI or not. It would be odd to find a say a NAUI class that works much better for you, and not do it because it's not PADI.

As far as AOW, at 70 dives you might or might not get much out of it. Presumably you won't get much out of the deep dive if you're already taking a separate deep class. And one of the reasons people get the card is because there are ops out there that won't let you on certain charters without it. Usually this is an issue of deeper dives so your deep card you're already getting should take care of that.

The other reason to take AOW is it's required for PADI Rescue, and Rescue is an excellent class to take. (Even if Adventure diver is enough it makes more sense to me to just finish AOW at that point. I can only see Adventure diver maybe if you are traveling and really strapped for time.) Your alternative would be to take Rescue from NAUI or whatever other agency doesn't require AOW first.