SDI Certification

[Pearldiver07]

Hi Denny, and congratulations! I'm not sure, because i don't know every thing about your specific case, but it sure sounds like a standards violation to me. If the course you paid for was advertised as a PADI course, and the materials you used were PADI materials, you really shoud have received a PADI card. It smacks of sketchy to me. I would demand the PADI card and see what they do. If they give you one, be sure the name of the instructor matches the one on the SDI card you got.

And make that the names on those cards matches the name of the instructor who finished your course!

For PADI, the instructor who completes your last training dive in open water conditions is responsible for submitting that certification to PADI within 7 days of completion of the course requirements (that responsibility is not owned by the shop, although they are usually involved).

And yes, PADI requires that if their teacher conducted a class using PADI materials and you met all of the requirements, that you be issued a PADI certification. If he/she wants to toss in a SDI certification too, well that's between them and SDI.

Of course, if you didn't use PADI materials and/or weren't taught by a PADI instructor, the last paragraph doen't apply.

 

[Pearldiver07]

Back to the original question though - If indeed the course was finished as a cross-over to SDI (change of instructors, maybe?), then that SDI card is all that you'll need.

And it will be accepted anywhere a PADI card would be accepted. Including advancing up through training at the next step.

Happy diving, hope that this helped...

 

[Scubakevdm]

And make that the names on those cards matches the name of the instructor who finished your course!

For PADI, the instructor who completes your last training dive in open water conditions is responsible for submitting that certification to PADI within 7 days of completion of the course requirements (that responsibility is not owned by the shop, although they are usually involved).

And yes, PADI requires that if their teacher conducted a class using PADI materials and you met all of the requirements, that you be issued a PADI certification. If he/she wants to toss in a SDI certification too, well that's between them and SDI.

Of course, if you didn't use PADI materials and/or weren't taught by a PADI instructor, the last paragraph doen't apply.

Interestingly enough, while this does appear to be a blanant standards violation on the PADI side, SDI seems okay with the fact that one of their certifications was awarded a student who never so much as held an SDI manual in their hands.

 

[KrisB]

Interestingly enough, while this does appear to be a blanant standards violation on the PADI side, SDI seems okay with the fact that one of their certifications was awarded a student who never so much as held an SDI manual in their hands.

That is correct.

Inter-agency referrals are exceptionally relaxed under SDI standards when compared to PADI's.

 

[wedivebc]

That is correct.

Inter-agency referrals are exceptionally relaxed under SDI standards when compared to PADI's.

And if a SDI trained diver did his OW portion of the course as a PADI referral wouldn't the situation be just the same? He would have a PADI card without ever owning a PADI manual. (how PADI let that one slip their clutches I'll never know)

 

[KrisB]

And if a SDI trained diver did his OW portion of the course as a PADI referral wouldn't the situation be just the same? He would have a PADI card without ever owning a PADI manual. (how PADI let that one slip their clutches I'll never know)

Well, that's true. Though they will have had to do the PADI quizzes and/or exam -- which, considering the table questions, likely would have meant getting their hands on the manual and table. But maybe not purchased... careful how loudly you comment on that -- PADI may just change the standards!

 

[wedivebc]

-- PADI may just change the standards!

OK here's one for ya. PADI recently refused to sell me PICS because I had not purchased manuals recently. I told them I had a supply from before and they let it slide but if I were certifying referrals how would they account for the PIC/manual ratio?

 

[KrisB]

OK here's one for ya. PADI recently refused to sell me PICS because I had not purchased manuals recently. I told them I had a supply from before and they let it slide but if I were certifying referrals how would they account for the PIC/manual ratio?

That's funny.

I wonder if they use the referral check box to account for that side of things?

Interestingly, I think I've bought a small handful (i.e. maybe 3) manuals directly from PADI (I get a better deal through a local shop), whereas, I've purchased probably 30-40 PICs directly. They've never blinked an eye.

I wonder if the folks at PADI Canada are trying to be proactive to make sure that Canada doesn't become the next South America (where PADI has brought in a hologram idea like the Instructor Candidate Workbook thing) for doing cert courses sans manual.

 

[evandroairton]

Hello KrisB,
As long as i know, at least here in Brazil, PADI does not allow anymore to teach any courses without a proper PADI manual, and the course directors are taking vigillance over this.
That was true until about 8 to 10 years ago, by that time there wasn't PADI materials in portuguese, so the diving centers used to make theyr own brochures, with the course contents.
Of coures there was brochures that were very nice, and others not so.
I don't know the situation at the rest of south america, since Brazil and Argentina have theyr own regional office, and that's not the case with the rest of south america.
Recently i have take an SDI IDC, and, by now, the local SDI office permits that we teach tables, but it is mandatory to teach computer diving, and to use SDI materials as well, for certifying.
the SDI crossed referral is possible, but, as far as i know, SDI demands that the diver who made his check-out with an instructor from another RSTC agency, refers to it's prior instructor for certification, since it was him who made his academic and confinated waters session.

 

[KrisB]

As long as i know, at least here in Brazil, PADI does not allow anymore to teach any courses without a proper PADI manual, and the course directors are taking vigillance over this.
That was true until about 8 to 10 years ago, by that time there wasn't PADI materials in portuguese, so the diving centers used to make theyr own brochures, with the course contents.

There was a thread here sometime last year about how the South American PADI manuals were including the hologram sticker that had to be applied to the PIC for the cert card to be issued.

Here's the one in the Instructor-to-Instructor forum:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/in...am-requirement-padi-latin-america-region.html

And another (of several) in the public forums of difficulties around this:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/basic-scuba-discussions/187839-padi-pic-envelope.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...5959-certification-problem-padi-hologram.html

Recently i have take an SDI IDC, and, by now, the local SDI office permits that we teach tables, but it is mandatory to teach computer diving, and to use SDI materials as well, for certifying.
the SDI crossed referral is possible, but, as far as i know, SDI demands that the diver who made his check-out with an instructor from another RSTC agency, refers to it's prior instructor for certification, since it was him who made his academic and confinated waters session.

I, too am an SDI Instructor and am familiar with the standards.

There are a few things to consider:

1. SDI allows adding to the courses somewhat, though the standards only *require* computer use, they do *not* also require table use. That means that an SDI diver has not necessarily proven they know how to use tables, and are only certified to dive if they're using a computer.

2. There's two types of inter-agency referral that are possible. One, another agency instructor does the confined water and knowledge portions, then an SDI instructor receives that student. SDI *requires* that the SDI instructor complete an *SDI* student registration form and forward it to SDI. They also *recommend* that you complete the Universal Referral form, if that's what the student brought, so the original instructor can submit it as well to whatever agency they are affiliated with. (SDI Open Water Instructor Guide, p.12)

The other type is when an SDI Instructor completes the confined water and knowledge development portions of the dive, then another agency's instructor does the open water. For this, the SDI accepts a signed Global Referral form from the open water instructor, and the SDI instructor that began the training sends in the forms for an SDI card to be issued. To note: the instructor doing the open water portions of the dive may or may not choose to complete the paperwork this way. (SDI Open Water Instructor Guide, p.11)

The PADI recommendation for instructors receiving a referral from another agency is to *not* complete the paperwork, however follow PADI procedures for accepting the referral -- that is, do a Scuba Review, and then complete the OW dives per PADI standards, issuing a PADI certification.

To note: as a PADI and SDI Instructor, all I know for training standards is PADI and SDI. I have no way of evaluating a buoyant ascent (taught by SSI, apparently), nor a "blow & go" (I believe I heard a NAUI instructor say they teach that). That is why I wouldn't sign paperwork that had another agency's logo at the top.