Ssi vs padi certification

[jaynes@sonic.net]

Hi,

I am PADI certified and my family is getting ready to be certified SSI - I didn't even realize there was a difference when I signed them up for the classes until I picked up the info. Are there any serious cons or pros to an SSI certification?

Thanks!

 

[tregrrr]

wow thats like asking which truck is better ford or chevvy or dodge at a monster truck show....

there are more PADI shops than anyone else out there. Bye and large, the RSTC affiliated organizations (SDI PADI SSI NAUI etc) will all accept their competitors' "equivalent" ratings as prerequisite fulfillment for taking any further courses.

The biggest drawback will be their cards will be different colors

No big deal as far as getting into classes later on, and they ought to all be recognized equally with dive operators everywhere.

ONE potential benefit I know of for going the PADI way: since many operations in the resort world play by PADI rules, IF by chance you forget your card, it is possible for the operator to look up your card online and still let you dive. Most agencies offer this I am sure, but since there are more PADI shops around, that safety net is a bit broader.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

The difference is individual to the shop and instructor. You want a place that takes their time and teaches more than the bare bones standards. But between the agencies themselves? Don't sweat it. And all agencies have certification checks available online. Padi is not the only one. You can look up anyone for any agency these days. Padi is the best marketed agency and has managed to blind the masses into believing that anything non-Padi must be substandard. Patently untrue. But the masses are quick to believe the commercials.....

 

[scuba4less]

I am bought a PADI & SSI Instructor. I have been teaching for several years now, and based from my experience, it's the same banana at the end of the day. PADI is the largest certifying agency, no doubt about that, but there are other agencies to consider in terms of cost of student materials. Why I maintain bought PADI and SSI, it gives me a wider variety of educational services to offer.

 

[Krazyklaws]

I'm PADI certified, but hold the SSI Nitrox certification.

On a recent trip to Dahab, a couple of the Egyption staff at the dive centre hadn't heard of it and needed to get it checked out. It was checked and approved without delay but it did raise the question in my mind.

Anyone know how widespread SSI certification is in Egypt?

 

[dburg30]

I'm sure both are great organizations. As others have said PADI is larger then other ones. Doesnt make them better, doesnt make them worse. What can make it better or worse, as someone else stated, is the shop and the instructor. If you have a shop that DEMANDS you buy equipment from them, try to find somewhere else. If you dont feel comfortable with an instructor, or dont feel they are 'instructing' but more there just to watch you perform skills with no real input, find another one. Diving is something you need to feel very comfortable with, and just basically having someone hand you your card probably is doing you a disservice.

There are many shops that only require you to have a towel and a bathing suit. they will supply ALL the gear you need for training. Those are nice as you have NOTHING invested in equipment if you decide you dont like it.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Wow....a thread about different cert agencies and it's still civil?

 

[fnfalman]

For OW training, it doesn't matter one wit which agency did the training. The shop and the instructor are the ones that will make a difference. There are plenty of crappy SSI/NAUI/PADI shops and instructors out there. Do some checking with the local divers and see which shops they'd recommend. I lucked out in finding a good LDS for my OW class.

 

[Laurie S.]

I'm SSI so far (through AOW, Nitrox, and Stress and Rescue) but am entering PADI Divemaster training with an instructor who used to be SSI but now is PADI. Seems pretty equivalent all the way around.

 

[SDiverJim]

I ran into a similar problem a couple of years age in Thailand. I had an OW certification from SDI and the shop didn't recognize it. He called the Dive Master that was going to take us out and he said it was legit. I switched to PADI on my next certifications for that reason.

I'm PADI certified, but hold the SSI Nitrox certification.

On a recent trip to Dahab, a couple of the Egyption staff at the dive centre hadn't heard of it and needed to get it checked out. It was checked and approved without delay but it did raise the question in my mind.

Anyone know how widespread SSI certification is in Egypt?