What Does PADI 5 Star Really Mean?

[Quarrior]

Hi,

I don't want to start any org bashing or name calling with this question.

What I'm wondering is what the designation of being a "PADI 5 Star" facility really tells a diver?

It seems every LDS or dive location that is PADI certified, is a 5 star facility, so, is there such a thing as a 3 star?

Thanks

Brian

 

[Phaethon]

I had been wondering the exact same thing, never having seen a 1 to 4 star centre.

The PADI site is almost inpenetrable for us mere mortals, perhaps PADI Pro's get some priviliged access...

If you google you can find a definition of a 5-star centre (http://www.padi.com/english/common/irra/fivestar.asp ), but don't ask me how to get to the page from the PADI home page.

I did find this explanation of PADI's classification of it's associated centres here:

http://www.divingabroad.co.uk/learntodive/padischools.htm

So it seems 5 is the only star rating, resort and dive centre being for the less specialized centres providing basic experience/training.

Cheers,

K.

 

[Quarrior]

Thanks for the links. Guess I should have known there would not be a 1 - 4 rating.

Brian

 

[archman]

I wonder what the ratio of 5-star centers is in relation to "mere" dive centers. Maybe they just sell more stuff.

 

[Walter]

It is not a rating. It's an advertising gimmick.

Prerequisites & Requirements With my comments in blue. Yes they are my opinions; accept or reject them as you please.

1. Have been a renewed PADI Dive Center for at least 12 months and have no verified PADI Quality Assurance violations within that period and no open quality assurance inquires in progress.

This means you've been paying dues for at least a year and haven't been caught violating standards.


2. Continue to meet all PADI Dive Center prerequisites and membership requirements.

You can't fall below the standards we set for those to whom we don't give 5 stars.

3. Have been awarded all three Dive Center Recognition Awards including: 1) Education, You get this for churning out lots of students (quality doesn't count, only numbers. It is important to keep students returning for more classes). You also must give all your business to PADI. You must buy all the training materials PADI sells. You can't win this award if you've been caught violating standards. 2) Community Involvement You sponsor 2 events. One promotes diving, the other promotes diver safety. 3)Environment. You get this by displaying Project AWARE info, include environmental info in newsletters, sponsor a beach cleanup, install a mooring buoy or sponsor a project that generates information about the aquatic environment. Teach a course on Peak Performance Buoyancy (a BS course IMHO), U/W Naturalist, Project AWARE or Research Diver.

4. Distribute regular communications pieces designed to recruit & retain customers.

Advertise

5. Conduct at least one PADI Advanced O/W course, one PADI Rescue Dive course, one PADI DM or AI course and one PADI Specialty Diver course per year

Keep that $ coming.

6. Have issued at least 30% of total diver certifications for courses above the PADI O/W level.

7. Display items promoting dive travel, and promote dive experiences through various activities.

8. Conduct nontraining related local dive tours and/or dive travel trips.

9. Exclusively issue and advertise only PADI certifications for recreational scuba diving courses.

We don’t make any money when you issue cards from other agencies. We want all your business.

10. Not conduct, sponsor or advertise any non PADI recreational scuba instructor training programs.

See # 9.

11. Use the PADI system of diver education as designed, including all PADI manuals……..

You gotta buy all our stuff.

12. Ensure that all full-service dive operations in a multi-location operation are current PADI ……(various types of PADI facilities are listed)

We want dues from everybody you work with.

 

[Phaethon]

You can get to the PADI definitons by:

1) Go to Dive Centre Search page (http://www.padi.com/english/common/search/dcnr/

2)Choose United States (for example)

3) Next page pick a popular diving state like Florida and click search, no ther inputs)

4) You'll get a list of all Florida PADI Centres, against each is it's PADI 'quality' logo - click these and you get a page with PADI's (not Walter's 8^) ) definition.

ProDive win with five logos - three PADI, one website and one PADI Miles (whatever the hell they are?)

Cheers,

K.

 

[The Kraken]

The reason there are not 1-4 star designations is that it would damage the self esteem of the shop receiving the award.

 

[Calle Roo]

Does this have anything to do with the training the shops provide? Such as IDC training and specialties? Is this something I should look for when choosing my shop for continued ed?

 

[Walter]

Does this have anything to do with the training the shops provide? Such as IDC training and specialties?

No.

Is this something I should look for when choosing my shop for continued ed?

No.

As far as anything that affects you as a customer, the designation is meaningless. It is not an indication of quality.

 

[Calle Roo]

If a shop does not have the 5 Star, are they limited on their courses they train or specialize in?