In 10 years of diving all over the world I not once have witnessed any negative behaviour against me or other divers based on the respective training agency. I hope it stays that way.
When you pass your driving test it doesn't mean you are a good driver. It means you've done the basics safely and well enough to get your driving license. Only after that do you really learn. If you only use a car once a year after that you ain't never gonna be a great driver are you??? Diving is no different. It takes time, practise and effort AFTER you get your license, no matter what agency you learned with.
I remember when I started diving in the late 90’s, got my open water cert through PADI. My instructor was awesome and I was lucky to go diving 1-2 weekends a month. I logged around 60+ dives and progressed with my training into tech diving through IANTD (Nitrox and wreck) ended up logging around 250 dives in under three years. Was blessed to do so much diving due to the location (Philippines) but I ended up moving back to the U.S. and unfortunately haven’t dived since.
@@ianserna7267 I was in Cebu, that's where I decided to start diving. Have logged around 210 dives in the last 18 months. And plan to go back to Cebu next year. It's one of those places I would love to relax and dive for months / year(s)
I was a PADI instructor (SDI now) and glad you brought out many points people didn't know or realize. Something many people don't consider - your scuba education is heavily dependent on the quality of Instructor you have regardless of what agency they are with. Great video and thank you. P.s. for those that don't know the World Recreational Scuba Council covers safety and training for ALL agencies.
@@kevinphillips150 Yeah mine was a Seal as well. His name was Jonathan. Damn he was good. Sense of humor, pushed you to do better when you struggle, barks at you not to be mean but to get the important skill you're doing into your head and he helped me stay confident and more aware of my surroundings in the water. PADI or no PADI, I learned to scuba dive.
Love the quote ... PADI have now stopped given out the plastic cards and want every one to go ecards ... which means if you’ve been diving a while some plastic some ecard unless you purchase all your cards again ... what a rip off ecard costs next to nothing but courses are the same price ... RIP OFF PADI
Hey it sounds like everyone had a navy seal for an instructor - wow you think some where lying about being a seal ? Not NAUI instructor s ( not another underwater idiot )
Yes, but there are instructors who are not as experienced as others. Maybe a good idea if your checking on line is to ask how long s/he has been an instructor. Even fair to ask to see their cert.
The problem is some instructors help a bit too much. Like guide people to the correct answer, otherwise they wouldn't pass. I know someone who became a padi instructor during a vacation, he got ice diver specialty in tropical water with Styrofoam on top, compass skills in crystal clear water. He is also a 3star with another federation, and said he struggled much more for the 3 star then it took to become instructor. His quote: you can buy/sell specialty cards, but the skills and experience needed takes lots and lots of practice. And repetition. To maintain.. He doest think is possible within the padi system. (where you work with someone for a couple of days ( or few weeks at best for instructor). (he still works as an instructor) That doesn't mean padi divers aren't good divers, but that often, they evolve regardless of whatever quicky course they received. ..... As I've never had padi courses, I'm not sure how to feel about that,
As a PADI trained diver, I haven't experienced hatred for being PADI. I have experienced surprise. I learned to dive in cold, dark water with 1 to 2 meters visibility, sometimes in 8 knot current. I travel solo. So I am always paired with someone else to be my buddy. Occasionally, I'm paired with a non-PADI diver. From time to time, we'll finish the dive and the other diver will say something like, "You dive really well for a PADI diver." I think the things is, there are more PADI divers in the world. So it logically means there are more bad PADI divers in the world. If there are 1,000,000 PADI divers and 5% are bad divers then there are 50,000 bad PADI divers. If there are 50,000 divers in a different agency and 5% are bad divers then there are 2,500 bad divers from the other agency. It is easy to feel like all PADI divers are bad divers when there are so many PADI divers and thus so many bad PADI divers.
An 8 knot current is one heck of a fast drift dive. In a 30 minute dive, you'll cover about 4.5 miles. Unless the site is very constrained, that's going to be an incredible challenge for your surface cover (boat or shore) to keep track of all divers in the water. Even if a pair enters the water only 5 minutes afterwards, they are going to be ~0.8 miles apart.
Actually, in WA oxygen is a specific required skill and only PADI does that, NAUI has rescue only but if you use any oxygen therapy you are then liable as unqualified and must wait for a paramedic to apply any. You learn a lot more in rescue but since it is rescue and not just oxygen you can not do it. PADI has them as separate skills. I buy books from both. The NAUI rescue is much more comprehensive. The PADI one is only cursory
@@toriless Oxygen Administration is a core part of BSAC Dive Leader, and maybe taken as a separate SDC by anyone holding Ocean Diver or Sports Diver. Same for AED use.
@@toriless drift drives are great! But if the skipper is planning on dropping us in anything over a half knot or so, I'll be asking for an alternative site.
Got trained through 2 agencies, one of which is PADI. I agree - most important factor is instructor. What I don't like about PADI is that they're way behind the times in terms of digitizing their work and they ask a freaking ridiculous amount of money to "re-issue" an eCard. I find this a slap in the face.
The agency where I did my AOW and nitrox just printed the ecard for me and stapled it in my logbook. I also have a list of all courses with instructor signature in my logbook.
If... and I say IF - your education sucks and you display behaviours that are annoying, dangerous or damaging the environment or in general you don't really seem to know what you're doing and IF when called out for something you get defensive because, hey, you hold a certificate, right - then it's no wonder when other people start look down onto that. Have a great day!
As a multi- agency instructor (including PADI), I agree it is not the agency but the instructor and his/her experience that makes the difference between good training and bad training. The fundaments are pretty much standard across the board.
You're so right mate, I got my OW certification with PADI, then my dive center switched from PADI to IANTD and I therefore got my AOW, Nitrox and Deep Diver certification from a different agency yet the same instructors. I'm now doing the Essentials course ("Intro to Tech" in some agencies) and, needless to say, my instructors are every bit as demanding as always with either agency. Bottom line is I feel that, as I grow as a diver, I feel confident that I'm getting the skills to keep having great fun in the water and do it safely for me, my buddy and everyone else, and that's thanks to my instructors, not the logo in my diving certification cards.
Hey I love Padi 😀😀😀 same goes to other agency ssi, naui, gue, cmas and etc. As they teach more people how to love and protect their underwater world.😀😀😀
Certification is a mere minimum starting point. It’s analogous to a learner’s permit in driving. Once you get it, it’s up to the diver (or driver) to develop the appropriate skills. LEARN YOUR CRAFT. Do PADI instructors give students the necessary beginners’ skills? Generally. I’m a NAUI diver, but I have met some good PADI instructors who genuinely care about making safe and skilled divers.
I took the PADI Discover Scuba when I was in Fiji. My instructor was astounding. We covered a few basics like loss of the Reg and Clearing the mask. In the ocean she held my hand for the first dive and then second I was on my own. I was very comfortable to do several more dives with other people after. I was 68 when I got my official certification and went to Bonaire for my first dive trip. We did 2 dives a day from the shore and I had a blast. But I still did not have a lot of buoyancy control. Our second trip was to Grand Cayman for boat diving. I loved it. My husband who was a PADI instructor helped me with my buoyancy and it got much better. We visited several wrecks and I did my first drift dive. The employees of the dive shop at the resort were super. I would definitely go again.
This was definitely something I learned recently about how certain divers dislike PADI because of the expenses associated with all their specialty courses. I am PADI certified up to my Rescue, and I think it really does come down to your instructor. I learned a lot from my instructors, but also skills like buoyancy and trim take practice. It is hard to learn all of these things in two days (which is what I did for my Open Water), but I think the issue comes when divers try to dive above their skill level, intentionally or not. Also, if the dive shops are reminding their customers about safe diving practices, and also keeping an eye on their fins and buoyancy so they don't smash into a coral, that is helpful as well. One thing that I have observed, but can't speak to because I am not a DM myself, is that it seems that some places offer accelerated Dive Master courses. That concerns me because then those divers can practice professionally but may not be equipped for certain situations. I don't know if that is just a PADI thing though or if that can be done in other agencies as well. Thanks for your thought-provoking video!!
I am PADI AOWD, and now dive with VDST (German dive orgaisation). My personal feeling is PADI "get you going", whereas VDST make SURE of your skills before they let you go on (maybe too sure). Where Money is involved, more clients more money. Where club instructers are involved, there is room for EGO, & ultra pickiness. My mantra is, learn all you can, dive as often as you can & practice, practice practice, & don't dive anywhere you have not had the training for!
I wouldnt care where someone trained so long as they are decent at diving... personally if i seen anyone hating someone or treating someone different because of what agency they trained under i would think that person is a moron not the agency.
I would be more concerned about what location they trained than the agency. Diving in HI is like diving in a pool. Diving in the Pac NW or the UK is more like being on the moon.
I qualified to dive in Mexico with PADI in 2010. When I returned to the UK I joined BSAC to do Sports Diver qualification. it was only whilst doing this I realised I didn't know half of what I was expected to know. I'm now doing my instructor training in BSAC and appreciate the unlimited time taken to ensure skills are honed. It may be seen as "bloody slow and careful" but new divers will know what they need to know and be proficient in the skills expected but the kicker for me is that once you have paid for the course materials all instruction, as many times as you need it will be free. The fact we are all volunteers means there is no imperative to sign people up or off to make an income.
We've talk to a number of dive masters in the Caribbean who say that people certified on vacation in resorts are not as skilled as those who learn in Northern lakes.
my Naui instructor had us doing safety checks so often we were at 50 feet before we knew we were wet. He saved my ass more than once from equipment failure and when Abalone free diving in Mendocino.Jeff died from bends training the SEALS in South Pacific. Good Man.
That's true, but that doesn't mean a short course is not enough to make a good and qualified diver. It depends on the instructor but also a lot on the student who is learning to dive (how well and fast she or he assimilates things and skills). Dependending on people 3 dives can be enough while others will need 10 or 20. Same thing for Divemasters and Instructors.
Bill Davis which is exactly why I never understood how PADI can allow a student to take the advanced course before he has ever done an actual dive. That makes no sense to me.A student should go out and get some dives and see if they even like the sport before taking an advanced diver course.
It's a combination of training and experience. The instructor is key in any agency. I agree with the video in that PADI does not require its instructors to go into great depth on some subjects.
I'm a PADI-diver. Not because I thought about it before I started diving. It was just because the dive center which opened at the Island we spend our holidays every year was a padi dive center. And our instructor is still the best i've ever met
i was drysuit diving and my rock boot was undone, and a PADI divemaster said "come back tomorrow and ill teach you the PADI lace tying speciality" which just shows how we make jokes about PADI as well from a PADI diver
I was just Certified with PADI, my instructor is also a Public Safety Diver instructor.. He went beyond the basics and really pushed on Buoyancy control, navigation and what really can go wrong underwater. And like what you said I just took on to diving like a fish in water. Can’t wait to meet new people and continue learning more.
I have read both the PADI and NAUI navigation books. They clearly have a different approach on the subject. Both miss good ideas bur the NAUI is clearly more advanced and comprehensive while still missing material in the PADI instructions.
My husband are I are both PADI Instructors and we have no problem with any other agency. However, we have experienced anti PADI divers in the past who were not aware that PADI have strict standards that we as instructors have to abide by. We have also come across certain veterans from other agencies that have criticised PADI, yet brought their children/family to be trained through our PADI system before they join their agency. I think this speaks volumes.
I wonder if said veterans realize they are more than capable of training their own children. But you need some certification. PADI doesn't recognize other agencies, but other agencies do recognize PADI... So it logically could make sense to get PADI certified just to keep their options open in the future and to get dual certified for the price of one. All the while never really needing either because the longer journey and learnings won't be contributed to any one Agency. I think it speaks volumes too, but more to how PADI are essentially stealing money from other Agencies simply for profiteering. Or maybe it's neither and we shouldn't apply our bias to draw a conclusion as if it's evidence of your pre-determined opinion.
No hate here, I love to dive with good PADI instructors, after all it's just a brand.. But becoming a Dive Master after only 40 dives is not really a strict standard imho? I have 40+ with CMAS and I'm not even at AOW level yet ... I wouldn't trust myself to be a Dive Master at this point, and I have seen way worse (also a lot better).
@@I-M-Pulsive There's a big difference between being a dive master running a dive and a dive instructor teaching scuba diving, and it requires 60 dives by completion plus rescue diver certification for dive master
Im PADI certified and took me 4 weeks of training and my instructor was strict (but this was during the 90s) . Don't know if it changed. Hating someone due to his certification is stupid and means that person is not worth your time.
@@anatolerouarch2443 well that does not seem right . Personally experience (time) is the best teacher , to familiarize a student with the equipment and being comfortable when under water . But i guess it's up to the instructor. I heard diving is not as popular as it used to be , making it more accessibleis understandable but hopefully the quality and safety of the student should not change.
Yes, it has changed. Now you get your OWD and your advanced in a week with only 10 dives and all of them with the instructor in crystal clear waters with no currents or strong waves. The orientation drill is particularly funny when they ask you to “find” something you see perfectly although they ask you to pretend to use your compass.
@@macoyupadoodle I agree with you (and it is good that you give the detail of time when you talk of experience because you can put a lot of things behind the word experience) Once thing I want to say though is that giving and/o taking the time does not only depend on the instructor but on the manager of the operation/business and on the economics of the area where the course is offered.
I'm PADI but was certified with a group of NAUI divers because my instructor does both. I also recently sat in on my GF's open water classes/pool and checkout dives with SSI as a refresher. Everything was extremely similar. If anything the SSI class felt way more fast paced compared to my instructor who was very meticulous and made sure we did everything right multiple times before moving on to the next skill or whatever. I also did much longer dives with PADI (45 minutes-1 hour each) for my checkout while the checkout dives for my GF's class were about 20-25 minutes each on one tank. At the end of the day I think it just comes down to the instructor, not the agency. If you judge a diver just based on his cert card alone then you're just toxic.
Padi instructor as well as for multiple other agencies including a DIR agency, I personally don't care for PADI for professional reasons but in the end it's the instructors not the agencies and at the diver level, especially a new yet-to-be-certified diver usually won't have enough info to pick what an experienced diver would consider a stellar instructor(don't know what you don't know kind of thing).
Agree with this. My lds were padi, and moved to SSI as they felt the app, not having to pay for cert cards, training materials etc. was better for their customers, from my point of view it wouldn't matter if they were padi, SSI, DIR, GUE etc. Its the instructors they have I'm paying for not the brand on my cards.
The great instructors are also technical divers trained by other technical dive agency's such as IANTD or GUE. They add their gained wisdom to their PADI courses. An IANTD qualified cave diver can offer lots more insight to a buoyancy dive or wreck dive techniques
@@stephens2r338 while I think being a technical diver may add perspective to training, I have experienced just as many shitty tech and cave divers as I have Rec divers, it comes down to the individual having the passion, willingness, ability, and drive to push their skillset to where I should be in my opinion.
@@Mrich775 I'm an experienced tech instructor trying my best to give my students everything but we do work in a bubble and the quality of education can slip. . Most instructors work on their own with maybe a DM for help. We have nobody to compare with and keep us on our toes, which can lead to complacency and failures in education and practices. You make great point for constant instructor education and evaluation on a regular basis to maintain quality. We all should remember that we started out with good intentions and being an instructor for 20 years doesn't automatically make you a good one!!!!
@@stephens2r338 I agree on all points, I focus on tech and dir instruction myself and notice I teach a quite different open water class than which I see on the market frequently(and better of course in my opinion as we all think we're the best haha) but having a good breadth as well as depth to your personal diving can only improve your quality as an instructor, given the desire to do so again.
Mark you are right. The PADI course are pretty fast and I got my AOW certification. I only have 16 dives. Yes buoyancy is something I still need to work on. Refresher courses are great for those that don’t dive as often which I don’t. One thing I wish PADI would do is a Yearly Safety Day. I’m also a certified Skydiver we have one every year to go over emergency procedures and get more awareness training to reduce complacency that may cause accidents.
It can if you make it. Theres mostly PADI divers where I live. At the end of the day there are really 3 types of divers IMO; you of course you beginners, those that just were certified, your holiday divers (truly the worst to dive with), your hobbyist (the ones that dive frequently). Yes you have the "professionals" but they vary in skill as well, and for the point I'm making they fall into the regular diving group. Theres a reason you are suppose to do a refresh dive after no dives in 6mo. If shops properly checked credentials they could catch this, but many only get their dive logs so far then stop updating.
I remember diving in Thailand a hundred years ago and this lady was training to get an equivalent of a PADI aow through CMAS. She had to write out her test answers and spend more hours training. PADI gave us a multiple choice and the saddest underwater navigation test that basically gave you the answers and passed you even if you blatantly failed. I wish there was a detailed video comparing all the other organizations.
P.A.D.I . (Put Another Dollar In). Has a PADI IDC Staff Ints. I do 100% agree with all you have said. I had a shop for many years. And has an extra I included in the students course, a dry suit dive in the pool one time for all students here in Sweden before going out in open water so they understand the safety of dry suit diving. Safety has to come first. Cold divers do make for better & safer divers. And I do agree that PADI do not go far enough and could make things safer. I took my 13 year old son on a referral to Tenerife (Jr. OWD). But the Inst. was at 14 meters and still going down. I got his attention and showed him our depth. But his attitude was `What the problem dude. He's ok´. This is my son. It is NOT ok to break the rules with safety! Thanks for the video!
I got certified last year through SDI. It was a course for my university taught by the LDS. Our instructor drilled skills into us a lot during the pool sessions, then the checkout was at a spring in Florida. I went back the next semester and did what the school labeled the "advanced scuba" class. We did all of the specialties needed for the AOW cert. Our checkout dive for that class was Pompano Beach, Florida. I hadn't dove in ocean until that point, but i felt super comfortable because my instructor made sure that we were all well prepared for it. Best money I've spent.
I've never seen or heard of the PADI hate until your channel posted about it. Everywhere I've been and liveaboard I've done loves PADI and teaches it unless their instructors prefer to teach the specialty as another agency. When I got my open water in 2015, I never learned when, where, or how to deploy a SMB. About 5 years later, I know how to deploy one but have never used one or even taken one on a dive. In my opinion it's one of those skills and tools where, if you need it, you'll already know you need it.
This is an excellent and honest video which raises some good points. I trained with BSAC (up to Sports diver standard) and have subsequently done PADI courses. I have >150 dives, all over the world, in a variety of conditions. My only negative observation with regard to PADI is the way it's possible to become an 'Advanced' diver after just 9 dives - 4 for Open Water and then 5 for the Advanced course. Now sure, it's just a label, but it's more the fact that it could give an individual false confidence - I've seen this on a few dives where the PADI dive centre has lumped in 'Advanced' divers with others who have 100+ dives for a more testing dive (strong current, wreck penetration etc) and low and behold, they've almost always had a drama, whether that's burning through their air twice as fast as everyone else, had crap buoyancy and clattered into coral etc., or simply been unable to deal with the current. Anyone considering themselves an advanced diver after 9 dives needs their head examining though. So my only suggestion would be to re-brand that course - call it "Diver Progression" or something. I also think the fact BSAC incorporates rescue skills very early in diver training is a great thing - their philosophy is that an accident can happen whether you've done 5 dives or 500 (which is true), so it pays to have some idea of what to do if that happens. How many PADI divers bother to do the Rescue Diver course? Very few, I imagine. I remember having to do a 200m surface tow, in surf, whilst giving mouth to nose (gross) resuscitation and then dragging my buddy up onto the beach and performing CPR as part of my Sports diver course. Thankfully I've never had to do it for real, but it's good to know how to recover an unresponsive diver, carry out basic life support or recover yourself solo. But hey, everyone has to learn, and PADI's ubiquity wouldn't be possible if it wasn't a thoroughly professional organisation. It's clearly very focused on generating revenue - hence the constant pushing of new courses etc - but that's no bad thing I guess, if it encourages people to learn and improve. And generally, their approach to responsible diving (not touching marine life etc) is pretty good. We're all ultimately there to enjoy and respect the ocean, and to be honest, there are good and bad instructors in any organisation. I've never seen anyone being impolite to anyone with regard to their 'parent' diving agency though - that would be really weird.
Ive already commented on PADI... Its your entry level agency to get ppl diving. Thats where everyone starts. Im studying with another agency and much happier with them then i was with Padi.
31 years of diving. Started with CMAS (the only option back than in our conutry), continued with PADI (as it was much easier and faster to progress), currently ANDI - tech (as in my old age I am finally starting to grasp the real importace of safety and understanding of how things really work :D).
I have been a PADI certified diver since 1974 and a PADI OWSI since 1978. Also a CMAS instructor, and a NASDS and NAUI certified diver (so I have been around). PADI was not like that in the past. Years ago my PADI ITC was very rigorous and you really felt that PADI had a "mission" which was to make the best trained divers in the planet. But sadly I have seen how it changed into a money making business machine. It is all now about money.. profit.. that is why it has became so big, You really "hit the nail in the head" as we say in the West Indies with your sincere, honest, unbiased and frank assessment... you really have earned my respect.
I agree with your video on Padi, When i did both open water and advanced diver (both on a lake) it was rather quick and despite some screw ups by me and other divers we got signed off, im not even good at using the compass yet. I think like you said it does takes more time to be a good diver not just 2 days with 4 - 5 hours each day.
I got my training at a dive shop that had recently switched from PADI to SSI - the lead instructor simply said they had determined they liked SSI curriculum better. My final dives for OWD were done at a resort in Jamaica (SO much better than the lake diving we have to do here in Missouri!), and it is a PADI shop. My instructors who did my skills review and dives were friendly, professional, and quite diligent with my testing - I couldn't have had a better experience. There was even a panicked diver incident on one dive that was handled perfectly. All this to say that, until I watched your video I really wasn't aware of any animosity regarding PADI instructors. Frankly, I have to wonder if it's more the individual instructors/shop that vary in quality.
What do they tell you !!! You are certified for the conditions in which you dived. In the pacific NW that means dry suits 32-40f and salt water with a few meters visually but in HI it means 80f, 2 mm wet suits and 2000 foot visibility.
I learnt (40 yrs ago) with NAUI, then their course was 5 days, PADI was about 2yrs!!! Obviously very different now. But he's right, a person needs dive time to practice skills. We learn best by our (non-fatal) mistakes.
The title of the article is “Why Some Scuba Divers Don’t Like PADI,” not why some divers “hate” PADI. I think that the original question raises legitimate issues that become obscured by the “I love them,” and “I hate them” type comments. I’m 65 years old. I was certified by NAUI in 1973, when I was a lifeguard at a swimming lake that had been a former sand quarry and was about 120 feet deep. All the guards took the classes and got certified in case we had to do a deep rescue/body recovery. At that time, diving equipment was pretty much in its infancy. There were no such things as a dry suit or a computer- we calculated our repetitive dives with a chart. I didn’t have enough money for a pressure gauge on my tank, so when I ran out of air, I pulled a lever on my tank valve and it gave me an extra couple hundred pounds to get to the surface. Training, on the other hand, was rigorous. We had 12 weeks of class work and we swam Olympic-size pools with black masks and no tanks or snorkels. If we didn’t show sufficient academic or water-competence, we were kicked out of the program. If we passed our written tests (which included things like lift-bag calculations) we failed. Our final exams in the water were (in pool) swimming with just our bathing suits and a black mask to 15 feet, finding, and putting on all our equipment. Outside, our exam was to dive (in a former rock quarry) to 120 feet, show competence, and do a free ascent to the surface. I am still diving with all the most modern equipment, and I haven’t really cared much about certifications since then. One of the guys I dive with is a *** instructor and about ten years ago he issued me a *** “Advanced Diver” card as a favor because it might be helpful if someone questioned my credentials as being too old. With all of that said, I don’t give a s**t about whether anyone is certified by PADI or anyone else. What I do care about is competence. Not long ago, I brought someone to the surface when, during a night dive, he panicked, decided to abort, and his BC wasn’t working. If he had been water comfortable, he would have realized that the BC inflator hose was not properly connected, he would have fixed it, and he would have either continued his dive or safely gone to the surface. Instead, he ended up choking me with my own spare air hose as I was helping him. If I was not water competent, we both would have died. Because I have not gone through any certification program for well over 40 years, I have no idea of whether PADI, NAUI, SSI, or any other certification organization is better or worse than another. I do believe, however, that it is almost criminally irresponsible to give someone who is not fully water-competent a C-card and let them loose where they can kill themselves and perhaps someone else. I hope that most instructors, irrespective of their affiliation, understand this. Diving is relatively safe, but it can kill you if you don’t know what you are doing. A one-or-two day course is insufficient, in my opinion, to determine whether someone is “open water” certified.
Thanks Tom - I also was certified as a diver through a NAUI Basic course back in 1973 while at high school. And recently took a PADI certification course (after years away from the sport) to get back into diving. Yes this PADI course was much less rigorous, but in my opinion, it was sufficient (especially as a "refresher") to get a person into diving at safe depths (i.e. not below 30 feet and not repetitive diving - which is usually 60% of all diving). I also took the PADI course because there were many more options in my area (Northern California) and a NAUI course would have required me to drive 2 hours (one way) to the San Francisco Bay area.
5 ปีที่แล้ว +8
I'm a fairly new diver trained through SSI. I really don't give a damn who trains who as long as it's a quality training because it could affect my dive. I have, however, had PADI-trained divers tell me that PADI is better - blah blah blah. This is the same kind of person that brags about driving a BMW but couldn't turn a wrench if their life depended on it.
PADI and SSI are almost same, SSI is owned by Mares and PADI is on its own, but thats not important. PADI used to be more famous, but nowadays, SSI is become a big player too, normally they won't treat you different if you are PADI or SSI in a dive center...
I am new to diving. But I have to say, I truly like all the education I get from your videos. I am 64 , just started two years ago.. so I would like to thank both of you very much. Keep up the good work. Perry M. Manzanares
Many thanks for the videos. I have just passed my Open Water PADI instructor exam. For my exam preparation this video helped me to put things into perspective. I'm so happy with my new qualification, however, your video helped me to understand the opportunities for improving things at some point in the future. Keep the videos coming.
I absolutely love your channel mate! I got my PADI Open Water in the states in 85. Back then it was either PADI or NAUI. So much has changed back then. DSMB’s were not even a thing back then. As I remember lake diving was a specialty and required additional training since many lakes are at altitude and the Navy tables we used back then were calibrated at sea level. The last time I dove was in 91 and a recent trip to Maui with my wife, where we did a lot of snorkeling, has relit my passion for the sport. I recently bought a new mask, snorkel, and fins and plan on retaking the Open Water in the Spring since so much has changed. Keep up the great work, this Yank truly appreciates it!!
Doing my open water with a padi isntructor and he's been reccomended to me by a very experienced tech diver. This isntructor is allowing me to start with a wing straight away :D I've been to SSI and SDI instructors that stated i needed to start with a jacket style BCD... It's the instructor that counts not the agency.
No matter which training centre or curriculum you choose, it doesn't change the minimum requirements by the international training standards to be able to grade people as "competent" by which I mean, Whether you Choose PADI, SDI, SSI, or another centre, literally "no one cares" and most centres will tell you this honestly and bluntly to your face, what matters is that your instructor is knowledgeable with a depth of hands-on learned and most importantly learned experience from being in the water. A talented instructor that genuinely cares about your capability to dive, to a point where you can competently demonstrate that capability means more to any real diving organisation, centre or research expedition than the number of plastic cards you can pull out of your wallet.
Tim Doyle if it's still a plant we called it “padi”, if the farmers harvest it we called it “beras” and if somebody cook “beras” it’s called “nasi”. Sorry 4 my bad english.
I trained many years ago under PADI. It was the only game in town, but it seemed like a very comprehensive course and lasted a few months as I recall. My instructor had hundreds of hours as a salvage hard hat diver / underwater welder / instructor and made sure we knew our stuff. He also refused to sign off a couple people on their open water, so it wasn’t adjust a show up and pass deal. I think I got good training and value for the money, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.
I was a professional diver from 1973 to 1988, Royal Navy and offshore oil rigs. Sounds like as a qualified, welder and experience driver he would’ve made a great deal more money in the oil industry if it was around at his time. Or maybe he had a family and didn’t want to spend time away. Either way sounds like a good instructor. I am 66 now and went into teaching after diving to spend time with family. Maybe should’ve gone into recreational diving instruction!
I've had a couple PADI divers make fun of me for going through SSI, but I like that my course took longer. It allowed me time to test my skills and build confidence in the water.
Jared Floyd I took the SSI mixed gas course because PADI required dives in the course and SSI did not. I don’t know if that is the case now, but requiring dives made no sense.
@@johnyyaussi1339 Did PADI Nitrox last fall, did not require any dives, just book/test basically. Went on a couple nitrox dives anyway cause it was fun
I was in Holguin Cuba last October, the Cuban instructor initiated a 15 yo to scuba diving right on the boat, put the gear on him, explained in less than 2 minutes how to use it and there he was diving in opened ocean, the poor boy barely knew how to put his mask on...I called it the S-Cuba certification.
Brother-diver Eric, you should have reported this instructor to no one other than the MAN Himself, "EL COMMANDANTE Raul Castro!" You KNOW that "Da MAN" would have had that stupid instructor OUTTA there!
As a NAUI dive professional, I have guided and dove with various divers from different agencies. When it comes to PADI divers or any other agencies, I ask them 1. Where were they certified and the instructors name if they are ftom the Philippines. 2. How many dives and where they dived before and their log books. I don’t rely on their certification cards and experience has taught me that advance open water divers can sometimes have very bad skills. 3. Their 1st dive with me is usually a check dive where I observe how they dive.
Having started diving in '67 at a time when we just got a c-card and everything else, including cave diving, was up to us, I can testify that diving is safer now, and much more expensive. I recall that some complained that an spg was unnecessary and just a plot to get our money. Anyway, I recently got my PADI MSD and was happy to do it. I do wish that PADI offered a beginner SCUBA course that included mote emphasis on buoyancy control. I've seen too many new open water divers dangerously bouncing up and down on there first dive trips. Having canceled my recent dive plans due to the terrible virus pandemic I wonder how many divers are going to have to take refresher courses once we can travel, whenever that is.
I first certified with some obscure Quebec organisation. The training and expectations were MUCH more stringent than what I later saw when I switched to PADI for my Advanced and Rescue certs. You had to be able to swim at least 25 M with one breath and you needed to re-certify every 3 yrs. The re-cert had me look for something else as I found that it was MY responsibility to be apt to dive ( + I was younger and poorer and did not want to spend the money). Not very impressed with PADI but It doesn’t make or break a good diver.
I just got into diving, through SSI, and have already seen their paywall smack me in the face. 1- pay to get AOW certified which basically consists of a class stating "everything's basically the same from what you learned during your OW course. You're just deeper," which was lovely to find out. Who would thought. 2- said I needed a class to use a FFM. So I order it on amazon and teach myself in the pool by watching TH-cam. The only classes I see myself taking next is Extended Nitrox (certified for EAN50), stress and rescue (certified for O²). That way I can get into deco diving, once I get comfortable, which may require EAN50 or O²
AOWD is your chance to spend some more time with instructors. I'm not PADI nor SSI, so I don't know what exacly are their AOWD courses about. But it is more or less consistent among the agencies. Navigation, night dives, first experince with being knocked in 30m. Making sure, that you understand relationship between pressure and time spend under the water. Deploying SMB. More serious dive planning. You must have some amout of logged dives, which qualifies you to start thinking and creating your own oppinion about your gear. It may look, that there is nothing new. But the opposite is truth. Of course it depends on your instructors. But from point of view of a new diver it is not so obvious. And about the nitrox courses. There is a good reason for dividing them into two courses. Nitrox can easily kill you and will, if you don't learn well. This is worth spending some time by learning. And don't rush into advanced nitrox. This is another level of diving. Before you start, you need a perfect trim. You also need your own gear with all vital parts redundant. Decompression dives are not open water anymore. You can not surface in case of emergency easily. Hmm, and full face mask in hands of inexperienced diver??? What for in the world you need it? I've never seen a technical diver with the full face mask in my whole career. Your approach, that something which was developed during long years and paid by lots of lives, is useless, will lead you to a quick end.
Having been a diver for a large potion of my life I can say from my experience there is zero difference in certifying authority when it comes to a new buck. I've logged over 4k dives in my years diving both recreationally and professionally, many with new or relatively new divers and from an open water certification perspective no new diver is amazing after just getting certified, they just don't have the bottom time to master the skills required. That said, it is very disconcerting when you read the minimum qualifications for PADI divemaster certification and the zero to hero courses offered by some dive instructors are an accident waiting to happen in my assessment.
@Hans-Hirik Hanfil . Can you please share your contact details of possible. I was planning to take zero to hero course. And i would like your guidence. Please
When I learned to dive in the early 1970’s, dive shops were certifying divers in a weekend. A lot of these people had never been in the ocean until they were certified. There was almost one fatality a week over in Catalina Island. Divers getting caught up in the kelp, freaking out and drowning. I was certified NAUI at a Junior College, so the course was over a semester. We swam a 1/4 mile to start each class so by the time the class was over, not only did you know how to dive, but you were in great shape. My instructor was a LA county lifeguard.
padi is the mcdojo of diving instruction. they hand out dive master certifications the same way the strip mall kinder karate school hands out blackbelts to 12 year olds.
I learned a NAUI cert when I was young. PADI seems to won the game kinda like VHS over BETA...even though BETA was a better machine. PADI, to me, if waaaaay to much of a badge earning system. OK, they have to be in business, but from my experience NAUI was FAR superior. They have a badge or patch for everything.
I was PADI certified back in 84 on Guam. All our water training was in the ocean. Our instructor was very good and informative. Of course my friends and I were in the Navy and our instructor was in the Navy as well. Those were good times.
My open water cert was YMCA and a semester long in Community College in Northern California 1989 (thank you Buller Brother’s), then did PADI AOW, Rescue and dive master in Tampa Florida and attended PADI IDC in Vero beach Florida in 1999. Big difference in rocky beach dives in 58 degree f water with 5’ viz and boat dives in 85 degree water with 100’ viz. Cavern / cave/ tech shop, live aboard in the Bahamas for a year and private instructor, was planning to start private instruction and the the corona virus hit. Still waiting to start teaching here in central Florida again after COVID.
I agree tbh. I am a PADI diver myself but I do believe they are fine with pushing people through. I see padi divers kicking coral while lobster hunting, not taking safety stops, and it pisses me off. They don’t seem to take the time for the important things in PADI. Although Im happy I can go anywhere and dive being a PADI diver
I'm PADI instructor but done courses also with TDI, IANTD and GUE. It is imho crucial to take all the best features from all other agencies into my own instructing. I encourage my students and also encourage other divers to find diversity in training to get all the best in to practice.
My instructor Tim, from Tiny Bubbles Scuba in Maui, was incredible. I’m the kind of ADHD person who hyper focuses hard on what ever I’m interested in. So I took to SCUBA fairly well, but I did basic skills in the pool and the rest of them in the open ocean just off shore at airport beach in a place literally called the class room. I learned to do all the scary stuff in the environment I was going to be diving and that is how I think it should be. I’ve been diving for years now and I still hold my training accountable for why I’m so comfortable in the water. The thing with training is it’s so dependent on the instructor that who actually cares? 3 weeks of book work isn’t going to mean squat when you’re in the water. If you struggle with taking your mask off or sipping air out of bubbles from a free flow you’re not going to randomly get good at by reading a book. This is a physical sport. The only people I know who get stupid about who you got certified through are from the lower EU, these are generally the same countries who don’t like new comers in the biology science world. It’s theirs. No one else can have it. Anyway, for the rest of the sane and rational population it’s about how well you dive. I’ve met bad divers from NAUI, SSI, CMAS and ACUC. Dumb comes in all shapes and sizes.
I like the skills you're describing as "must-haves" and I'm very surprised at the limited training you're describing. It's no great wonder we pulled so many sport divers out of the ocean, based on your description of their profound training inadequacies. No one has ever asked me where or how I certified, so I'm finding it strange that they cold-shoulder each other over a PADI cert or Navy Qual or YMCA etc... I would think any aquatic hater was just profoundly insecure. Maybe the climate around the world has changed... gear up and Dive. The least qualified will probably be the most vocal. I was searching for an old friend's Dive Shop and happened upon this video. I wish I could say I learned something here. P.S. we pulled three deceased divers out of Long Island Sound in the 80's, their equipment was submitted for evaluation and we learned they were all NAUI certified. But of course, we lumped all sport divers into a single category. None of them passed due to equipment failure.
I was stationed in Ft. Hood, TX, and my instructor in the town of Killeen was not just a PADI instructor, but a Navy veteran, and his services was sought out on base as a safety diver for amphibious military vehicle excersises and police department divers around the area. Whether luck or coincidence, having his clientele mainly being fit military servicemembers and the like made his job easy and at a higher standard to accomplish.
Everybody has to start somewhere. Your knowledge and wisdom will come over time. You could dive the same hole every day and every day its going to be different. You put what you want into it that you want to get out of it. I know I rather dive with people who's been diving alot longer to pickup on different things but at the same time doing so trying to remember im not at their level so dont expect to jump in and go all out the same way.
I'm a PADI diver but I'm also a commercial diver. I'm advance open water qualified but the most I'm comfortable with recreationally is just some simple dives in some springs quarries. Every once and a while I'll do a night dive. Commercial diving is different because... There's not a lot you can do to not ruin visibility lol because your mainly walking on bottom. The first thing I tried to master is buoyancy and I'm still trying to master the special kicking techniques that don't stir up bottom.
My concern with PADI is that how quickly you become advanced, it is just a course and 10 dives in total and you are deep, wreck, night, navigation all covered.... sort of scrambled and not methodical plus experience experience and experience this is what counts. Buoyancy needs to be taught in OW but this is not only PADI problem. I am not PADI but my daughter and her boyfriend is so I can see a difference in teaching philosophy and also push to take more specialty even if you only have 20 dives. Not to hate anybody :)
I think a lot depends on the individuals taking it seriously and the instructors being thorough. I'm happy with the training I received for PADI open water although it was in a UK quarry and my first actual dives then took place on Koh Tao. I had all the basic skills required for me to follow the dive leader safely, keeping my buoyancy and watching my air + dive computer attentively. It took me like 10+ more dives in Mexico a few weeks later (drift diving none the less!) to really start to feel comfortable and no amount of time in a course could have thrown all the variables at me which actual exposure did. That said, its on you the individual to do the theory and understand the safety procedures, don't think you can turn up to a course and 'fast track' - homework is key. Now at 50 dives after 2 trips to Red Sea this year and did the Advanced Open Water while I was out there. Always learning and always aiming to improve. I have no bias about training agencies so would happily consider another vendor should it suit me to progress but at this point I'm at the level I want to be and just want more dives within my limits under my belt.
First--this is one of my favorite channels. If I ever make it to your area, I'm going to visit the shop. Second- as a recreational driver (not for much longer) the cost for PADI was far more expensive when you wanted more specialties. I also noticed PADI marketing directly to me for travel instead of sending me to my local dive shop. I am of the opinion that, that type of solicitation will impact the success of the local dive establishments. They already struggle with having to compete with ordering kit/gear (sorry-I'm American) online. As a recreational driver who will talk to anyone about scuba and refer them to the dive shop which I'm loyal to if they stand still long enough, I always recommend they go in to the local dive shop. Even if it's not the one I go to. Retail is hard enough. Keep the training personal, keep the sales experience personal, and keep the travel with the dive shop. PADI now directly competing with dive shops for travel is why I can't support PADI.
I am PADI Open-Water certified. I've never encountered any negativity from DMs or other divers. But I've never felt as though I was well-trained. I learned enough of the basics to dive safely as long as all went well, and in my approximately 150 dives nothing has ever gone wrong. But there are numerous possible failure points that I was never trained for. PADI made it easy for me to get trained and dive, and I've enjoyed diving. I might not have managed to pass a more thorough training program. But I no longer dive, largely because I feel that as a PADI OW diver, I'm not really competent to dive safely. Now I just freedive.
Aymene Megri I think a DM is £120 this year. If you want tips I would recommend Steve prior TH-cam videos and get swimming for your swimming test. Your yearly fees go off qualifications. And RTFS on your course mean Read The Fecking Slate good luck it’s hard work but worth it
I would like to share a real-world perspective on this a starting as a dive captain in the 80s and certified originally in the 70s, I ran dive charters in the keys for many years so I saw hundreds of divers of all agencies PADI of all were the biggest mixed bag, almost consistently if I had a undertrained diver they would have a PADI certification, NAUI, we're consistently better, as second most common certification. not choosing sides just an honest observation. So there is some truth in my observationthat although PADI had very good divers, they had a quality control problem and that problem was allowing instructors who weren't well trained, and certifying Open Water divers either well trained or almost not trained at all. I recall at 1 shop I worked at they hired a new PADI instructor who came to me and ask me how to use dive tables cuz he did not know how to teach it. Whoever's certified this guy to teach it's not helping, I became an instructor And dive captain, but choose a different agency because I felt they had a higher standard of course for instructors even though PADI instructor may be more marketable. I will say in the shops and places I worked with, there were very good PADI instructors, so I don't think it's so much that people hate them because they're big, more that they've lost quality control because they're big. And say more willing to compromise for profit.
I learned how to dive with PADI and have picked up a few of their "specialty" certs. My initial OW instructor sucked, but fortunately I've had good to excellent PADI instructors and dive masters since then. So, in my mind it's all about the instructor and the diver and the effort that each is willing to put into it. My only caveat about PADI is the running joke "Put Another Dollar In". The courses have always seemed very expensive to me, and they even ream you when you need to legitimately replace a card. The manuals have always seemed ridiculously expensive to me too. "Money-grubbing" is perhaps too strong a statement, but I'm using it anyway.....
I did my open water 1 with Naui when I was 16, because we were going on a dive trip to Sodwana in South Africa. I haved dive since I was about 10 with my dad that has been diving for almost 40 year, we had the gear and a boat so after training me in the pool we started 6m shore dives and then on to 12-20m dives. Back to the point, the open water 1 was a solid course, very educational, fitness and practicals were thoroughly evaluated. Then my advance diver with PADI when I was 25 and again went on a trip and wanted to do the deeper dives and nigh dives. I couldn't believe I had to pay for it, it literally felt like I just paid a bribe to get the licence and do some dives. It wasn't a challenge at all, the same goes for Nitrox, you can do the course in a day if you scan through it you will pass, it should be included in the advance. BUT that being said, I do no know what the other codes offer on the equivalent exams. This is just what my experience was. At the end I think what makes a better diver is time spent diving and not having a portfolio of courses (Obviously there are some that help, nav, S&R, mixed gas etc).
Still stuck on what to buy the scuba diver in your life this Christmas? Well we have 15% off all merch on our Teespring page! So head over to our store (bit.ly/31ZYv9f) and at checkout type in promo code: *XMAS15* to get your 15% off!
I am a Padi diver, and was fortunate enough to have a very capable and thorough instructor. I do believe that some divers rush up the ladder and cheat themselves out of some very beneficial education because the skills and knowledge needed takes time to really sink in. Personally, I waited over a year to move up a level because these are life saving skills and should be mastered before cramming new teqniques and skills in our heads and forgetting the basics. Diving isn't about how many cards you hold, it's about enjoying the sport and doing it safely.
I have waited 5 years with only being OW. Not really into Nitrox, seems the dive computer makes that as obsolete as dive tables but Rescue Diver seems useful.
One thing that should be clear is that a vast majority of the extremely specific specialties aren't written by PADI, they are written by the instructors and PADI gives them the green light to sell it if it isn't dangerous. All PADI gets is the card fee.
I have to disagree! But, not hostilely. PADI now has pretty good online training videos and documentation. So, it's not just the card. I don't know about the other organizations.
@@michaelatherton5761 I was speaking of the random specialities, like the "Zombie Diver" or my "favorite" here "Spring diver" (which they mean freshwater springs not the season). These are all written by the instructor and all PADI gets is the card fee. Now sometimes the instructor will share it with others, and even becomes offered world wide like the "Self-reliant diver" course, but most are just local to a single instructor or dive shop.
We should just make a difference between Divers and Tourist style divers , So yes Padi is great to bring tourist underwater , but difficult when we dive with a " Padi "Dive center patronizing with they know how ,and expecting divers to dive like tourist . Like maximum detph 30 M maximun dive time 45 minutes , No decompression , etc etc . Padi is great as a tourist activity .
Patrice, those rules are probably set by the local government not the dive shop. I've only been in two locations where 30M, 60 minutes and no deco wasn't the government requirement.
About DSMB and PADI: DSMB is part of the Boat Diving certification (Boat Diving is optional, it can be part of the Advance certification if you ask for it, and the agency offers it)
I became certified through sdi and like the way they train. On line class work, which you do at your own pace, then we did a weekend of pool followed by a weekend in a quarry for our open water.
We have Padi and Naui in my area. I enquired about the price both were very similar, except NAUI dive school wanted more money but gave more discount on gear purchase after the course. I did the cheaper one that happened to be the Padi school as I had not intention to purchase gear from any of them. I realized during my open water it is all about experience rather than the training and that how I spend time. I go once a month to the pool. Also intend to dive once every 6 months. Got my advanced certification but mostly paid 50$ over the price of 5 dives to get the certification. I did have to read the book and review with the instructor and did go 100 feet depth. So it was money well spent understanding deeper diving and it's risks which is imp for a new diver. It is also where my paying to Padi stops. As I have no intention for doing any more courses
I'm naui certified. My open water course took me a month. 2 guys in our class were padi divers look to refresh. They said they were never taught much of the material. One of them did check out dives several times without success. I don't know if he ever passed them. But I know that my instructor will only pass you if qualified.
I am a PADI diver, and my instructor gave me much more then he should gave in OWD courses. I finished my course OWD in june 2022 in Dnepr, Kyiv, Ukraine that was hard much not only because of war. Cold water and bad visibility (1,5 meters) - it was really hardcore and big challenge for us. Hard trainings in pool and good instructor - it is more then half of my success, and now, speaking vith other divers i undrerstand that i know a little more, and have little better spels then others nooby divers, and i very proud my PADI instructor.
Being a young diver, PADI was and still is only organization that would certify me. Most organizations will make you wait until you're 12+. I got certified at 10 and am very thankful for PADI. I am now a Junior Master Diver and involved in marine conservation; if it weren't for PADI I wouldn't be who I am today.
That's certainly not true at all. Other agencies certify divers from 10 years old as well. SSI as mentioned, but also SDI RAID BSAC NAUI, all have vastly superior quality of training than PADI (and SSI). Whoever told you PADI was your only choice, was lying to you to sell the course. I wouldn't trust them going forward. Be careful out there, and always double check what people tell you. Not all adults have your best interest in mind, unfortunately. Some of them only see you as a quick buck, as happened here.
@@fafddzfaf Just FYI, all the SSI shops in the area would not certify her at age 10. And there were several. They didn't even want to meet her & see if they felt she was ready. The instructor that was willing to meet her & see if she was mature enough to learn scuba just happened to be a PADI instructor. He had been with other organistions before as an instructor. It was not PADI selling something and giving false info. And the quality of training is more based on the instructor than the organization. This was almost 6 years ago by the way.
NASDS - OW PADI - ADV SSI - Stress and Rescue SDI - Dive Con NASDS - OWI Been diving since '89 all over the world. If you haven't done cold, low vis, lake diving, this is an entirely new element to the sport. I would recommend anyone that hasn't trained and planning a cold water dive to get some additional training before attempting. Just my .02
It's the instructors. I had a very thorough one, we trained on our skills for ages. I also dive with lots from Gue and they're kinda bad at alot, but it's not the agency, the course looks good so must be the instructor not focusing on getting them to understand and then practice the skills enough.
Fully agree with your opinions on PADI. In the end it all depends on the dive base/instructor. When I looked for my open water course in Jamaica many years ago, the guys in the diving centre next to the resort used to smoke weed while on duty. Quite a relaxed attitude, but no thanks. The school I ended up with worked extremely attentive and responsible and taught you everything you need to know at the start of your diving career. Both were PADI, but they were on a whole different level.
Sadly the YMCA stopped offering SCUBA certification and I paid for a few friends and family members to take a PADI class at the local dive shop.... I spent plenty of time teaching them how to use a mask - fins and snorkel correctly and then spent a few hours teaching them how to safely use SCUBA tanks in the swimming pool before they attended their first class . They were all shocked how the dive shop was only interested in the $$$ and spent very little time teaching the students in the class the water skills . AND of course everyone PASSED all of the tests including some very poor swimmers ! NO GOOD AT ALL ....
I was fortunate to learn from a 35 year Navy diver, then also another that was the Navy’s first test subject for saturation diving that also runs the dive medical program for the Navy and personally knew Carl Brashear. I don’t have a certification card and I’m not on the books so I will probably do a fast-track PADI qual.
I do not hate any dive agency, as previously said they teach more and more people to dive and take care of our oceans and waterways. One thing I would Like PADI to do is to make their course books available electronically at a lower cost. Bad for the environment using all this paper and stuff. Come on PADI, the diver is going to pay for the training anyway, why do I need a book ill never use again and it will end up in a landfill or recycling center. And get rid of the eRDPI calculator that does not work. (just another waste of resources)
Padi do have an online system for their books. Look up "padi library" on the apple/Android store and you can download the app. I did my Padi Open Water through this e-learning system and it worked very well. I think most instructors use the paper book system only because it works better for them.
Having been trained in inland waters (lakes as well, but mostly flooded quarries) I can actually see many upsides to that - and so do many instructors I know. You may not encounter high waves or currents, but you learn to cope with other problems. For example, you REALLY want to work on your buoyancy and overall control when a single bad move can kick up a cloud of dust so thick you can barely see your computer, not to mention your buddy.
I also have PADI and NAUI certifications. I have learned quite a deal from both and agree that instructors can make or break the experience no matter the agency. I feel the important thing is to realize that there is always more to learn from others and understand that we all dive to have fun. I have been fortunate to meet some really great people through diving on the trips that I have taken.
In 10 years of diving all over the world I not once have witnessed any negative behaviour against me or other divers based on the respective training agency. I hope it stays that way.
If someone do it just say "ok boomer" and go away ^^
Lier
@@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708 I endorse this comment.
@@lmlmd2714 thanks :)
Chris Underwater, I totally agree. I also have only met pretty good people👍
People need to realise that training agencies are just a starting point, not a religion.
Yaa thats right but sdi tdi are still the best
אורי שהם how about ISE ?
I like sdi because they make tech diving accesable
אורי שהם I will search them up 😊 but I’m far away from becoming a tec diver
damoddiver u bless you’re with NAUI, NAUI is the sacred land
When you pass your driving test it doesn't mean you are a good driver. It means you've done the basics safely and well enough to get your driving license. Only after that do you really learn. If you only use a car once a year after that you ain't never gonna be a great driver are you??? Diving is no different. It takes time, practise and effort AFTER you get your license, no matter what agency you learned with.
I remember when I started diving in the late 90’s, got my open water cert through PADI. My instructor was awesome and I was lucky to go diving 1-2 weekends a month. I logged around 60+ dives and progressed with my training into tech diving through IANTD (Nitrox and wreck) ended up logging around 250 dives in under three years. Was blessed to do so much diving due to the location (Philippines) but I ended up moving back to the U.S. and unfortunately haven’t dived since.
@@ianserna7267 I was in Cebu, that's where I decided to start diving.
Have logged around 210 dives in the last 18 months. And plan to go back to Cebu next year.
It's one of those places I would love to relax and dive for months / year(s)
But apparently no spelling
I was a PADI instructor (SDI now) and glad you brought out many points people didn't know or realize. Something many people don't consider - your scuba education is heavily dependent on the quality of Instructor you have regardless of what agency they are with. Great video and thank you. P.s. for those that don't know the World Recreational Scuba Council covers safety and training for ALL agencies.
Roy Cabalo , not ALL.....but many
PADI = Put Another Dollar In. 🤣 No but seriously choose a good instructor rather than the agency 👍🏽👌🏽😉
Perhaps I was lucky since I knew a former Navy SEAL who was a PADI instructor.
@@kevinphillips150 Yeah mine was a Seal as well. His name was Jonathan. Damn he was good. Sense of humor, pushed you to do better when you struggle, barks at you not to be mean but to get the important skill you're doing into your head and he helped me stay confident and more aware of my surroundings in the water. PADI or no PADI, I learned to scuba dive.
Love the quote ... PADI have now stopped given out the plastic cards and want every one to go ecards ... which means if you’ve been diving a while some plastic some ecard unless you purchase all your cards again ... what a rip off ecard costs next to nothing but courses are the same price ... RIP OFF PADI
Pagani Zonda the instructor is more important than the agency. Try and find a good instructor with small class numbers. 🤿😉
Hey it sounds like everyone had a navy seal for an instructor - wow you think some where lying about being a seal ? Not NAUI instructor s
( not another underwater idiot )
I think there are no bad agencies just bad instructors.
TheScubaSpud instructors r just doing their job and help students to reach to a certain standards.
@@frankk1054 No, there are (too many) terrible instructors that are just careless and license divers that are clearly unprepared.
Yes, but there are instructors who are not as experienced as others. Maybe a good idea if your checking on line is to ask how long s/he has been an instructor. Even fair to ask to see their cert.
The problem is some instructors help a bit too much.
Like guide people to the correct answer, otherwise they wouldn't pass.
I know someone who became a padi instructor during a vacation, he got ice diver specialty in tropical water with Styrofoam on top, compass skills in crystal clear water.
He is also a 3star with another federation, and said he struggled much more for the 3 star then it took to become instructor.
His quote: you can buy/sell specialty cards, but the skills and experience needed takes lots and lots of practice. And repetition. To maintain.. He doest think is possible within the padi system. (where you work with someone for a couple of days ( or few weeks at best for instructor). (he still works as an instructor)
That doesn't mean padi divers aren't good divers, but that often, they evolve regardless of whatever quicky course they received.
..... As I've never had padi courses, I'm not sure how to feel about that,
True, they are certified but not qualify
As a PADI trained diver, I haven't experienced hatred for being PADI. I have experienced surprise. I learned to dive in cold, dark water with 1 to 2 meters visibility, sometimes in 8 knot current. I travel solo. So I am always paired with someone else to be my buddy. Occasionally, I'm paired with a non-PADI diver. From time to time, we'll finish the dive and the other diver will say something like, "You dive really well for a PADI diver."
I think the things is, there are more PADI divers in the world. So it logically means there are more bad PADI divers in the world. If there are 1,000,000 PADI divers and 5% are bad divers then there are 50,000 bad PADI divers. If there are 50,000 divers in a different agency and 5% are bad divers then there are 2,500 bad divers from the other agency. It is easy to feel like all PADI divers are bad divers when there are so many PADI divers and thus so many bad PADI divers.
An 8 knot current is one heck of a fast drift dive. In a 30 minute dive, you'll cover about 4.5 miles. Unless the site is very constrained, that's going to be an incredible challenge for your surface cover (boat or shore) to keep track of all divers in the water. Even if a pair enters the water only 5 minutes afterwards, they are going to be ~0.8 miles apart.
Actually, in WA oxygen is a specific required skill and only PADI does that, NAUI has rescue only but if you use any oxygen therapy you are then liable as unqualified and must wait for a paramedic to apply any. You learn a lot more in rescue but since it is rescue and not just oxygen you can not do it. PADI has them as separate skills. I buy books from both. The NAUI rescue is much more comprehensive. The PADI one is only cursory
@@mjw4267 one reason I do not do drift dives
@@toriless Oxygen Administration is a core part of BSAC Dive Leader, and maybe taken as a separate SDC by anyone holding Ocean Diver or Sports Diver. Same for AED use.
@@toriless drift drives are great! But if the skipper is planning on dropping us in anything over a half knot or so, I'll be asking for an alternative site.
Got trained through 2 agencies, one of which is PADI. I agree - most important factor is instructor.
What I don't like about PADI is that they're way behind the times in terms of digitizing their work and they ask a freaking ridiculous amount of money to "re-issue" an eCard. I find this a slap in the face.
The agency where I did my AOW and nitrox just printed the ecard for me and stapled it in my logbook. I also have a list of all courses with instructor signature in my logbook.
Are people that small minded? Who cares where you learned to dive, just enjoy diving together 😊
Dylan Slater
Really. Look at comments on a few videos and you will see “small minded everywhere”
@@michaelrizzo5492 got to love the internet.
I agree but padi still sucks
Hi im starting a diving course soon any advice
If... and I say IF - your education sucks and you display behaviours that are annoying, dangerous or damaging the environment or in general you don't really seem to know what you're doing and IF when called out for something you get defensive because, hey, you hold a certificate, right - then it's no wonder when other people start look down onto that.
Have a great day!
As a multi- agency instructor (including PADI), I agree it
is not the agency but the instructor and his/her experience that makes the
difference between good training and bad training. The fundaments are pretty much
standard across the board.
Which is WHY any OW certificate works.
You're so right mate, I got my OW certification with PADI, then my dive center switched from PADI to IANTD and I therefore got my AOW, Nitrox and Deep Diver certification from a different agency yet the same instructors. I'm now doing the Essentials course ("Intro to Tech" in some agencies) and, needless to say, my instructors are every bit as demanding as always with either agency. Bottom line is I feel that, as I grow as a diver, I feel confident that I'm getting the skills to keep having great fun in the water and do it safely for me, my buddy and everyone else, and that's thanks to my instructors, not the logo in my diving certification cards.
Hey I love Padi 😀😀😀 same goes to other agency ssi, naui, gue, cmas and etc. As they teach more people how to love and protect their underwater world.😀😀😀
Certification is a mere minimum starting point. It’s analogous to a learner’s permit in driving. Once you get it, it’s up to the diver (or driver) to develop the appropriate skills. LEARN YOUR CRAFT.
Do PADI instructors give students the necessary beginners’ skills? Generally. I’m a NAUI diver, but I have met some good PADI instructors who genuinely care about making safe and skilled divers.
Totally Agree, the diver ( driver ) must take take responsibility for making themselves a better operator.
There is no substitute for experience! Then again, there's no substitute for practice. :-)
I took the PADI Discover Scuba when I was in Fiji. My instructor was astounding. We covered a few basics like loss of the Reg and Clearing the mask. In the ocean she held my hand for the first dive and then second I was on my own. I was very comfortable to do several more dives with other people after. I was 68 when I got my official certification and went to Bonaire for my first dive trip. We did 2 dives a day from the shore and I had a blast. But I still did not have a lot of buoyancy control. Our second trip was to Grand Cayman for boat diving. I loved it. My husband who was a PADI instructor helped me with my buoyancy and it got much better. We visited several wrecks and I did my first drift dive. The employees of the dive shop at the resort were super. I would definitely go again.
This was definitely something I learned recently about how certain divers dislike PADI because of the expenses associated with all their specialty courses. I am PADI certified up to my Rescue, and I think it really does come down to your instructor. I learned a lot from my instructors, but also skills like buoyancy and trim take practice. It is hard to learn all of these things in two days (which is what I did for my Open Water), but I think the issue comes when divers try to dive above their skill level, intentionally or not. Also, if the dive shops are reminding their customers about safe diving practices, and also keeping an eye on their fins and buoyancy so they don't smash into a coral, that is helpful as well. One thing that I have observed, but can't speak to because I am not a DM myself, is that it seems that some places offer accelerated Dive Master courses. That concerns me because then those divers can practice professionally but may not be equipped for certain situations. I don't know if that is just a PADI thing though or if that can be done in other agencies as well.
Thanks for your thought-provoking video!!
The first thing my instructor taught me before we even learned how to thread the tank strap, was that PADI stands for "Put Another Dollar In."
"Pay and Dive immediately"
I am PADI AOWD, and now dive with VDST (German dive orgaisation). My personal feeling is PADI "get you going", whereas VDST make SURE of your skills before they let you go on (maybe too sure). Where Money is involved, more clients more money. Where club instructers are involved, there is room for EGO, & ultra pickiness. My mantra is, learn all you can, dive as often as you can & practice, practice practice, & don't dive anywhere you have not had the training for!
"Verband deutscher Sporttaucher" or what does VDST stand for?
VDST is even worse than Padi
@@joshuagrulich283 I think that statement needs an explanation.
Isn't VDST affiliated with CMAS?
@@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708 You got it.
I wouldnt care where someone trained so long as they are decent at diving... personally if i seen anyone hating someone or treating someone different because of what agency they trained under i would think that person is a moron not the agency.
Im starting diving soon glad to see everyone is open minded
I would be more concerned about what location they trained than the agency. Diving in HI is like diving in a pool. Diving in the Pac NW or the UK is more like being on the moon.
@@Ok-pj2uv The specific trainer matters most. I have seen many and the quality varies vastly.
I qualified to dive in Mexico with PADI in 2010. When I returned to the UK I joined BSAC to do Sports Diver qualification. it was only whilst doing this I realised I didn't know half of what I was expected to know. I'm now doing my instructor training in BSAC and appreciate the unlimited time taken to ensure skills are honed. It may be seen as "bloody slow and careful" but new divers will know what they need to know and be proficient in the skills expected but the kicker for me is that once you have paid for the course materials all instruction, as many times as you need it will be free. The fact we are all volunteers means there is no imperative to sign people up or off to make an income.
We've talk to a number of dive masters in the Caribbean who say that people certified on vacation in resorts are not as skilled as those who learn in Northern lakes.
Well, your first mistake was going to Mexico. 🤢🤮
I clicked cuz I thought Steven Crowder was doing a scuba change my mind video.
I noticed that also, thought I must have been seeing things.
I love Steven C
my Naui instructor had us doing safety checks so often we were at 50 feet before we knew we were wet. He saved my ass more than once from equipment failure and when Abalone free diving in Mendocino.Jeff died from bends training the SEALS in South Pacific. Good Man.
There is a difference between “certified” and qualified. Holding a c-card does not make one qualified, only experience is going to do that.
Bill Davis this is a great explanation 👍🏽👌🏽😉
That's true, but that doesn't mean a short course is not enough to make a good and qualified diver. It depends on the instructor but also a lot on the student who is learning to dive (how well and fast she or he assimilates things and skills). Dependending on people 3 dives can be enough while others will need 10 or 20. Same thing for Divemasters and Instructors.
Anatole Rouarch qualification alone can never beat qualification and experience.
Bill Davis which is exactly why I never understood how PADI can allow a student to take the advanced course before he has ever done an actual dive. That makes no sense to me.A student should go out and get some dives and see if they even like the sport before taking an advanced diver course.
It's a combination of training and experience. The instructor is key in any agency. I agree with the video in that PADI does not require its instructors to go into great depth on some subjects.
I'm a PADI-diver. Not because I thought about it before I started diving. It was just because the dive center which opened at the Island we spend our holidays every year was a padi dive center. And our instructor is still the best i've ever met
i was drysuit diving and my rock boot was undone, and a PADI divemaster said "come back tomorrow and ill teach you the PADI lace tying speciality" which just shows how we make jokes about PADI as well
from a PADI diver
That was funny
Next up, the PADI parking meter method followed by the PADI BCD surface floating method.
I was just Certified with PADI, my instructor is also a Public Safety Diver instructor.. He went beyond the basics and really pushed on Buoyancy control, navigation and what really can go wrong underwater. And like what you said I just took on to diving like a fish in water. Can’t wait to meet new people and continue learning more.
I have read both the PADI and NAUI navigation books. They clearly have a different approach on the subject. Both miss good ideas bur the NAUI is clearly more advanced and comprehensive while still missing material in the PADI instructions.
My husband are I are both PADI Instructors and we have no problem with any other agency. However, we have experienced anti PADI divers in the past who were not aware that PADI have strict standards that we as instructors have to abide by. We have also come across certain veterans from other agencies that have criticised PADI, yet brought their children/family to be trained through our PADI system before they join their agency. I think this speaks volumes.
I wonder if said veterans realize they are more than capable of training their own children. But you need some certification. PADI doesn't recognize other agencies, but other agencies do recognize PADI... So it logically could make sense to get PADI certified just to keep their options open in the future and to get dual certified for the price of one. All the while never really needing either because the longer journey and learnings won't be contributed to any one Agency. I think it speaks volumes too, but more to how PADI are essentially stealing money from other Agencies simply for profiteering. Or maybe it's neither and we shouldn't apply our bias to draw a conclusion as if it's evidence of your pre-determined opinion.
No hate here, I love to dive with good PADI instructors, after all it's just a brand.. But becoming a Dive Master after only 40 dives is not really a strict standard imho? I have 40+ with CMAS and I'm not even at AOW level yet ... I wouldn't trust myself to be a Dive Master at this point, and I have seen way worse (also a lot better).
@@I-M-Pulsive There's a big difference between being a dive master running a dive and a dive instructor teaching scuba diving, and it requires 60 dives by completion plus rescue diver certification for dive master
@@danewood2309 At my National CMAS organization that’s required for AOW certification
Im PADI certified and took me 4 weeks of training and my instructor was strict (but this was during the 90s) . Don't know if it changed. Hating someone due to his certification is stupid and means that person is not worth your time.
What has changed is the price. Getting lower so that it gets more accessible so maybe shorter training time, and lower wages.
@@anatolerouarch2443 well that does not seem right . Personally experience (time) is the best teacher , to familiarize a student with the equipment and being comfortable when under water . But i guess it's up to the instructor. I heard diving is not as popular as it used to be , making it more accessibleis understandable but hopefully the quality and safety of the student should not change.
Yes, it has changed. Now you get your OWD and your advanced in a week with only 10 dives and all of them with the instructor in crystal clear waters with no currents or strong waves. The orientation drill is particularly funny when they ask you to “find” something you see perfectly although they ask you to pretend to use your compass.
@@macoyupadoodle I agree with you (and it is good that you give the detail of time when you talk of experience because you can put a lot of things behind the word experience) Once thing I want to say though is that giving and/o taking the time does not only depend on the instructor but on the manager of the operation/business and on the economics of the area where the course is offered.
it took me a couple a weeks as well. PADI is quite strict in switzerland, they only let you dive if 100% sure, you could do it yourself.
I'm PADI but was certified with a group of NAUI divers because my instructor does both. I also recently sat in on my GF's open water classes/pool and checkout dives with SSI as a refresher. Everything was extremely similar. If anything the SSI class felt way more fast paced compared to my instructor who was very meticulous and made sure we did everything right multiple times before moving on to the next skill or whatever. I also did much longer dives with PADI (45 minutes-1 hour each) for my checkout while the checkout dives for my GF's class were about 20-25 minutes each on one tank. At the end of the day I think it just comes down to the instructor, not the agency. If you judge a diver just based on his cert card alone then you're just toxic.
PADI Put Another Dollar In. And I’m PADI, SSI, NAUI, and YMCA. THERE ALL GOOD There all bad. Depends on the instructor and you the student.
It’s They’re as in They are, not there as in Over There! You must be a padi diver, lol!
You must be old- YMCA ceased to exist December 31, 2008.
SSI-Stupid Scuba Instructor.. NAUI-Not another underwater idiot.
I miss hearing those acronyms 🤣
Old? That's only 12 years ago! How about ACUC - does that make ancient?
Padi instructor as well as for multiple other agencies including a DIR agency, I personally don't care for PADI for professional reasons but in the end it's the instructors not the agencies and at the diver level, especially a new yet-to-be-certified diver usually won't have enough info to pick what an experienced diver would consider a stellar instructor(don't know what you don't know kind of thing).
Agree with this. My lds were padi, and moved to SSI as they felt the app, not having to pay for cert cards, training materials etc. was better for their customers, from my point of view it wouldn't matter if they were padi, SSI, DIR, GUE etc. Its the instructors they have I'm paying for not the brand on my cards.
The great instructors are also technical divers trained by other technical dive agency's such as IANTD or GUE. They add their gained wisdom to their PADI courses. An IANTD qualified cave diver can offer lots more insight to a buoyancy dive or wreck dive techniques
@@stephens2r338 while I think being a technical diver may add perspective to training, I have experienced just as many shitty tech and cave divers as I have Rec divers, it comes down to the individual having the passion, willingness, ability, and drive to push their skillset to where I should be in my opinion.
@@Mrich775 I'm an experienced tech instructor trying my best to give my students everything but we do work in a bubble and the quality of education can slip.
. Most instructors work on their own with maybe a DM for help. We have nobody to compare with and keep us on our toes, which can lead to complacency and failures in education and practices. You make great point for constant instructor education and evaluation on a regular basis to maintain quality. We all should remember that we started out with good intentions and being an instructor for 20 years doesn't automatically make you a good one!!!!
@@stephens2r338 I agree on all points, I focus on tech and dir instruction myself and notice I teach a quite different open water class than which I see on the market frequently(and better of course in my opinion as we all think we're the best haha) but having a good breadth as well as depth to your personal diving can only improve your quality as an instructor, given the desire to do so again.
Mark you are right. The PADI course are pretty fast and I got my AOW certification. I only have 16 dives. Yes buoyancy is something I still need to work on. Refresher courses are great for those that don’t dive as often which I don’t. One thing I wish PADI would do is a Yearly Safety Day. I’m also a certified Skydiver we have one every year to go over emergency procedures and get more awareness training to reduce complacency that may cause accidents.
It can if you make it. Theres mostly PADI divers where I live. At the end of the day there are really 3 types of divers IMO; you of course you beginners, those that just were certified, your holiday divers (truly the worst to dive with), your hobbyist (the ones that dive frequently). Yes you have the "professionals" but they vary in skill as well, and for the point I'm making they fall into the regular diving group.
Theres a reason you are suppose to do a refresh dive after no dives in 6mo. If shops properly checked credentials they could catch this, but many only get their dive logs so far then stop updating.
Brother-diver Charles, your idea makes ABSOLUTE sense! BRAVO ZULU!
I remember diving in Thailand a hundred years ago and this lady was training to get an equivalent of a PADI aow through CMAS. She had to write out her test answers and spend more hours training. PADI gave us a multiple choice and the saddest underwater navigation test that basically gave you the answers and passed you even if you blatantly failed. I wish there was a detailed video comparing all the other organizations.
P.A.D.I . (Put Another Dollar In). Has a PADI IDC Staff Ints. I do 100% agree with all you have said. I had a shop for many years. And has an extra I included in the students course, a dry suit dive in the pool one time for all students here in Sweden before going out in open water so they understand the safety of dry suit diving. Safety has to come first. Cold divers do make for better & safer divers. And I do agree that PADI do not go far enough and could make things safer. I took my 13 year old son on a referral to Tenerife (Jr. OWD). But the Inst. was at 14 meters and still going down. I got his attention and showed him our depth. But his attitude was `What the problem dude. He's ok´. This is my son. It is NOT ok to break the rules with safety! Thanks for the video!
I got certified last year through SDI. It was a course for my university taught by the LDS. Our instructor drilled skills into us a lot during the pool sessions, then the checkout was at a spring in Florida. I went back the next semester and did what the school labeled the "advanced scuba" class. We did all of the specialties needed for the AOW cert. Our checkout dive for that class was Pompano Beach, Florida. I hadn't dove in ocean until that point, but i felt super comfortable because my instructor made sure that we were all well prepared for it. Best money I've spent.
Brother Holyoak?
I've never seen or heard of the PADI hate until your channel posted about it. Everywhere I've been and liveaboard I've done loves PADI and teaches it unless their instructors prefer to teach the specialty as another agency.
When I got my open water in 2015, I never learned when, where, or how to deploy a SMB. About 5 years later, I know how to deploy one but have never used one or even taken one on a dive. In my opinion it's one of those skills and tools where, if you need it, you'll already know you need it.
I was never taught SMB and it is still not taught in the US. It is strictly a non-US requirement. NO ONE here uses them unless the do SCUBA as a job.
You will need a SMB if you dive in Europe but not the US where they are only used if diver needs help.
Got my PADI ADOW over 2 overseas trips and then joined a CMAS club here in Ireland. Both are good for there own reasons.
This is an excellent and honest video which raises some good points. I trained with BSAC (up to Sports diver standard) and have subsequently done PADI courses. I have >150 dives, all over the world, in a variety of conditions. My only negative observation with regard to PADI is the way it's possible to become an 'Advanced' diver after just 9 dives - 4 for Open Water and then 5 for the Advanced course. Now sure, it's just a label, but it's more the fact that it could give an individual false confidence - I've seen this on a few dives where the PADI dive centre has lumped in 'Advanced' divers with others who have 100+ dives for a more testing dive (strong current, wreck penetration etc) and low and behold, they've almost always had a drama, whether that's burning through their air twice as fast as everyone else, had crap buoyancy and clattered into coral etc., or simply been unable to deal with the current. Anyone considering themselves an advanced diver after 9 dives needs their head examining though. So my only suggestion would be to re-brand that course - call it "Diver Progression" or something.
I also think the fact BSAC incorporates rescue skills very early in diver training is a great thing - their philosophy is that an accident can happen whether you've done 5 dives or 500 (which is true), so it pays to have some idea of what to do if that happens. How many PADI divers bother to do the Rescue Diver course? Very few, I imagine. I remember having to do a 200m surface tow, in surf, whilst giving mouth to nose (gross) resuscitation and then dragging my buddy up onto the beach and performing CPR as part of my Sports diver course. Thankfully I've never had to do it for real, but it's good to know how to recover an unresponsive diver, carry out basic life support or recover yourself solo.
But hey, everyone has to learn, and PADI's ubiquity wouldn't be possible if it wasn't a thoroughly professional organisation. It's clearly very focused on generating revenue - hence the constant pushing of new courses etc - but that's no bad thing I guess, if it encourages people to learn and improve. And generally, their approach to responsible diving (not touching marine life etc) is pretty good. We're all ultimately there to enjoy and respect the ocean, and to be honest, there are good and bad instructors in any organisation. I've never seen anyone being impolite to anyone with regard to their 'parent' diving agency though - that would be really weird.
Ive already commented on PADI... Its your entry level agency to get ppl diving. Thats where everyone starts. Im studying with another agency and much happier with them then i was with Padi.
I started with NAUI.
31 years of diving. Started with CMAS (the only option back than in our conutry), continued with PADI (as it was much easier and faster to progress), currently ANDI - tech (as in my old age I am finally starting to grasp the real importace of safety and understanding of how things really work :D).
I have been a PADI certified diver since 1974 and a PADI OWSI since 1978. Also a CMAS instructor, and a NASDS and NAUI certified diver (so I have been around).
PADI was not like that in the past. Years ago my PADI ITC was very rigorous and you really felt that PADI had a "mission" which was to make the best trained divers in the planet. But sadly I have seen how it changed into a money making business machine. It is all now about money.. profit.. that is why it has became so big, You really "hit the nail in the head" as we say in the West Indies with your sincere, honest, unbiased and frank assessment... you really have earned my respect.
I did my OWD in lake Geneva in August (surface T arround 15C and with a thermocline arround 10m with
I agree with your video on Padi, When i did both open water and advanced diver (both on a lake) it was rather quick and despite some screw ups by me and other divers we got signed off, im not even good at using the compass yet. I think like you said it does takes more time to be a good diver not just 2 days with 4 - 5 hours each day.
I got my training at a dive shop that had recently switched from PADI to SSI - the lead instructor simply said they had determined they liked SSI curriculum better. My final dives for OWD were done at a resort in Jamaica (SO much better than the lake diving we have to do here in Missouri!), and it is a PADI shop. My instructors who did my skills review and dives were friendly, professional, and quite diligent with my testing - I couldn't have had a better experience. There was even a panicked diver incident on one dive that was handled perfectly. All this to say that, until I watched your video I really wasn't aware of any animosity regarding PADI instructors. Frankly, I have to wonder if it's more the individual instructors/shop that vary in quality.
What do they tell you !!! You are certified for the conditions in which you dived. In the pacific NW that means dry suits 32-40f and salt water with a few meters visually but in HI it means 80f, 2 mm wet suits and 2000 foot visibility.
I learnt (40 yrs ago) with NAUI, then their course was 5 days, PADI was about 2yrs!!!
Obviously very different now.
But he's right, a person needs dive time to practice skills.
We learn best by our (non-fatal) mistakes.
NAUI is now often 2 weeks for OW with 2 dives in the brine after.
The title of the article is “Why Some Scuba Divers Don’t Like PADI,” not why some divers “hate” PADI. I think that the original question raises legitimate issues that become obscured by the “I love them,” and “I hate them” type comments.
I’m 65 years old. I was certified by NAUI in 1973, when I was a lifeguard at a swimming lake that had been a former sand quarry and was about 120 feet deep. All the guards took the classes and got certified in case we had to do a deep rescue/body recovery.
At that time, diving equipment was pretty much in its infancy. There were no such things as a dry suit or a computer- we calculated our repetitive dives with a chart. I didn’t have enough money for a pressure gauge on my tank, so when I ran out of air, I pulled a lever on my tank valve and it gave me an extra couple hundred pounds to get to the surface.
Training, on the other hand, was rigorous. We had 12 weeks of class work and we swam Olympic-size pools with black masks and no tanks or snorkels. If we didn’t show sufficient academic or water-competence, we were kicked out of the program. If we passed our written tests (which included things like lift-bag calculations) we failed. Our final exams in the water were (in pool) swimming with just our bathing suits and a black mask to 15 feet, finding, and putting on all our equipment. Outside, our exam was to dive (in a former rock quarry) to 120 feet, show competence, and do a free ascent to the surface.
I am still diving with all the most modern equipment, and I haven’t really cared much about certifications since then. One of the guys I dive with is a *** instructor and about ten years ago he issued me a *** “Advanced Diver” card as a favor because it might be helpful if someone questioned my credentials as being too old.
With all of that said, I don’t give a s**t about whether anyone is certified by PADI or anyone else. What I do care about is competence. Not long ago, I brought someone to the surface when, during a night dive, he panicked, decided to abort, and his BC wasn’t working. If he had been water comfortable, he would have realized that the BC inflator hose was not properly connected, he would have fixed it, and he would have either continued his dive or safely gone to the surface. Instead, he ended up choking me with my own spare air hose as I was helping him. If I was not water competent, we both would have died.
Because I have not gone through any certification program for well over 40 years, I have no idea of whether PADI, NAUI, SSI, or any other certification organization is better or worse than another. I do believe, however, that it is almost criminally irresponsible to give someone who is not fully water-competent a C-card and let them loose where they can kill themselves and perhaps someone else. I hope that most instructors, irrespective of their affiliation, understand this. Diving is relatively safe, but it can kill you if you don’t know what you are doing. A one-or-two day course is insufficient, in my opinion, to determine whether someone is “open water” certified.
Thanks Tom - I also was certified as a diver through a NAUI Basic course back in 1973 while at high school. And recently took a PADI certification course (after years away from the sport) to get back into diving. Yes this PADI course was much less rigorous, but in my opinion, it was sufficient (especially as a "refresher") to get a person into diving at safe depths (i.e. not below 30 feet and not repetitive diving - which is usually 60% of all diving). I also took the PADI course because there were many more options in my area (Northern California) and a NAUI course would have required me to drive 2 hours (one way) to the San Francisco Bay area.
I'm a fairly new diver trained through SSI. I really don't give a damn who trains who as long as it's a quality training because it could affect my dive. I have, however, had PADI-trained divers tell me that PADI is better - blah blah blah. This is the same kind of person that brags about driving a BMW but couldn't turn a wrench if their life depended on it.
PADI and SSI are almost same, SSI is owned by Mares and PADI is on its own, but thats not important. PADI used to be more famous, but nowadays, SSI is become a big player too, normally they won't treat you different if you are PADI or SSI in a dive center...
I am new to diving. But I have to say, I truly like all the education I get from your videos. I am 64 , just started two years ago.. so I would like to thank both of you very much. Keep up the good work.
Perry M. Manzanares
Many thanks for the videos. I have just passed my Open Water PADI instructor exam. For my exam preparation this video helped me to put things into perspective. I'm so happy with my new qualification, however, your video helped me to understand the opportunities for improving things at some point in the future. Keep the videos coming.
so you have 20 dives?
I absolutely love your channel mate! I got my PADI Open Water in the states in 85. Back then it was either PADI or NAUI. So much has changed back then. DSMB’s were not even a thing back then. As I remember lake diving was a specialty and required additional training since many lakes are at altitude and the Navy tables we used back then were calibrated at sea level. The last time I dove was in 91 and a recent trip to Maui with my wife, where we did a lot of snorkeling, has relit my passion for the sport. I recently bought a new mask, snorkel, and fins and plan on retaking the Open Water in the Spring since so much has changed.
Keep up the great work, this Yank truly appreciates it!!
Doing my open water with a padi isntructor and he's been reccomended to me by a very experienced tech diver. This isntructor is allowing me to start with a wing straight away :D I've been to SSI and SDI instructors that stated i needed to start with a jacket style BCD... It's the instructor that counts not the agency.
No matter which training centre or curriculum you choose, it doesn't change the minimum requirements by the international training standards to be able to grade people as "competent" by which I mean, Whether you Choose PADI, SDI, SSI, or another centre, literally "no one cares" and most centres will tell you this honestly and bluntly to your face, what matters is that your instructor is knowledgeable with a depth of hands-on learned and most importantly learned experience from being in the water.
A talented instructor that genuinely cares about your capability to dive, to a point where you can competently demonstrate that capability means more to any real diving organisation, centre or research expedition than the number of plastic cards you can pull out of your wallet.
I am Indonesian and i like cooked paddy, its called rice.
It's hard to eat rice underwater. ;-)
Isn’t nasi the rice you eat and padi where it grows?
Tim Doyle if it's still a plant we called it “padi”, if the farmers harvest it we called it “beras” and if somebody cook “beras” it’s called “nasi”. Sorry 4 my bad english.
Rendang & nasi padang
😂😂
I trained many years ago under PADI. It was the only game in town, but it seemed like a very comprehensive course and lasted a few months as I recall. My instructor had hundreds of hours as a salvage hard hat diver / underwater welder / instructor and made sure we knew our stuff. He also refused to sign off a couple people on their open water, so it wasn’t adjust a show up and pass deal.
I think I got good training and value for the money, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.
I was a professional diver from 1973 to 1988, Royal Navy and offshore oil rigs. Sounds like as a qualified, welder and experience driver he would’ve made a great deal more money in the oil industry if it was around at his time. Or maybe he had a family and didn’t want to spend time away. Either way sounds like a good instructor. I am 66 now and went into teaching after diving to spend time with family. Maybe should’ve gone into recreational diving instruction!
I've had a couple PADI divers make fun of me for going through SSI, but I like that my course took longer. It allowed me time to test my skills and build confidence in the water.
Jared Floyd I took the SSI mixed gas course because PADI required dives in the course and SSI did not. I don’t know if that is the case now, but requiring dives made no sense.
@@johnyyaussi1339 it's like that for SSI's nitrox course as well. New gas is just learning new tables, no new diving skill is actually taught.
Jared Floyd yes but at the time, PADI was requiring 2 dives with nitrox Not sure if that is the case now.
@@johnyyaussi1339 Did PADI Nitrox last fall, did not require any dives, just book/test basically. Went on a couple nitrox dives anyway cause it was fun
I was in Holguin Cuba last October, the Cuban instructor initiated a 15 yo to scuba diving right on the boat, put the gear on him, explained in less than 2 minutes how to use it and there he was diving in opened ocean, the poor boy barely knew how to put his mask on...I called it the S-Cuba certification.
Brother-diver Eric, you should have reported this instructor to no one other than the MAN Himself, "EL COMMANDANTE Raul Castro!" You KNOW that "Da MAN" would have had that stupid instructor OUTTA there!
As a NAUI dive professional, I have guided and dove with various divers from different agencies. When it comes to PADI divers or any other agencies, I ask them 1. Where were they certified and the instructors name if they are ftom the Philippines. 2. How many dives and where they dived before and their log books. I don’t rely on their certification cards and experience has taught me that advance open water divers can sometimes have very bad skills. 3. Their 1st dive with me is usually a check dive where I observe how they dive.
Having started diving in '67 at a time when we just got a c-card and everything else, including cave diving, was up to us, I can testify that diving is safer now, and much more expensive. I recall that some complained that an spg was unnecessary and just a plot to get our money. Anyway, I recently got my PADI MSD and was happy to do it. I do wish that PADI offered a beginner SCUBA course that included mote emphasis on buoyancy control. I've seen too many new open water divers dangerously bouncing up and down on there first dive trips. Having canceled my recent dive plans due to the terrible virus pandemic I wonder how many divers are going to have to take refresher courses once we can travel, whenever that is.
I did my open water certificate with SSI and my Advanced Diver with PADI...... next Nitrox .... probably with the welder down the road!,
I'm learning PADI now.. my learning is over 1 & 1/2 months and very indepth. I can certainly say my PADI trainer is not rushing anyone into anything.
I first certified with some obscure Quebec organisation. The training and expectations were MUCH more stringent than what I later saw when I switched to PADI for my Advanced and Rescue certs. You had to be able to swim at least 25 M with one breath and you needed to re-certify every 3 yrs. The re-cert had me look for something else as I found that it was MY responsibility to be apt to dive ( + I was younger and poorer and did not want to spend the money). Not very impressed with PADI but It doesn’t make or break a good diver.
I just got into diving, through SSI, and have already seen their paywall smack me in the face.
1- pay to get AOW certified which basically consists of a class stating "everything's basically the same from what you learned during your OW course. You're just deeper," which was lovely to find out. Who would thought.
2- said I needed a class to use a FFM. So I order it on amazon and teach myself in the pool by watching TH-cam.
The only classes I see myself taking next is Extended Nitrox (certified for EAN50), stress and rescue (certified for O²).
That way I can get into deco diving, once I get comfortable, which may require EAN50 or O²
AOWD is your chance to spend some more time with instructors. I'm not PADI nor SSI, so I don't know what exacly are their AOWD courses about. But it is more or less consistent among the agencies. Navigation, night dives, first experince with being knocked in 30m. Making sure, that you understand relationship between pressure and time spend under the water. Deploying SMB. More serious dive planning. You must have some amout of logged dives, which qualifies you to start thinking and creating your own oppinion about your gear.
It may look, that there is nothing new. But the opposite is truth. Of course it depends on your instructors. But from point of view of a new diver it is not so obvious.
And about the nitrox courses. There is a good reason for dividing them into two courses. Nitrox can easily kill you and will, if you don't learn well. This is worth spending some time by learning. And don't rush into advanced nitrox. This is another level of diving. Before you start, you need a perfect trim. You also need your own gear with all vital parts redundant. Decompression dives are not open water anymore. You can not surface in case of emergency easily.
Hmm, and full face mask in hands of inexperienced diver??? What for in the world you need it? I've never seen a technical diver with the full face mask in my whole career.
Your approach, that something which was developed during long years and paid by lots of lives, is useless, will lead you to a quick end.
Having been a diver for a large potion of my life I can say from my experience there is zero difference in certifying authority when it comes to a new buck. I've logged over 4k dives in my years diving both recreationally and professionally, many with new or relatively new divers and from an open water certification perspective no new diver is amazing after just getting certified, they just don't have the bottom time to master the skills required. That said, it is very disconcerting when you read the minimum qualifications for PADI divemaster certification and the zero to hero courses offered by some dive instructors are an accident waiting to happen in my assessment.
@Hans-Hirik Hanfil . Can you please share your contact details of possible. I was planning to take zero to hero course. And i would like your guidence. Please
When I learned to dive in the early 1970’s, dive shops were certifying divers in a weekend. A lot of these people had never been in the ocean until they were certified. There was almost one fatality a week over in Catalina Island. Divers getting caught up in the kelp, freaking out and drowning. I was certified NAUI at a Junior College, so the course was over a semester. We swam a 1/4 mile to start each class so by the time the class was over, not only did you know how to dive, but you were in great shape. My instructor was a LA county lifeguard.
padi is the mcdojo of diving instruction. they hand out dive master certifications the same way the strip mall kinder karate school hands out blackbelts to 12 year olds.
I learned a NAUI cert when I was young. PADI seems to won the game kinda like VHS over BETA...even though BETA was a better machine. PADI, to me, if waaaaay to much of a badge earning system. OK, they have to be in business, but from my experience NAUI was FAR superior. They have a badge or patch for everything.
I was PADI certified back in 84 on Guam. All our water training was in the ocean. Our instructor was very good and informative. Of course my friends and I were in the Navy and our instructor was in the Navy as well. Those were good times.
My open water cert was YMCA and a semester long in Community College in Northern California 1989 (thank you Buller Brother’s), then did PADI AOW, Rescue and dive master in Tampa Florida and attended PADI IDC in Vero beach Florida in 1999. Big difference in rocky beach dives in 58 degree f water with 5’ viz and boat dives in 85 degree water with 100’ viz. Cavern / cave/ tech shop, live aboard in the Bahamas for a year and private instructor, was planning to start private instruction and the the corona virus hit. Still waiting to start teaching here in central Florida again after COVID.
I agree tbh. I am a PADI diver myself but I do believe they are fine with pushing people through. I see padi divers kicking coral while lobster hunting, not taking safety stops, and it pisses me off. They don’t seem to take the time for the important things in PADI. Although Im happy I can go anywhere and dive being a PADI diver
I'm PADI instructor but done courses also with TDI, IANTD and GUE. It is imho crucial to take all the best features from all other agencies into my own instructing. I encourage my students and also encourage other divers to find diversity in training to get all the best in to practice.
My instructor Tim, from Tiny Bubbles Scuba in Maui, was incredible. I’m the kind of ADHD person who hyper focuses hard on what ever I’m interested in. So I took to SCUBA fairly well, but I did basic skills in the pool and the rest of them in the open ocean just off shore at airport beach in a place literally called the class room. I learned to do all the scary stuff in the environment I was going to be diving and that is how I think it should be. I’ve been diving for years now and I still hold my training accountable for why I’m so comfortable in the water. The thing with training is it’s so dependent on the instructor that who actually cares? 3 weeks of book work isn’t going to mean squat when you’re in the water. If you struggle with taking your mask off or sipping air out of bubbles from a free flow you’re not going to randomly get good at by reading a book. This is a physical sport. The only people I know who get stupid about who you got certified through are from the lower EU, these are generally the same countries who don’t like new comers in the biology science world. It’s theirs. No one else can have it. Anyway, for the rest of the sane and rational population it’s about how well you dive. I’ve met bad divers from NAUI, SSI, CMAS and ACUC. Dumb comes in all shapes and sizes.
I like the skills you're describing as "must-haves" and I'm very surprised at the limited training you're describing. It's no great wonder we pulled so many sport divers out of the ocean, based on your description of their profound training inadequacies. No one has ever asked me where or how I certified, so I'm finding it strange that they cold-shoulder each other over a PADI cert or Navy Qual or YMCA etc... I would think any aquatic hater was just profoundly insecure. Maybe the climate around the world has changed... gear up and Dive. The least qualified will probably be the most vocal. I was searching for an old friend's Dive Shop and happened upon this video. I wish I could say I learned something here. P.S. we pulled three deceased divers out of Long Island Sound in the 80's, their equipment was submitted for evaluation and we learned they were all NAUI certified. But of course, we lumped all sport divers into a single category. None of them passed due to equipment failure.
I was stationed in Ft. Hood, TX, and my instructor in the town of Killeen was not just a PADI instructor, but a Navy veteran, and his services was sought out on base as a safety diver for amphibious military vehicle excersises and police department divers around the area. Whether luck or coincidence, having his clientele mainly being fit military servicemembers and the like made his job easy and at a higher standard to accomplish.
NAUI certified in Egypt in '86. PADI dumbed down their course just to pass more students....
Everybody has to start somewhere. Your knowledge and wisdom will come over time. You could dive the same hole every day and every day its going to be different. You put what you want into it that you want to get out of it. I know I rather dive with people who's been diving alot longer to pickup on different things but at the same time doing so trying to remember im not at their level so dont expect to jump in and go all out the same way.
I'm a PADI diver but I'm also a commercial diver. I'm advance open water qualified but the most I'm comfortable with recreationally is just some simple dives in some springs quarries. Every once and a while I'll do a night dive. Commercial diving is different because... There's not a lot you can do to not ruin visibility lol because your mainly walking on bottom. The first thing I tried to master is buoyancy and I'm still trying to master the special kicking techniques that don't stir up bottom.
My concern with PADI is that how quickly you become advanced, it is just a course and 10 dives in total and you are deep, wreck, night, navigation all covered.... sort of scrambled and not methodical plus experience experience and experience this is what counts. Buoyancy needs to be taught in OW but this is not only PADI problem. I am not PADI but my daughter and her boyfriend is so I can see a difference in teaching philosophy and also push to take more specialty even if you only have 20 dives. Not to hate anybody :)
I think a lot depends on the individuals taking it seriously and the instructors being thorough.
I'm happy with the training I received for PADI open water although it was in a UK quarry and my first actual dives then took place on Koh Tao. I had all the basic skills required for me to follow the dive leader safely, keeping my buoyancy and watching my air + dive computer attentively. It took me like 10+ more dives in Mexico a few weeks later (drift diving none the less!) to really start to feel comfortable and no amount of time in a course could have thrown all the variables at me which actual exposure did.
That said, its on you the individual to do the theory and understand the safety procedures, don't think you can turn up to a course and 'fast track' - homework is key. Now at 50 dives after 2 trips to Red Sea this year and did the Advanced Open Water while I was out there. Always learning and always aiming to improve. I have no bias about training agencies so would happily consider another vendor should it suit me to progress but at this point I'm at the level I want to be and just want more dives within my limits under my belt.
First--this is one of my favorite channels. If I ever make it to your area, I'm going to visit the shop.
Second- as a recreational driver (not for much longer) the cost for PADI was far more expensive when you wanted more specialties. I also noticed PADI marketing directly to me for travel instead of sending me to my local dive shop. I am of the opinion that, that type of solicitation will impact the success of the local dive establishments. They already struggle with having to compete with ordering kit/gear (sorry-I'm American) online. As a recreational driver who will talk to anyone about scuba and refer them to the dive shop which I'm loyal to if they stand still long enough, I always recommend they go in to the local dive shop. Even if it's not the one I go to. Retail is hard enough. Keep the training personal, keep the sales experience personal, and keep the travel with the dive shop. PADI now directly competing with dive shops for travel is why I can't support PADI.
I am PADI Open-Water certified. I've never encountered any negativity from DMs or other divers. But I've never felt as though I was well-trained. I learned enough of the basics to dive safely as long as all went well, and in my approximately 150 dives nothing has ever gone wrong. But there are numerous possible failure points that I was never trained for. PADI made it easy for me to get trained and dive, and I've enjoyed diving. I might not have managed to pass a more thorough training program. But I no longer dive, largely because I feel that as a PADI OW diver, I'm not really competent to dive safely. Now I just freedive.
As a PADI Pro I hate the fact it’s every December and not a rolling 12mths for fees anyone doing a DM or IDC better waiting till the start of the year
Robbie Murderingminion imma do my dive master soon
How much is the payment evry year please
Aymene Megri I think a DM is £120 this year. If you want tips I would recommend Steve prior TH-cam videos and get swimming for your swimming test. Your yearly fees go off qualifications. And RTFS on your course mean Read The Fecking Slate good luck it’s hard work but worth it
I would like to share a real-world perspective on this a starting as a dive captain in the 80s and certified originally in the 70s, I ran dive charters in the keys for many years so I saw hundreds of divers of all agencies PADI of all were the biggest mixed bag, almost consistently if I had a undertrained diver they would have a PADI certification, NAUI, we're consistently better, as second most common certification. not choosing sides just an honest observation.
So there is some truth in my observationthat although PADI had very good divers, they had a quality control problem and that problem was allowing instructors who weren't well trained, and certifying Open Water divers either well trained or almost not trained at all. I recall at 1 shop I worked at they hired a new PADI instructor who came to me and ask me how to use dive tables cuz he did not know how to teach it. Whoever's certified this guy to teach it's not helping,
I became an instructor And dive captain, but choose a different agency because I felt they had a higher standard of course for instructors even though PADI instructor may be more marketable. I will say in the shops and places I worked with, there were very good PADI instructors, so I don't think it's so much that people hate them because they're big, more that they've lost quality control because they're big. And say more willing to compromise for profit.
I've been diving since 2001. Your comments are spot on.
I learned how to dive with PADI and have picked up a few of their "specialty" certs. My initial OW instructor sucked, but fortunately I've had good to excellent PADI instructors and dive masters since then. So, in my mind it's all about the instructor and the diver and the effort that each is willing to put into it. My only caveat about PADI is the running joke "Put Another Dollar In". The courses have always seemed very expensive to me, and they even ream you when you need to legitimately replace a card. The manuals have always seemed ridiculously expensive to me too. "Money-grubbing" is perhaps too strong a statement, but I'm using it anyway.....
I did my open water 1 with Naui when I was 16, because we were going on a dive trip to Sodwana in South Africa. I haved dive since I was about 10 with my dad that has been diving for almost 40 year, we had the gear and a boat so after training me in the pool we started 6m shore dives and then on to 12-20m dives. Back to the point, the open water 1 was a solid course, very educational, fitness and practicals were thoroughly evaluated.
Then my advance diver with PADI when I was 25 and again went on a trip and wanted to do the deeper dives and nigh dives. I couldn't believe I had to pay for it, it literally felt like I just paid a bribe to get the licence and do some dives. It wasn't a challenge at all, the same goes for Nitrox, you can do the course in a day if you scan through it you will pass, it should be included in the advance.
BUT that being said, I do no know what the other codes offer on the equivalent exams. This is just what my experience was. At the end I think what makes a better diver is time spent diving and not having a portfolio of courses (Obviously there are some that help, nav, S&R, mixed gas etc).
Still stuck on what to buy the scuba diver in your life this Christmas? Well we have 15% off all merch on our Teespring page! So head over to our store (bit.ly/31ZYv9f) and at checkout type in promo code: *XMAS15* to get your 15% off!
You need to offer all of your t's in long sleeves! Do and I'll buy one. :-)
why is this 3 days ago this vid is not even a day old
I am a Padi diver, and was fortunate enough to have a very capable and thorough instructor. I do believe that some divers rush up the ladder and cheat themselves out of some very beneficial education because the skills and knowledge needed takes time to really sink in. Personally, I waited over a year to move up a level because these are life saving skills and should be mastered before cramming new teqniques and skills in our heads and forgetting the basics. Diving isn't about how many cards you hold, it's about enjoying the sport and doing it safely.
I have waited 5 years with only being OW. Not really into Nitrox, seems the dive computer makes that as obsolete as dive tables but Rescue Diver seems useful.
I got my openwater from PADI,advance from SSI and rescue diver from POSSI,i learn much from youtube and my diving time 👌
One thing that should be clear is that a vast majority of the extremely specific specialties aren't written by PADI, they are written by the instructors and PADI gives them the green light to sell it if it isn't dangerous. All PADI gets is the card fee.
I have to disagree! But, not hostilely. PADI now has pretty good online training videos and documentation. So, it's not just the card. I don't know about the other organizations.
@@michaelatherton5761 I was speaking of the random specialities, like the "Zombie Diver" or my "favorite" here "Spring diver" (which they mean freshwater springs not the season). These are all written by the instructor and all PADI gets is the card fee. Now sometimes the instructor will share it with others, and even becomes offered world wide like the "Self-reliant diver" course, but most are just local to a single instructor or dive shop.
@@Teampegleg Thanks for the clarification. I don't keep up with all the training ins-and-outs.
@@Teampegleg That explains the "Yoga Diver" course I stumbled across!
We should just make a difference between Divers and Tourist style divers , So yes Padi is great to bring tourist underwater , but difficult when we dive with a " Padi "Dive center patronizing with they know how ,and expecting divers to dive like tourist . Like maximum detph 30 M maximun dive time 45 minutes , No decompression , etc etc . Padi is great as a tourist activity .
Patrice, those rules are probably set by the local government not the dive shop. I've only been in two locations where 30M, 60 minutes and no deco wasn't the government requirement.
About DSMB and PADI:
DSMB is part of the Boat Diving certification (Boat Diving is optional, it can be part of the Advance certification if you ask for it, and the agency offers it)
I became certified through sdi and like the way they train. On line class work, which you do at your own pace, then we did a weekend of pool followed by a weekend in a quarry for our open water.
That's all, OW typically requires 4 pool sessions and 2 dives.
We have Padi and Naui in my area. I enquired about the price both were very similar, except NAUI dive school wanted more money but gave more discount on gear purchase after the course. I did the cheaper one that happened to be the Padi school as I had not intention to purchase gear from any of them. I realized during my open water it is all about experience rather than the training and that how I spend time. I go once a month to the pool. Also intend to dive once every 6 months. Got my advanced certification but mostly paid 50$ over the price of 5 dives to get the certification. I did have to read the book and review with the instructor and did go 100 feet depth. So it was money well spent understanding deeper diving and it's risks which is imp for a new diver. It is also where my paying to Padi stops. As I have no intention for doing any more courses
I'm naui certified. My open water course took me a month. 2 guys in our class were padi divers look to refresh. They said they were never taught much of the material. One of them did check out dives several times without success. I don't know if he ever passed them. But I know that my instructor will only pass you if qualified.
I am a PADI diver, and my instructor gave me much more then he should gave in OWD courses. I finished my course OWD in june 2022 in Dnepr, Kyiv, Ukraine that was hard much not only because of war. Cold water and bad visibility (1,5 meters) - it was really hardcore and big challenge for us. Hard trainings in pool and good instructor - it is more then half of my success, and now, speaking vith other divers i undrerstand that i know a little more, and have little better spels then others nooby divers, and i very proud my PADI instructor.
Being a young diver, PADI was and still is only organization that would certify me. Most organizations will make you wait until you're 12+. I got certified at 10 and am very thankful for PADI. I am now a Junior Master Diver and involved in marine conservation; if it weren't for PADI I wouldn't be who I am today.
SSI certifies at 10 also
That's certainly not true at all. Other agencies certify divers from 10 years old as well. SSI as mentioned, but also SDI RAID BSAC NAUI, all have vastly superior quality of training than PADI (and SSI). Whoever told you PADI was your only choice, was lying to you to sell the course. I wouldn't trust them going forward. Be careful out there, and always double check what people tell you. Not all adults have your best interest in mind, unfortunately. Some of them only see you as a quick buck, as happened here.
@@fafddzfaf Just FYI, all the SSI shops in the area would not certify her at age 10. And there were several. They didn't even want to meet her & see if they felt she was ready. The instructor that was willing to meet her & see if she was mature enough to learn scuba just happened to be a PADI instructor. He had been with other organistions before as an instructor. It was not PADI selling something and giving false info. And the quality of training is more based on the instructor than the organization. This was almost 6 years ago by the way.
NASDS - OW
PADI - ADV
SSI - Stress and Rescue
SDI - Dive Con
NASDS - OWI
Been diving since '89 all over the world.
If you haven't done cold, low vis, lake diving, this is an entirely new element to the sport.
I would recommend anyone that hasn't trained and planning a cold water dive to get some additional training before attempting.
Just my .02
It's the instructors. I had a very thorough one, we trained on our skills for ages. I also dive with lots from Gue and they're kinda bad at alot, but it's not the agency, the course looks good so must be the instructor not focusing on getting them to understand and then practice the skills enough.
Fully agree with your opinions on PADI. In the end it all depends on the dive base/instructor. When I looked for my open water course in Jamaica many years ago, the guys in the diving centre next to the resort used to smoke weed while on duty. Quite a relaxed attitude, but no thanks. The school I ended up with worked extremely attentive and responsible and taught you everything you need to know at the start of your diving career. Both were PADI, but they were on a whole different level.
Sadly the YMCA stopped offering SCUBA certification and I paid for a few friends and family members to take a PADI class at the local dive shop.... I spent plenty of time teaching them how to use a mask - fins and snorkel correctly and then spent a few hours teaching them how to safely use SCUBA tanks in the swimming pool before they attended their first class . They were all shocked how the dive shop was only interested in the $$$ and spent very little time teaching the students in the class the water skills . AND of course everyone PASSED all of the tests including some very poor swimmers ! NO GOOD AT ALL ....
I'm a new DM and loving the videos. Never had any bad experience with PADI, always choose the instructor.
I was fortunate to learn from a 35 year Navy diver, then also another that was the Navy’s first test subject for saturation diving that also runs the dive medical program for the Navy and personally knew Carl Brashear. I don’t have a certification card and I’m not on the books so I will probably do a fast-track PADI qual.
I do not hate any dive agency, as previously said they teach more and more people to dive and take care of our oceans and waterways. One thing I would Like PADI to do is to make their course books available electronically at a lower cost. Bad for the environment using all this paper and stuff. Come on PADI, the diver is going to pay for the training anyway, why do I need a book ill never use again and it will end up in a landfill or recycling center. And get rid of the eRDPI calculator that does not work. (just another waste of resources)
It is good to have those books and review once in a while. I'm always remembering something I've forgotten most every time I dive.
Padi do have an online system for their books. Look up "padi library" on the apple/Android store and you can download the app. I did my Padi Open Water through this e-learning system and it worked very well. I think most instructors use the paper book system only because it works better for them.
Having been trained in inland waters (lakes as well, but mostly flooded quarries) I can actually see many upsides to that - and so do many instructors I know. You may not encounter high waves or currents, but you learn to cope with other problems. For example, you REALLY want to work on your buoyancy and overall control when a single bad move can kick up a cloud of dust so thick you can barely see your computer, not to mention your buddy.
freshwater divers make for better divers than those learning exclusively in tropical swimming pool conditions.
I also have PADI and NAUI certifications. I have learned quite a deal from both and agree that instructors can make or break the experience no matter the agency. I feel the important thing is to realize that there is always more to learn from others and understand that we all dive to have fun. I have been fortunate to meet some really great people through diving on the trips that I have taken.
Try diving at stoney cove near lutterworth, in the summer, with near zero viz. pass your OW there, and you're good to go anywhere.