Have taught both SSI and PADI. Both are money hungry. I like the Flexibility of PADI. I can’t think of much that I like about SSI. The SSI shop gets all the credit (and the money). the instructor little of both. So if your a shop owner I guess SSI is great. From an instructor perspective I prefer PADI. I am more into getting people involved with diving than worrying about where they get their gear from or how much they spend on it. Nothing better than introducing folks to the underwater world. Most of my students were private instruction. And usually I only charged them for the literature for the course. Not in this to make millions, you certainly won’t do that working as an instructor for a shop anyway. There would be more folks diving if the classes didn’t cost so much. Leaving them with more money to but gear from whomever they choose. Don’t get me wrong, love to teach for shops, but these days most folks just can’t afford it. Regardless of who the agency is, the teaching for all is sound. Most of what is known about tissue loading, dive tables, computer model aglorithyms for tissue loading is still theorectical. However all agencies teach the same conservative approach and safe divng practices. So it comes down to a matter of personnel preference. If you like SSI fine, NAUI fine, PSA, PADI, whoever fine. I don’t agree with the self study on a home computer. IMHO all acedemics should be held in the classroom. But then again I’m "old school". However, listening to students discuss the acedemics in class, and working problems out in class, gives me a better "warm fuzzy" that they get it than them just handing in knowledge or skill reviews and telling me they get it.