#177
carlb8 - 12/14/2014 9:51 AM
This and the related threads on the "agency issue" are really good and informative. Thanks for starting it Greg and all the thoughtful experience of the contributors.

To be honest I had not considered the question much when I first became certified. The island dive shop that I did my initial OW and Nitrox were PADI so I just started there. The LDS that I did my AOW and Wreck were also PADI so I am somewhat committed to this path at this point. When I first started I wasn’t even aware of all the agencies. I imagine this might be true for a lot of beginners. I knew PADI was widely known and would be accepted wherever I traveled in the world so it seemed a safe bet. I understand now acceptance of C cards is not as much of an issue, but I would still think 1) PADI and 2) SSI being the most prolific would certainly offer that wide acceptance assurance.

What really pushed my interest in understanding the "agency issue" more was that recently I have been evaluating doing my RD and the shop (not local, but on an upcoming trip) I was considering told me it would be a NASE instructor, I starting asking more questions and trying to understand the differences and history of each agency. I inquired if that would be equivalent to PADI RD and recognized by them, and I received a dubious response back of probably not. Since that time I have learned from other forums that I can probably get a PADI RD C card if I demonstrate my skills under their reciprocity certification program. But I am questioning that path a little and not sure I see the value of doing it twice rather than just the first time with PADI. There is probably also some concern about knowing the full capabilities of the instructor that are also holding me back a little. As many have noted, the instructor quality, attitude, and how well you work with them is one of the most important factors in learning as much as possible with each certification.

Overall, I can say that I have enjoyed my PADI instruction I have received and I have done it both with the in class and e-Learning modules for the different certifications. I felt the material was pretty easy to learn. Wow, why would anyone even want to or need to cheat (no matter what agency)? Its pretty straightforward stuff, and of course kind of important to know to be safe doing this activity. I actually liked splitting my training between multiple instructors because I learned different approaches to certain skills and gave me feedback with different styles. I know for some they may not feel this is the best approach, but it worked for me.

At some point I might try another agency training to get different perspectives, but I think I want to continue down the path of PADI for awhile.