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#415
Advance Classes
herefishyfishyfishy - 1/15/2009 6:06 PM
Category: New Diver Q&A
Replies: 8



I am SDI certified... can I take advance classes through PADI without having to get re-certified through PADI?
#4853
Subscribed
Granitehawk - 1/15/2009 9:05 PM
I tried with TDI Enriched Air And was told i needed to take the padi class to get certified padi, But I would check with Padi yourself and see what they say.


PADI Americas
30151 Tomas
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688-2125
USA
Ph: 800 729 7234 (US and Canada)
Ph: +1 949 858 7234
Fax: +1 949 267 1267
Email: webmaster [ at ] padi.com 
#2276
dwightfrie - 1/15/2009 9:21 PM
Yes if u are certified by another recognized certifying agency, you can continue your education through PADI
#3160
SoCal_Kevin - 1/16/2009 12:32 PM
There should be no problem. I did my OW1 with NAUI and Advanced and Rescue with PADI. The PADI website stated that the prerequisite for PADI Rescue course is:
Have a PADI Advanced Open Water certification (or have a qualifying certification from another organization)
#6072
scubaclay - 1/16/2009 1:39 PM


Yes, no problem.


Clay
#1210
Freshwater_Barracuda - 1/18/2009 1:49 AM


Go to your local PADI dive center and tell them you want to take an advanced class. They are very familiar with PADI’s Instructor S&P’s. It will not be a problem as long as you are open water certified by a recognized agency. 
#170
rescue15 - 1/18/2009 10:26 PM


Yes you can but why would you want to. SDI has a much better program. When you get SDI advanced, you really have something. PADI advanced is just a teaser of 3 specialties. SDI you get the full spscialties. SDI also has a PADI equivalent I think it’s called Advanced Explorer.


 


Steve
#1613
AirOn - 1/20/2009 12:17 PM


I’ve been looking into this myself not having any local NAUI anymore...


If you dive a computer, It sounds like you won’t have to relearn the PADI tables and acronims to take the advanced class (at least not at my local PADI shops).
#7880
Kemperite - 1/21/2009 8:46 AM
Steve almost has it completely well-put. PADI’s Advanced Open Water (AOW) is 5 "experience" dives to include Deep, Navigation and 3 Diver’s choice experiences. SDI’s Advanced Open Water is only available once you have completed 5 full specialty certifications (usually 4 training dives per specialty) and a minimum of 25 dives. With PADI you can be AOW after 9 total dives (4 OW and 5 AOW) but with SDI it’s 25 (4 OW, 4x5 Specialty and 1 additional dive - training or non-training). So one could argue that an SDI AOW certification is bestowed upon a more trained diver. SDI does have the "Advanced Adventure Diver" certification to compete with PADI in the business driven marketplace of short attention spans. This is 5 experience dives that can later be credited toward your AOW certification but the AAD is the same as PADI’s AOW.