#104
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I have been a diving instructor for more than 5 years and I have had the opportunity to work with both PADI and SSI.
I allow myself to say that a lot of the above mentioned information are not accurate and the least to say about them is that they cannot be generalized, whether reflecting good qualities or flaws. At the end of the day we all agree that the instructor is the reflection of the organization and this reflection can be distorted.
As our club is right now affiliated with SSI, I would like to shed some light on key points about the philosophy and strategy of SSI:
- Unlike PADI and NAUI who were founded by diving instructors, SSI was founded by diving retailers. So even though all certifying agencies encourage their divers to acquire their own equipment, which is a win-win situation for all the parties involved, SSI has made it a part of its philosophy which states that each diver must have: Proper Knowledge, Proper Skills, Proper Equipment and Proper Experience. At our club, the students get to use the equipment sold at the shop, so she/he can experience the quality and comfort of the items sold at.
- Concerning the degree of freedom given to the instructor, although PADI allows its instructors to teach independently from any dive center it draws distinct lines for the instructor to the follow. On the other hand NAUI gives the instructor full empowerment with vague guidelines to follow. Whereas SSI has an 80/20 rule, which means that the instructor can tailor 80% of her/his course as per the guidelines of SSI manuals and has the ability to adapt the remaining 20% as per the conditions and circumstances.
- The SSI instructor is subject to control and evaluation, first from the students themselves then from the dive center through a system called Monitor’s Assessment Procedures. So the dive center has the duty and obligation to make sure the affiliated instructor is conducting her/his courses as per the accepted standards.
- Within the SSI system each country or few countries are connected with a regional Service Center in a way that the communication is fast and effective. Divers’ certifications can be issued either by the center itself or by the service center.
I have been pretty satisfied with the SSI system so far, specially the ease of communication with service center and the certifications issuance. As for the teaching curriculum we all agree that it’s the instructor’s duty, skills and conscience that make a diver out of a student.
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