I have been considering going scuba diving, and so I have been browsing online learning about certification courses. I decided to share what I have learned to help anyone asking the question: Which scuba certification course should I take?
Scuba Course Safety Requirements
Access Scuba offers both SSI and PADI certification courses, which doesn’t mean too much to me, but the courses are supported by something called the WRSTC. I did a little research on the WRSTC to see what that even meant. In case you were wondering WRSTC stands for World Recreational Scuba Training Council.
The WRSTC is a governing group which sets up the minimum scuba training standards necessary for scuba training programs. The WRSTC’s membership is made up of individual training organizations that have banded together to promote scuba diver safety. They even have an open invitation for countries or regions without a council interested in making one. If you would like to read more, you can find it on WRTC’s site.
WRTC Membership Councils
I counted over twenty different WRTC councils, and sure enough PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), and SSI (Scuba Schools International) were two of them:
- ACUC – ACUC International
- ACUC Canada – ACUC International
- DAN – DAN Europe
- IAC – International Aquanautic Club
- IDEA – International Diving Educators Association
- IDEA EUROPE – International Diving Educators Association
- NASDS GERMANY – National Association of Scuba Diving Schools
- PADI- Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- PADI CANADA – Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- PADI EUROPE – Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- PADI INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – Professional Association of Diving Instructor
- PADI JAPAN – Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- PADI NORDIC – Professional Association of Diving Instructors
- PDIC INTERNATIONAL – The Professional Diving Instructors Corporation
- PSS – Professional Scuba Schools
- SDI – Scuba Diving International
- SDI GERMANY – Scuba Diving International
- SDI NORTH AMERICA – Scuba Diving International
- SNSI – Scuba Nitrox Safety International
- SSI – Scuba Schools International
- SSI EUROPE – Scuba Schools International
- SSI NIPPON – Scuba Schools International
PADI & SSI Certification Comparison
PADI and SSI have a solid backing of a scuba safety council and have their courses tested and tried by those in the field. Now the next step, which one to choose.
I was not able to find a great description on the differences between the two training certifications from their websites, so I broadened my search and found a very concise article on quora. Andy Davis, a Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor teaches both PADI and SSI, so he seems to be the expert on the subject. He lists several small differences:
- Order of Skills Learned
- The open water certification courses have teach the skills that are taught.
- Cost
- SSI tends to cost a little less, because SSI doesn’t require a manual purchase.
- Recognition
- PADI has an online database that can be used to substitute for a forgotten qualification card.
SSI & PADI Course Equivalents
Intro: PADI Discover Scuba Diving SSI Try Scuba Diving Level 1 PADI Scuba Diver SSI Scuba Diver Level 2 PADI Open Water Diver SSI Open Water Diver Level 3 PADI Divemaster SSI Divemaster or Dive Control Specialist Nitrox PADI Enriched Air Diver SSI Nitrox Diver 40 Instructor Level 1 PADI Assistant Instructor SSI Dive Control Specialist From what I have learned I am confident that either choice will be about equivalent. The one piece of information that kept coming up, was how important it is to choose a good scuba instructor. Perhaps the answer is that a scuba instructor makes a bigger difference than the company behind the certification course.