Currently working on SSI OW thru Calypso Dive Shop, Joplin, MO. As a long haul truck driver, it can make it difficult to be around when the classes are being offered on the normal schedule, so I study the academics while on the road (and your vids have helped IMMENSELY, Brian!), and then water time when I'm home. Thank you very much for your efforts, sir; greatly appreciated! - Joe
Hello Joe, you are very welcome. I'm glad our videos have been helpful to you. Good luck on completing you certification, there are some awesome SSI shops in the midwest. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact us anytime, and we will see what we can do to help you out. Stay safe out there on the road.
I am a logger gone all week and had to shuffle around to get my dm but totally worth it. . I let my instructor know my schedule and he made time for me and that helped alot.
Bryan, good video.... Denver Colorado. My open water diver is NAUI in 1982. I became an SSI instructor in 1985, Currently Instructor Trainer. In 1992 became an instructor for TDI (SDI 1999) I currently hold a instructor rating in both. I have thought about doing a cross over to a few including PADI, (last time I looked at it they were going to make more of a pain than it was worth it - so I did not). I also was a DAN instructor - Will renew the instructor part soon...
PADI Open Water diver 1977 - PADI Assistant Instructor - 1985 and PDIC Instructor - 1986- I no longer teach SCUBA courses, but I did certify over 500 divers. I first taught at a scuba shop in Cozumel Mexico. Then I later taught in Salt Lake City, Utah for two years full-time. I now work for an airline and travel the world amazed at all the great places to dive.
Thank you for the info. Yes I am a FF and EMT and our county has a team with not budget for a dive team so I am getting equipment when I can and trying to take classes when I can afford them too. We have Conservation officers here that we back each other on some of the calls we get. I also have a commercial diving background too from the gulf. But as you know there are big differences between the 2 and they look to me for the diving experience but I do not have the public safety experience and training to offer so I am gradually getting there.
I appreciate you service as a Public Servant, I too serve as a Firefighter and EMT. I also served for 10 years as a Law Enforcement Officer here in my County. If I was in your shoes, I would seek out a local instructor that could guide me through the steps, and try not to worry too much about the agency from which I would learn from. It has always been my belief that the instructor is more important than the agency. At the end of the day, a Public Safety Diver is a Public Safety Diver, regardless of what agency is on his certification card. Just like you and I, we are both EMT's, regardless of what state we received the certification through.
I'm a NASE OW, hopefully will do my advanced soon. My instructor basically already taught me everythinging except night diving anyways. (I love wrecks, so I'll def go for a higher level) My father got the whole family into scuba diving, because through a mutual friend he met an instructor (who was an industrial diver before). My father is now a rescue, and my mom and sis are still OW just like me, but they will do the advanced too. I know my instructor for more than 10 years, so I know he is going to teach me well :)
I trained under two organizations back in 1975 in Guam. I believe they were NASDS and Padi. Advanced open water. The instructor had both associations, so for a few dollars more he signed off on both. I dropped out of diving after leaving the South Pacific and moving where the water was cold. 46 years later, I wanted to start diving again and all records are lost. I am starting my PADI open watter. I did the first pool session yesterday. All organizations use the same protocalls, so it isn't so much about the organization as it is the instructor.
I got my open water through NASE and I am Hopi g to go for my advanced open water this summer. I am going on a dive with my instructor and a few friends in a week or two over at Mermet Spring's in Illinois
Thank you for taking time and making theses videos. It shows that you enjoy diving and want to educate ate and get more people interested in scuba diving. I am taking PADI Open water corse . I live in Puerto Rico but originaly from Texas.
I totally agree and like you I am sure I am more concerned about coming home to my family safe every day. That's why I had the question. I do not have an agency in my area so I have been looking to what would be the best training or like you are saying the best instructor for that. I thank you for your service as well. As well as your video. I have not watched every one but I do find the one I do watch very informative. Thanks again and stay safe!
Thank You and stay stay safe as well. Send me an email with your location, State and City, and I will be glad to help you find an instructor locally that will help you out. lakehickoryscuba@gmail.com
PADI OWSI, started my diving career at 2013 (and I regret that I didn't do it earlier). Currently have ~500 dives in Philippines and Vietnam, however majority of this dives done in sidemount with an old DiveRite LT (aka "push this inflator button and get your own surface torture chamber") and DGX regs. Now I have a new toy, which I'm really enjoying and its a OceanReef G-Divers IDM, did approximately 30 dives with it so far, very comfortable, but face-down freeflows are annoying. Thank you for making loads of content, that I can share with my students and other instructors. Your style is almost like a Steve Martin's ;)
Aleksandr Korneev Thank You for the compliment in comparing me to Steve Martin, but he is a much better instructor than I will ever be. On the Ocean Reef mask, if you have the G-Divers, then you can replace the exhaust port with the one designed for the Predator and Iron Mask. This will allow you to divert the expired gas in a different direction for when you are inverted, preventing a free flow.
Thank you for the tip! I'll look around to find one of those, but I will really appreciate any directions you can give. By the way, do you have any idea on how to tell if my unit is S-M or M-L size? I haven't found any size comparison charts online.
Aleksandr Korneev If you call Ocean Reef directly they should be able to ship you one. And to my knowledge the IDM's from Ocean Reef are not marked unfortunately, except on the packaging. In comparison, the small is noticeably different when wearing it.
Interesting video. PADI Adventure Diver, but been on dry land for 15yares (life is what happens when you make other plans). Sadly the local dive school/shop closed shortly after I was certified then school, college and life in general… But am thinking about going a CMAS*course to start again.
I totally understand. I'm a EMT and was a career firefighter for 12 years. Just had back surgery in August and still not back at work yet. I work for an ambulance service. I really want to put everything into the diving industry but the financial side is what's holding me back. Getting divorced and having to declare bankruptcy has hurt me greatly. I'm very passionate about diving. If you have any investigators or anything like that please help me out
Roy Atkins My advice is to always follow your dreams. I was fortunate to have started at a very young age (6 years old), and had a lot of great mentors in the scuba industry that took me under their wings. I knew from the very beginning this is what I wanted to do, but lacked the funds to do it. I worked part time for several dive shops, while holding several full time jobs to be able to support my family. I started at our local Sheriff's Office as a Deputy Sheriff in 2004, then transferred to a city department several years after that and worked as a Master Police Officer and Training Officer. Then went back to school and became a Medic for a surrounding county's EMS. I also joined the Fire Service in 2004 as a Fireman and EMT. Ended up getting hired as a local instructor to teach Public Safety courses as a side job for extra income. All a while, teaching scuba on the side. I finally made the decision to quit everything, except for the fire department and college, and opened up our shop with my dad. The problem was we didn't have the money to do it. My dad who was also a part time dive instructor and Firefighter had a full time career as a commercial contractor. Then the economy fail off and he lost his business. So we decided to sell most of our big possessions, four wheelers, campers, tractors (we live on a family farm), etc. and pool our money together so that we could afford to open up a dive shop.The biggest struggle with going professional in this industry, is what can you offer your customers. You see there is a ton of competition out their, and I don't mean other shops, I mean other activities that people enjoy doing, golf, skiing, hunting, hiking, etc. The key is to create a need for scuba and sell that to your customers. The question you have to ask yourself is why does someone need to learn how to dive. If you can answer that, then you can obtain customers. This all being well and good once you reach the instructor level. Take it slow, gain as much knowledge as possible and follow your dreams. It takes time and money to get into this industry, but it also takes patience, and a lot of it.
Hey Bryan, I was certified through PADI. My current level is open water. I study a lot on my own since my cert, and really want to continue my training, but since I am retired and living on a fixed income it may be some time before I am able to continue. I do local lake clean ups for my nearby neighbors, and also some pool cleaning. I have learned so much from your videos and hope to be able to continue my training, but want to train with you since I have been watching your videos and feel like I know your style and would feel most comfortable under your supervision. I live in Spartanburg SC. So when I am able to, I hope you will be accepting new students.
Hello George, we are happy that our videos have been educational for you. You should definitely come up and visit us. We would be happy to take you out diving in our lake, or even to one of our local quarries sometime.
There are a lot of divers who think that training today is "under-standard". I would like to point out a few things they may not understand. At on time dive training took some time to complete and be certified, today we seem to be certified much quicker, but there is a reason for this. Dive training is now done in several different courses. With PADI for instance, you have open water, advanced open water,rescue and so on as is with most agencies now the course is broken into segments. Just because a diver does not know a certain skill doesn't mean he is under trained. It is simply he has not reached that level yet. Why discourage a dive student from diving by overwhelming them with a lot of techniques and procedures when they are not going to be doing that type of diving yet? Let them advance at their own rate. When they are ready to learn another technique they will return to get that training. I can't think of any diver that isn't trained for safety within his or her level.
I agree 100%. Back in the 80’s when I first learned how to dive, it took 16 weeks. We learned skills from the Open Water Course, the Advanced Diver Course, and the Rescue Diver Course, however we only earned the Open Water Certification. I really like the structure of Scuba Training now days, as it allows divers to learn at their own pace.
Well our local dive shop that has been open for 20 something years closed. So now we have to drive a hour and a half either North or South just for tank fills. I have a lot of scuba diving friends and family members that dive also. I want to do to but really don't know where to start. I have found a building also.
Roy Atkins First step of course is becoming and instructor. Maybe even find a business partner, one of those friends or family, and this way you can split cost of opening up a shop. Next is getting a dealership with a gear manufacturer and becoming a service technician. Lastly, it's all about acquiring and retaining customers.
Becoming an instructor is one of the greatest things in the world. It takes a lot of hard work, but it is very rewarding. Especially after you see the smiles on your students faces after you take them underwater for the first time.
well thats a lot of agencies! lol. ive just always been with padi but thats just more because thats what my dive shop here uses. when i started and went into the dive shop and signed up and they gave me the padi manual and dvd to watch, i just thought padi was the only one. it wasnt until i later i learned about the other ones. but ya when i eventually move back to italy (probably next summer) i might have to go over to SSI. there are only 4 PADI shops in italy which are all in Rome and a whole ton of SSI shops all over the country and especially the south where im going. so i was glad when i found out they recognize each others certifications. 😊
Choosing an agency to learn through can be difficult sometimes. I always tell new divers or those interested in getting into diving, to search for an instructor not an agency. Instructors make the agency not the other way around. Agencies just set the standards that an instructor must follow. The instructor is the one that produces good or bad divers. I started out with PADI, and then crossed over to the others. I still teach PADI, because I believe in their philosophy, but the same goes for the other agencies I teach for as well. Truth be told, all agencies teach safe diving, and that is the most important thing.
Thank you for your kind words. Diving in Guam is wonderful as we have very warm water (80-87 degree) as well as a vibrant ecosystem. I still learn as much from watching dive videos on RUclips as everytime I get in the water. :) @@LakeHickoryScuba
Sounds like an amazing place to dive. Glad to know our videos are educational for you. Maybe one day I will get out to Guam and you can give me a tour of the area.
Curacao is a beautiful place to dive. We were there back in December 2017, and most recently in September 2018. We will be returning in April 2019. We have a Divemaster that helps us out, who owns a house in Marazul, which is where we stay when we fly down.
Why are you a member of those multiple agencies? Are you currently active in all of them? How do you decide which one to promote a class for? Did you start with one and be come disenfranchised with it, so joined another - until you had joined six? Do you prefer one over another? What do you prefer about the sixth one? In the video, you just cited a brief history of each. How do you see or compare them? Just curious, which ones were paper crossovers? Abbreviated crossover (one or two days)? Full crossover course?
All great questions. I started out as a PADI instructor way back when, and in the beginning, PADI is all I knew. After working for multiple dive shops, I began to learn about other training agencies and philosophies. Learning as much knowledge about diving was and still is my goal. Learning new ways to teach and perform skills not only helped me as a diver, but helped me in relaying information to my students. It also allowed me the opportunity to travel more, and meet new people in the industry. Another great thing is I can offer many different products (types of training (Agencies)) to my customers. To answer your next question yes I am still active in all 5 agencies. Currently I am an Assistant Instructor Trainer with SSI, a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with PADI, and Instructor Trainer with PDIC and SEI, and a 3 Star Course Director with CMAS. As far as promoting classes, most of the time we promote SSI as our main training agency. We have the ones that come in and demand PADI, so we teach them PADI. For college based courses, we teach PDIC, SEI, and CMAS in conjunction with each other, because they are much longer courses and conform to the colleges requirements. Out of all of them, SSI is still my favorite, simply because the training material is top notched and very versatile for the student. In comparison, all agencies do the same thing, teach you how to safely go scuba diving. It has been my experience that the average person will assume that one bad instructor from one agency, would indicate that all instructors from that agency are bad. This is simply not the case. Staying with in standards, I give the same quality of instruction to all my students, whether I am teaching an 8 week PDIC / SEI / CMAS course, a 2 week SSI course, or a 4 day PADI course. Don't let that confuse you though, I also teach an 8 week PADI course, a 2 week PDIC / SEI / CMAS course, and a 4 day SSI course. And come to think about it, I also teach an 8 week SSI course, a 2 week PADI course, and a 4 day PDIC / SEI / CMAS course. All depending on how many students I have, how easy it is for them to take in and retain the information, and also based off there availability to come to class. Each person learns at a different rate, so we tailor classes to meet their needs. Crossing over wasn't too difficult. None were direct crossovers except going from PDIC to SEI. They are two different agencies, but same standards, and share the same owner. Both are located in the same facility, so doing a crossover for one, and filling out the paper for the other. PADI was a full Instructor course, with an Instructor examination taking place over several days. Crossing over to SSI, was a week long process, learning the philosophies and standards of SSI, doing all skills and watermanship skills, and conducting an evaluation or instructor examination. CMAS was the most difficult. It was only a 2 day crossover, but the most strenuous as far as skills and swim test.
The reason why I chose PADI was solely because it's the top agency, and that the potential country I may be immigrating to recognizes PADI. However I loved the interaction that I had with a couple of SSI instructors and they were much more approachable compared to my padi dive store that were also a little dishonest with their gear pricing. I'm thinking of switching over from padi to ssi, but because of the recognition of padi I'm abit stalled. What are your suggestions?
In 2019, the likelihood of finding a resort or dive operator that would refuse an SSI certification is non existent. This is why most PADI shops here in the states have either crossed over to SSI completely, or at least became a dual shop. SSI has grown expediently in the last few years, and they are recognized world wide. Truth being told, I have never been refused access onto a boat or an air fill with any of my certifications. I currently teach through 5 different training agencies, and have presented all of them all over the world without any issues.
hi the vids are excellent keep up the good work :) i am certified through padi as an advance open water diver but im doin my rescue course in a few weeks and i already have 5 specialitys and 71 logged dives so then i will have all the requirments to b a master scuba level as well :)
Awesome, stick with it, but don't rush it. Always understand that no matter how much you learn, there is still more to learn. Stay safe, and enjoy your diving journey.
Lake Eufaula is huge. I have no doubt it would be successful. We could even offer kayak and fishing gear. People loss things all the time. I know we could do it. Like I said I will run it and after you certified me I could teach
Roy Atkins For me it's a time issue. Married with 2 children, with a full time career owning a dive shop, marina, and boat shop, work part time at our local community college teaching Fire and EMS courses, part time Firefighter, and I also teach guitar lessons on the side. Finding time to do anything else is very difficult. Especially this time of the year. It's hunting season here in NC, and I am an avid hunter. But I struggle to find time to even do that. I currently have 3 Divemaster students right now, hoping to have them to Instructor level some time after the new year. This will free up some time for me, because I can cut back on teaching and let them do it. If I had the means and time to open up another shop, I would in a heartbeat.
I'm certified thru the best in the world NAUI, Master Diver. Diving thru education. The more you're trained the safer diver you are. I know you like PADI and SSI, however I've known to many PADI divers that didn't know diving. I knew a PADI rescue diver once that I made get back into the dive boat cause he was a danger to himself and other divers, just saying. I've known to many divers like this that the instructor passed them without them really knowing what there doing, just like resort certifications, there just asking to get someone hurt or killed. But this is my opinion.
Congratulations on reaching the Master Diver level. You will enjoy your Dive Guide/Divemaster training, it really builds your confidence once you start teaching others.
That is awesome, remember that once you hit the Dive Control Specialist, you are an Instructor. The only difference between Dive Control Specialist and an Open Water Instructor is, the Open Water Instructor can evaluate during check out dives. The Dive Control Specialist can teach the entire course just like an Instructor can with the exception of the evaluations. I let all my Dive Control Specialist (which by the way SSI is changing the name to Assistant Instructor in June) teach as much as possible to build up confidence.
Roy Atkins Unfortunately, this industry takes 2 things to make it in. The first is time and the second is money. Going Pro, there are 2 ways to do it. If you have time and money, you can fast track becoming an instructor. Typically, 2 weeks for the Divemaster, 2 weeks for the Assistant Instructor, and 2 weeks for the Instructor course. This being if all minimum requirements are met. Now if time and money are not available, then the internship is the other way. A candidate can usually work over a time frame of 6 months to 2 years, for example, giving them time to earn the money it takes to pay for the courses, and plenty of time to meet the minimum requirements for certification. Diving is a unique industry to get into but as stated, takes time and money.
The issue I have is the financial side. I have a lot of gear and the desire to move forward. I know there are schools in South Florida that will set up financial aid and dorms to live in. But being gone for several months away from my boys is what would be the problem. Have you ever heard of a dive shop that will certify someone while they work at their shop but make them sign a contract where they have to work and teach for them for a certain amount of years. Like alot of law enforcement agencies do. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated
Roy Atkins Yes, a lot of shops will let you work an internship to pay off your classes. Depending on what agency you pick, you can break up the courses. Do it over a few months instead of doing all of it at one time. Start with the Divemaster course, can be done in 2 weeks. Then a month or so later, do the Assistant Instructor course. Then after saving a little more do the Instructor course. This way you will have time for family as well.
Hello, I just found this video. I’m an AI through PADI. I would really appreciate it if I could speak with you regarding the IDC final exam. Can I call your shop?
@@LakeHickoryScuba Brian, thank you again. I am extremely grateful for all your help! Please let me know if you can find the cheat sheet we talked about.
Have a question for public safety diving. I currently have rescue diver thru padi. I have full face and dry suit with ERDI and plan on doing Ice dive and the public safety thru them but I also been looking at dive rescue international. What's you thoughts on the best for public safety training?
Well I personally teach Public Safety Diving through SSI, PADI, and PDIC. I have taken Public Safety Courses through ERDI, RDI, PADI, PDIC, and PSDA. All have there pros and cons. Before I take any new course, I sit down with the instructor and have him show me the training standards and the requirements for the course I am interested in. This usually helps me make a better informed decision on which one to take. If my only options were the two that you mentioned, I would not hesitate to take either one. Both are respected agencies in the Public Safety field, and both will adequate prepare you for Public Safety Diving. If you are taking the courses through a team setting for your department, you may be limited to which ever agency your department allows. If you are doing the courses as an individual, then you may be limited to your budget, as each agency and instructor charges different amounts for each course. Either way, you can't go wrong with either of the ones you mentioned, just make sure you ask plenty of questions before you register for a course.
I’m trying to decide which dive shop to go with as I am currently a beginner. One is with PADI and the other NAUI. Which would you recommend I go with? Thanks!
Hello Adam. In regards to picking a training agency, I would sit down with an instructor from both shops and asked to see a copy of the training standards they teach by. Both are international recognized agencies and both teach you the basics to scuba diving. For us, since we teach though 5 different agencies, we explain up front to our customers the difference in each agency, and the difference in training standards. The instructor makes all the difference in the world as well. You should interview your instructor before you sign up for a course. Ask him every question known to man, so that you know what is expected of you during your course. This will also allow you to get comfortable with them, and this in itself, will make it easier to decide between agencies. NAUI will be slightly more challenging than PADI, but PADI will be a little bit more up beat. I would also look at the shops and see what else they offer. Continuing Education, Dive Trips, Gear Sales, Service On Equipment, etc. You can always use one for gear purchases and the other for training. You can also take a course from one agency and then switch to the other (and back and forth). You will be fine no matter which agency you choose. Hopefully this answered your question with out being biased towards one or the other.
My suggestion would be try to get on at a local shop for a while and learn the ropes. See if they have an internship you can work to pay off your instructor courses.
LakeHickoryScuba thanks!! I have only done about 35 dives at home - south east NSW area (16-22 degrees c). However have some 100+ here in warm waters of indo during and after my DM
Roy Atkins No, unfortunately I am not. If you feel comfortable, you can always earn some money by doing some search and recovery dives in your area for people.
Hello kartracer127, I currently teach for both, but for a multitude of reasons prefer SSI. It's more important that you find an Instructor that suits you best versus worrying about the training agency.
I'm a NASE OW, hopefully will do my advanced soon. My instructor basically already taught me everythinging except night diving anyways. (I love wrecks, so I'll def go for a higher level) My father got the whole family into scuba diving, because through a mutual friend he met an instructor (who was an industrial diver before). My father is now a rescue, and my mom and sis are still OW just like me, but they will do the advanced too. I know my instructor for more than 10 years, so I know he is going to teach me well :)
Currently working on SSI OW thru Calypso Dive Shop, Joplin, MO. As a long haul truck driver, it can make it difficult to be around when the classes are being offered on the normal schedule, so I study the academics while on the road (and your vids have helped IMMENSELY, Brian!), and then water time when I'm home.
Thank you very much for your efforts, sir; greatly appreciated!
- Joe
Hello Joe, you are very welcome. I'm glad our videos have been helpful to you. Good luck on completing you certification, there are some awesome SSI shops in the midwest. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact us anytime, and we will see what we can do to help you out. Stay safe out there on the road.
I am a logger gone all week and had to shuffle around to get my dm but totally worth it. . I let my instructor know my schedule and he made time for me and that helped alot.
Bryan, good video.... Denver Colorado. My open water diver is NAUI in 1982. I became an SSI instructor in 1985, Currently Instructor Trainer. In 1992 became an instructor for TDI (SDI 1999) I currently hold a instructor rating in both. I have thought about doing a cross over to a few including PADI, (last time I looked at it they were going to make more of a pain than it was worth it - so I did not). I also was a DAN instructor - Will renew the instructor part soon...
The biggest reason I did all of my crossovers were for business reasons.
PADI Open Water diver 1977 - PADI Assistant Instructor - 1985 and PDIC Instructor - 1986- I no longer teach SCUBA courses, but I did certify over 500 divers. I first taught at a scuba shop in Cozumel Mexico. Then I later taught in Salt Lake City, Utah for two years full-time. I now work for an airline and travel the world amazed at all the great places to dive.
I bet you get to see all different types of amazing places working on an airline.
Thank you for the info. Yes I am a FF and EMT and our county has a team with not budget for a dive team so I am getting equipment when I can and trying to take classes when I can afford them too. We have Conservation officers here that we back each other on some of the calls we get. I also have a commercial diving background too from the gulf. But as you know there are big differences between the 2 and they look to me for the diving experience but I do not have the public safety experience and training to offer so I am gradually getting there.
I appreciate you service as a Public Servant, I too serve as a Firefighter and EMT. I also served for 10 years as a Law Enforcement Officer here in my County. If I was in your shoes, I would seek out a local instructor that could guide me through the steps, and try not to worry too much about the agency from which I would learn from. It has always been my belief that the instructor is more important than the agency. At the end of the day, a Public Safety Diver is a Public Safety Diver, regardless of what agency is on his certification card. Just like you and I, we are both EMT's, regardless of what state we received the certification through.
I'm a NASE OW, hopefully will do my advanced soon. My instructor basically already taught me everythinging except night diving anyways. (I love wrecks, so I'll def go for a higher level) My father got the whole family into scuba diving, because through a mutual friend he met an instructor (who was an industrial diver before). My father is now a rescue, and my mom and sis are still OW just like me, but they will do the advanced too. I know my instructor for more than 10 years, so I know he is going to teach me well :)
Congratulations on earning your certification Detti, welcome to the world of Scuba Diving.
I trained under two organizations back in 1975 in Guam. I believe they were NASDS and Padi. Advanced open water. The instructor had both associations, so for a few dollars more he signed off on both. I dropped out of diving after leaving the South Pacific and moving where the water was cold.
46 years later, I wanted to start diving again and all records are lost. I am starting my PADI open watter. I did the first pool session yesterday.
All organizations use the same protocalls, so it isn't so much about the organization as it is the instructor.
Hello DannyB1954, glad to hear that you are getting back into Scuba Diving.
I got my open water through NASE and I am Hopi g to go for my advanced open water this summer. I am going on a dive with my instructor and a few friends in a week or two over at Mermet Spring's in Illinois
Congratulations on earning your Open Water certification. Glad to hear you will be advancing soon. Happy Diving.
Thank you for taking time and making theses videos. It shows that you enjoy diving and want to educate ate and get more people interested in scuba diving. I am taking PADI Open water corse . I live in Puerto Rico but originaly from Texas.
We hope you do very well in your Open Water Course. Diving is an adventure you will enjoy for the rest of your life.
I totally agree and like you I am sure I am more concerned about coming home to my family safe every day. That's why I had the question. I do not have an agency in my area so I have been looking to what would be the best training or like you are saying the best instructor for that. I thank you for your service as well. As well as your video. I have not watched every one but I do find the one I do watch very informative. Thanks again and stay safe!
Thank You and stay stay safe as well. Send me an email with your location, State and City, and I will be glad to help you find an instructor locally that will help you out. lakehickoryscuba@gmail.com
PADI OWSI, started my diving career at 2013 (and I regret that I didn't do it earlier). Currently have ~500 dives in Philippines and Vietnam, however majority of this dives done in sidemount with an old DiveRite LT (aka "push this inflator button and get your own surface torture chamber") and DGX regs. Now I have a new toy, which I'm really enjoying and its a OceanReef G-Divers IDM, did approximately 30 dives with it so far, very comfortable, but face-down freeflows are annoying.
Thank you for making loads of content, that I can share with my students and other instructors. Your style is almost like a Steve Martin's ;)
Aleksandr Korneev Thank You for the compliment in comparing me to Steve Martin, but he is a much better instructor than I will ever be. On the Ocean Reef mask, if you have the G-Divers, then you can replace the exhaust port with the one designed for the Predator and Iron Mask. This will allow you to divert the expired gas in a different direction for when you are inverted, preventing a free flow.
Thank you for the tip! I'll look around to find one of those, but I will really appreciate any directions you can give. By the way, do you have any idea on how to tell if my unit is S-M or M-L size? I haven't found any size comparison charts online.
Aleksandr Korneev If you call Ocean Reef directly they should be able to ship you one. And to my knowledge the IDM's from Ocean Reef are not marked unfortunately, except on the packaging. In comparison, the small is noticeably different when wearing it.
Interesting video.
PADI Adventure Diver, but been on dry land for 15yares (life is what happens when you make other plans). Sadly the local dive school/shop closed shortly after I was certified then school, college and life in general… But am thinking about going a CMAS*course to start again.
Hello T.B.Photo, glad to hear you will be getting back into diving.
@@LakeHickoryScuba Thank you!
Really enjoy the videos. Learn a lot. PADI OW.
Thank You.
I totally understand. I'm a EMT and was a career firefighter for 12 years. Just had back surgery in August and still not back at work yet. I work for an ambulance service. I really want to put everything into the diving industry but the financial side is what's holding me back. Getting divorced and having to declare bankruptcy has hurt me greatly. I'm very passionate about diving. If you have any investigators or anything like that please help me out
Roy Atkins My advice is to always follow your dreams. I was fortunate to have started at a very young age (6 years old), and had a lot of great mentors in the scuba industry that took me under their wings. I knew from the very beginning this is what I wanted to do, but lacked the funds to do it. I worked part time for several dive shops, while holding several full time jobs to be able to support my family. I started at our local Sheriff's Office as a Deputy Sheriff in 2004, then transferred to a city department several years after that and worked as a Master Police Officer and Training Officer. Then went back to school and became a Medic for a surrounding county's EMS. I also joined the Fire Service in 2004 as a Fireman and EMT. Ended up getting hired as a local instructor to teach Public Safety courses as a side job for extra income. All a while, teaching scuba on the side. I finally made the decision to quit everything, except for the fire department and college, and opened up our shop with my dad. The problem was we didn't have the money to do it. My dad who was also a part time dive instructor and Firefighter had a full time career as a commercial contractor. Then the economy fail off and he lost his business. So we decided to sell most of our big possessions, four wheelers, campers, tractors (we live on a family farm), etc. and pool our money together so that we could afford to open up a dive shop.The biggest struggle with going professional in this industry, is what can you offer your customers. You see there is a ton of competition out their, and I don't mean other shops, I mean other activities that people enjoy doing, golf, skiing, hunting, hiking, etc. The key is to create a need for scuba and sell that to your customers. The question you have to ask yourself is why does someone need to learn how to dive. If you can answer that, then you can obtain customers. This all being well and good once you reach the instructor level. Take it slow, gain as much knowledge as possible and follow your dreams. It takes time and money to get into this industry, but it also takes patience, and a lot of it.
Hey Bryan, I was certified through PADI. My current level is open water. I study a lot on my own since my cert, and really want to continue my training, but since I am retired and living on a fixed income it may be some time before I am able to continue. I do local lake clean ups for my nearby neighbors, and also some pool cleaning. I have learned so much from your videos and hope to be able to continue my training, but want to train with you since I have been watching your videos and feel like I know your style and would feel most comfortable under your supervision. I live in Spartanburg SC. So when I am able to, I hope you will be accepting new students.
Hello George, we are happy that our videos have been educational for you. You should definitely come up and visit us. We would be happy to take you out diving in our lake, or even to one of our local quarries sometime.
There are a lot of divers who think that training today is "under-standard". I would like to point out a few things they may not understand. At on time dive training took some time to complete and be certified, today we seem to be certified much quicker, but there is a reason for this. Dive training is now done in several different courses. With PADI for instance, you have open water, advanced open water,rescue and so on as is with most agencies now the course is broken into segments. Just because a diver does not know a certain skill doesn't mean he is under trained. It is simply he has not reached that level yet. Why discourage a dive student from diving by overwhelming them with a lot of techniques and procedures when they are not going to be doing that type of diving yet? Let them advance at their own rate. When they are ready to learn another technique they will return to get that training. I can't think of any diver that isn't trained for safety within his or her level.
I agree 100%. Back in the 80’s when I first learned how to dive, it took 16 weeks. We learned skills from the Open Water Course, the Advanced Diver Course, and the Rescue Diver Course, however we only earned the Open Water Certification. I really like the structure of Scuba Training now days, as it allows divers to learn at their own pace.
Well our local dive shop that has been open for 20 something years closed. So now we have to drive a hour and a half either North or South just for tank fills. I have a lot of scuba diving friends and family members that dive also. I want to do to but really don't know where to start. I have found a building also.
Roy Atkins First step of course is becoming and instructor. Maybe even find a business partner, one of those friends or family, and this way you can split cost of opening up a shop. Next is getting a dealership with a gear manufacturer and becoming a service technician. Lastly, it's all about acquiring and retaining customers.
Roy Atkins PEDI OPEN WATER, NAUI ADVANCE AND RESCUE DIVER. Been diving since 1995 and wanting to become a instructor
Becoming an instructor is one of the greatest things in the world. It takes a lot of hard work, but it is very rewarding. Especially after you see the smiles on your students faces after you take them underwater for the first time.
well thats a lot of agencies! lol. ive just always been with padi but thats just more because thats what my dive shop here uses. when i started and went into the dive shop and signed up and they gave me the padi manual and dvd to watch, i just thought padi was the only one. it wasnt until i later i learned about the other ones. but ya when i eventually move back to italy (probably next summer) i might have to go over to SSI. there are only 4 PADI shops in italy which are all in Rome and a whole ton of SSI shops all over the country and especially the south where im going. so i was glad when i found out they recognize each others certifications. 😊
Choosing an agency to learn through can be difficult sometimes. I always tell new divers or those interested in getting into diving, to search for an instructor not an agency. Instructors make the agency not the other way around. Agencies just set the standards that an instructor must follow. The instructor is the one that produces good or bad divers. I started out with PADI, and then crossed over to the others. I still teach PADI, because I believe in their philosophy, but the same goes for the other agencies I teach for as well. Truth be told, all agencies teach safe diving, and that is the most important thing.
Padi divemaster from Ontario Canada. Nitrox and advance thought ssi roatan .
Hello John David, how is the diving in Ontario?
@LakeHickoryScuba cold lol its still winter Here . Some of georgian bays are ice free so its drysuit season 😁
I'm a fan currently living and diving primarily in Guam. I'm a PADI DM.
Hello Bill, thank you for being a subscriber. Congratulations on earning your Divemaster Certification. How is the diving in Guam.
Thank you for your kind words. Diving in Guam is wonderful as we have very warm water (80-87 degree) as well as a vibrant ecosystem. I still learn as much from watching dive videos on RUclips as everytime I get in the water. :) @@LakeHickoryScuba
Sounds like an amazing place to dive. Glad to know our videos are educational for you. Maybe one day I will get out to Guam and you can give me a tour of the area.
Let me know I'd be be honored.@@LakeHickoryScuba
Will do Bill, thanks again.
Hi Brian Padi for me. Happy diving.
I start in PADI as well Darren. After reaching a particular level as an Instructor, I started to branch out. I still teach PADI courses to this day.
PADI Advanced Open Water. I'm an American expat currently living in Curacao.
Curacao is a beautiful place to dive. We were there back in December 2017, and most recently in September 2018. We will be returning in April 2019. We have a Divemaster that helps us out, who owns a house in Marazul, which is where we stay when we fly down.
Hey bryan I’m open water advance by naui I got certified 1994 in Puerto Rico
I’ve always heard that Puerto Rico has some great reefs to dive on.
Why are you a member of those multiple agencies? Are you currently active in all of them? How do you decide which one to promote a class for? Did you start with one and be come disenfranchised with it, so joined another - until you had joined six? Do you prefer one over another? What do you prefer about the sixth one? In the video, you just cited a brief history of each. How do you see or compare them? Just curious, which ones were paper crossovers? Abbreviated crossover (one or two days)? Full crossover course?
All great questions. I started out as a PADI instructor way back when, and in the beginning, PADI is all I knew. After working for multiple dive shops, I began to learn about other training agencies and philosophies. Learning as much knowledge about diving was and still is my goal. Learning new ways to teach and perform skills not only helped me as a diver, but helped me in relaying information to my students. It also allowed me the opportunity to travel more, and meet new people in the industry. Another great thing is I can offer many different products (types of training (Agencies)) to my customers. To answer your next question yes I am still active in all 5 agencies. Currently I am an Assistant Instructor Trainer with SSI, a Master Scuba Diver Trainer with PADI, and Instructor Trainer with PDIC and SEI, and a 3 Star Course Director with CMAS. As far as promoting classes, most of the time we promote SSI as our main training agency. We have the ones that come in and demand PADI, so we teach them PADI. For college based courses, we teach PDIC, SEI, and CMAS in conjunction with each other, because they are much longer courses and conform to the colleges requirements. Out of all of them, SSI is still my favorite, simply because the training material is top notched and very versatile for the student. In comparison, all agencies do the same thing, teach you how to safely go scuba diving. It has been my experience that the average person will assume that one bad instructor from one agency, would indicate that all instructors from that agency are bad. This is simply not the case. Staying with in standards, I give the same quality of instruction to all my students, whether I am teaching an 8 week PDIC / SEI / CMAS course, a 2 week SSI course, or a 4 day PADI course. Don't let that confuse you though, I also teach an 8 week PADI course, a 2 week PDIC / SEI / CMAS course, and a 4 day SSI course. And come to think about it, I also teach an 8 week SSI course, a 2 week PADI course, and a 4 day PDIC / SEI / CMAS course. All depending on how many students I have, how easy it is for them to take in and retain the information, and also based off there availability to come to class. Each person learns at a different rate, so we tailor classes to meet their needs. Crossing over wasn't too difficult. None were direct crossovers except going from PDIC to SEI. They are two different agencies, but same standards, and share the same owner. Both are located in the same facility, so doing a crossover for one, and filling out the paper for the other. PADI was a full Instructor course, with an Instructor examination taking place over several days. Crossing over to SSI, was a week long process, learning the philosophies and standards of SSI, doing all skills and watermanship skills, and conducting an evaluation or instructor examination. CMAS was the most difficult. It was only a 2 day crossover, but the most strenuous as far as skills and swim test.
The reason why I chose PADI was solely because it's the top agency, and that the potential country I may be immigrating to recognizes PADI. However I loved the interaction that I had with a couple of SSI instructors and they were much more approachable compared to my padi dive store that were also a little dishonest with their gear pricing. I'm thinking of switching over from padi to ssi, but because of the recognition of padi I'm abit stalled. What are your suggestions?
In 2019, the likelihood of finding a resort or dive operator that would refuse an SSI certification is non existent. This is why most PADI shops here in the states have either crossed over to SSI completely, or at least became a dual shop. SSI has grown expediently in the last few years, and they are recognized world wide. Truth being told, I have never been refused access onto a boat or an air fill with any of my certifications. I currently teach through 5 different training agencies, and have presented all of them all over the world without any issues.
hi
the vids are excellent keep up the good work :)
i am certified through padi as an advance open water diver but im doin my rescue course in a few weeks and i already have 5 specialitys and 71 logged dives so then i will have all the requirments to b a master scuba level as well :)
Congratulations on reaching the Master Scuba Diver level. Any thoughts about going Pro.
thanks :) yer i want to go into the tech diving :)
Awesome, stick with it, but don't rush it. Always understand that no matter how much you learn, there is still more to learn. Stay safe, and enjoy your diving journey.
yes definatly :) thanks
Lake Eufaula is huge. I have no doubt it would be successful. We could even offer kayak and fishing gear. People loss things all the time. I know we could do it. Like I said I will run it and after you certified me I could teach
Roy Atkins For me it's a time issue. Married with 2 children, with a full time career owning a dive shop, marina, and boat shop, work part time at our local community college teaching Fire and EMS courses, part time Firefighter, and I also teach guitar lessons on the side. Finding time to do anything else is very difficult. Especially this time of the year. It's hunting season here in NC, and I am an avid hunter. But I struggle to find time to even do that. I currently have 3 Divemaster students right now, hoping to have them to Instructor level some time after the new year. This will free up some time for me, because I can cut back on teaching and let them do it. If I had the means and time to open up another shop, I would in a heartbeat.
Kinda weird not mentioning NAUI. CMAS OW 1 star, PDIC Advanced OW.
Hello Andre, NAUI is listed on the board.
Great I will thank you
You're welcome
Thanks for the information. Why don't you come to Eufaula and open a shop. I will run it for you
Roy Atkins Wished I could open up multiple dive shops.
I'm certified thru the best in the world NAUI, Master Diver. Diving thru education. The more you're trained the safer diver you are. I know you like PADI and SSI, however I've known to many PADI divers that didn't know diving. I knew a PADI rescue diver once that I made get back into the dive boat cause he was a danger to himself and other divers, just saying. I've known to many divers like this that the instructor passed them without them really knowing what there doing, just like resort certifications, there just asking to get someone hurt or killed. But this is my opinion.
Hello T Rex congratulations on earning your Master Diver rating. That is an awesome achievement.
SSI Master Scuba Diver currently training for Dive Guide and Divemaster.
Congratulations on reaching the Master Diver level. You will enjoy your Dive Guide/Divemaster training, it really builds your confidence once you start teaching others.
I'm assisting in OWD classes now and I'm thinking about advancing to Dive Control Specialist and then OWD Instructor. Love your vids!
That is awesome, remember that once you hit the Dive Control Specialist, you are an Instructor. The only difference between Dive Control Specialist and an Open Water Instructor is, the Open Water Instructor can evaluate during check out dives. The Dive Control Specialist can teach the entire course just like an Instructor can with the exception of the evaluations. I let all my Dive Control Specialist (which by the way SSI is changing the name to Assistant Instructor in June) teach as much as possible to build up confidence.
Awesome! I really appreciate you and your channel!
Thank You and you are very welcome.
There's not very many shops around me. But they don't want to do a internship
Roy Atkins Unfortunately, this industry takes 2 things to make it in. The first is time and the second is money. Going Pro, there are 2 ways to do it. If you have time and money, you can fast track becoming an instructor. Typically, 2 weeks for the Divemaster, 2 weeks for the Assistant Instructor, and 2 weeks for the Instructor course. This being if all minimum requirements are met. Now if time and money are not available, then the internship is the other way. A candidate can usually work over a time frame of 6 months to 2 years, for example, giving them time to earn the money it takes to pay for the courses, and plenty of time to meet the minimum requirements for certification. Diving is a unique industry to get into but as stated, takes time and money.
The issue I have is the financial side. I have a lot of gear and the desire to move forward. I know there are schools in South Florida that will set up financial aid and dorms to live in. But being gone for several months away from my boys is what would be the problem. Have you ever heard of a dive shop that will certify someone while they work at their shop but make them sign a contract where they have to work and teach for them for a certain amount of years. Like alot of law enforcement agencies do. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated
Roy Atkins Yes, a lot of shops will let you work an internship to pay off your classes. Depending on what agency you pick, you can break up the courses. Do it over a few months instead of doing all of it at one time. Start with the Divemaster course, can be done in 2 weeks. Then a month or so later, do the Assistant Instructor course. Then after saving a little more do the Instructor course. This way you will have time for family as well.
Advanced open water
What training agency is the best for high level wreck penetration training?
Hello omar Nawwab, most training agencies offer and Advanced Wreck Specialty. I would be more concerned about the Instructor than the agency.
Hello, I just found this video. I’m an AI through PADI. I would really appreciate it if I could speak with you regarding the IDC final exam. Can I call your shop?
Hello fancis bevacqua, it was great speaking with you. Hopefully our video conference helped you out.
@@LakeHickoryScuba Brian, thank you again. I am extremely grateful for all your help! Please let me know if you can find the cheat sheet we talked about.
I completely forgot about the cheat sheet. I will get a copy sent to you tomorrow.
thank you sir salute
im a dive master of IDEA
Congratulations on earning your Divemaster through IDEA. Always enjoy meeting and talking with other Dive Professionals.
LakeHickoryScuba yes sir ill always
thank you
Have a question for public safety diving. I currently have rescue diver thru padi. I have full face and dry suit with ERDI and plan on doing Ice dive and the public safety thru them but I also been looking at dive rescue international. What's you thoughts on the best for public safety training?
Well I personally teach Public Safety Diving through SSI, PADI, and PDIC. I have taken Public Safety Courses through ERDI, RDI, PADI, PDIC, and PSDA. All have there pros and cons. Before I take any new course, I sit down with the instructor and have him show me the training standards and the requirements for the course I am interested in. This usually helps me make a better informed decision on which one to take. If my only options were the two that you mentioned, I would not hesitate to take either one. Both are respected agencies in the Public Safety field, and both will adequate prepare you for Public Safety Diving. If you are taking the courses through a team setting for your department, you may be limited to which ever agency your department allows. If you are doing the courses as an individual, then you may be limited to your budget, as each agency and instructor charges different amounts for each course. Either way, you can't go wrong with either of the ones you mentioned, just make sure you ask plenty of questions before you register for a course.
I’m trying to decide which dive shop to go with as I am currently a beginner.
One is with PADI and the other NAUI.
Which would you recommend I go with?
Thanks!
Hello Adam. In regards to picking a training agency, I would sit down with an instructor from both shops and asked to see a copy of the training standards they teach by. Both are international recognized agencies and both teach you the basics to scuba diving. For us, since we teach though 5 different agencies, we explain up front to our customers the difference in each agency, and the difference in training standards. The instructor makes all the difference in the world as well. You should interview your instructor before you sign up for a course. Ask him every question known to man, so that you know what is expected of you during your course. This will also allow you to get comfortable with them, and this in itself, will make it easier to decide between agencies. NAUI will be slightly more challenging than PADI, but PADI will be a little bit more up beat. I would also look at the shops and see what else they offer. Continuing Education, Dive Trips, Gear Sales, Service On Equipment, etc. You can always use one for gear purchases and the other for training. You can also take a course from one agency and then switch to the other (and back and forth). You will be fine no matter which agency you choose. Hopefully this answered your question with out being biased towards one or the other.
ACUC Dive master
That is awesome, congratulations on earning your Divemaster Certification.
For someone with not great credit what do I do
My suggestion would be try to get on at a local shop for a while and learn the ropes. See if they have an internship you can work to pay off your instructor courses.
PADI Dive Master 401414, Currently in Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia from Australia - Wadeabout.com
Congratulations on becoming a PADI Divemaster. How is the diving in Australia?
LakeHickoryScuba thanks!! I have only done about 35 dives at home - south east NSW area (16-22 degrees c). However have some 100+ here in warm waters of indo during and after my DM
Awesome. I have never been to Indonesia or Australia, I may have to check both out sometime.
So become a instructor first. I have got to figure out how to make some money. You in the market for a new compound bow.
Roy Atkins No, unfortunately I am not. If you feel comfortable, you can always earn some money by doing some search and recovery dives in your area for people.
Padi owsi
Congratulations on reaching the instructor level. Happy Diving
I'm trying to sale a compound bow. That would be a start
Well actualy i am here to decide if padi or ssi. But i think ist to late 😂😂
Hello kartracer127, I currently teach for both, but for a multitude of reasons prefer SSI. It's more important that you find an Instructor that suits you best versus worrying about the training agency.
@@LakeHickoryScuba the instructor i hired teaches both and let me decide ( a point i am realy Happy actualy) i think i will Go dir ssi. Thank you!
You're welcome, happy diving.
Sent you an email.
Ok, as soon as I get into the shop tomorrow morning, I will do some research for you and send you some information.
Great. Thanks.
I'm a NASE OW, hopefully will do my advanced soon. My instructor basically already taught me everythinging except night diving anyways. (I love wrecks, so I'll def go for a higher level) My father got the whole family into scuba diving, because through a mutual friend he met an instructor (who was an industrial diver before). My father is now a rescue, and my mom and sis are still OW just like me, but they will do the advanced too. I know my instructor for more than 10 years, so I know he is going to teach me well :)
Congratulations on earning your certification Detti, welcome to the world of Scuba Diving.