Padi Vs Alternatives

Ol' Donie

Hi folks,

I've Padi AOW certification. This is simply because when I joined I went along with a friend who was Padi qualified. I never looked at alternatives.

Can anyone give me a quick rundown on any alternatives and the pros & cons of each?

I'm quite happy with Padi, just curious really. Seems to be a funny vibe of secrecy (for want of a better word) about the whole thing.

Also, I think i heard somewhere that this can be an oddly touchy subject, so please just be cool with the replies!!

Thanks very much.

Pawwed Rig

There's no secrecy. The guys in Irish UnderWater Council clubs (unfortunate name) post here quite regularly. See here http://diving.ie/scuba-diving/already-qualified/

yankinlk

I can talk to the alternate in Ireland called CFT, Irish Underwater Council, also known as diving.ie. The org is 50 years old and is the National Governing Body for underwater sport...http://diving.ie/about-us/

There will always be at least two offerings in Ireland, consumer diving and Club diving. There is a market for both.

In club diving, you are encouraged to not just learn to dive, you are encouraged to train up to be a dive leader, to take groups safely on dive outings. You can also train to become an instructor to teach other divers the skills you learned, and then on to examiner where you train the trainers. This is the lifeblood of CFT and of the Clubs that belong to CFT, whereas a PADI center is owner operated.

From a cft point of view, when a diver approaches a Club wanting to learn diving quickly, maybe for a trip abroad, or wants to learn without investing in their own gear, we would encourage them to consider a local PADI center. if a PADI diver decides they love diving, and are interested in getting involved in a Club we openly welcome them to join.

I see diving as a lifestyle choice, more than a hobby. but i joined a club over 8 years ago, i have given back time to my club on committee, and now i hold a position on the CFT executive. i will eventually train to become an instructor, but right now im enjoying making dive buddies across the 80 clubs in all parts of Ireland many of which i consider to be good friends.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcr1px2WB7edeeyd1wpO_XlMBuyjBfcdQ

i am president@diving.ie why not contact me directly?

mint man

you know you cant speak out against Padi !
theyre legal team do be watching..
some say p.a.d.i stands for "put.another.dollar.in"
im a padi diver , i was a divemaster this is where they teach you alot about marketing their courses.
good post there about club diving been a livestyle choice , some of the clubs seem to be great .
i tend to just dive with family now at commercal centres

yankinlk

mint man wrote: »

good post there about club diving been a livestyle choice , some of the clubs seem to be great .
i tend to just dive with family now at commercal centres

thanks, my post comes from the heart. before i took up club diving...there was something missing in my weekends, club life filled that void.

good dive buddies are hard to find, and having access to a group of 2000+ divers means i have a good chance of meeting at least a few divers that share my taste in sites and pace of fin speed. it also means i have a huge group of friends to help motivate me to get out there every week.

Schindlers Pissed

Hello……it's my first time posting in this forum, I'm starting a CFT course next week! I had a try dive with the club members 2 weeks ago and can't wait to get stuck in……I started mucking about in water about 3 years back (boats, swimming, etc) and discovered I love being around water…..

Looking forward to learning from those who are at it for years, and that's why I want to learn with a CFT course so I can hopefully become a trusted member of the club and make an interest out of it instead of just having a dive while on holidays.

Anyway. That's me….

Benny-c

Schindlers Pissed wrote: »

Hello……it's my first time posting in this forum, I'm starting a CFT course next week! I had a try dive with the club members 2 weeks ago and can't wait to get stuck in……I started mucking about in water about 3 years back (boats, swimming, etc) and discovered I love being around water…..

Looking forward to learning from those who are at it for years, and that's why I want to learn with a CFT course so I can hopefully become a trusted member of the club and make an interest out of it instead of just having a dive while on holidays.

Anyway. That's me….

Well done in advance-welcome to CFT:D I also crossed-over from PADI & I have not regretted it. Good Luck