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Hi, can’t really speak for SSI, But PADI has an online training too. It is basically the classroom part of the training. Online reading, video’s and knowledge reviews and tests. It has an online adviser/tutor for you to ask questions. Also it linked to a dive shop that you pick. You would do you confined water and open water training with a dive shop/instructor or get a referral to take to training site of your choice.
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Way back when I was trying to decide between the two it was explained to me that the basic difference between SSI and PADI was two factors; PADI is more universally repected. And SSI lets you train with dive computers and skip the whole nitrogen tables portion you need to learn with PADI. I keep my PADI tables in my dive bag as a backup, but to be honest I have not used them once since I became OW certified and bought my own computer. I may be totally wrong and off base with this comparison, but it’s what I remember.
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Yep, I’m still waiting for the FAA to offer the pilots certification on line...! I wanna learn how to fly a jet, but I really don’t have the time to go to classes.
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Seawolf has it correct. As an instructor nothing beats classroom instruction in something that has the potential to end your life. While on line inst can be good any instructor I know of will always have some classroom interaction after they review the student’s results on line Especially if they get them 100%.
Diving is as much learning from one another; I still do, as it is learning from other methods, books, online, periodicals and the like. I fear to think what would have happened to be had I not had the opportunity to interact with some of my mentors. I doubt I would be enjoying Scuba as much as I do.
Just my .02cf worth.
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Thank you so much for your input. I wasn’t too sure about completing the course online and not having instruction in a classroom setting with the dive center. I did take the online "course" and it gave me some valuable information but as you said, nothing beats in class education. I found out that I would still be required to complete the coursework section with the dive center as well. Thankfully I chose NOT to use PADI & pay for a course I would have to take anyway. Thanks again I appreciate your information!
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JoDan - 4/28/2009 8:57 AM 
From seawolfdiving: Yep, I’m still waiting for the FAA to offer the pilots certification on line...! I wanna learn how to fly a jet, but I really don’t have the time to go to classes.
Totally agree. In an age where you can video conference with 3 people in 3 different countries, have unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge at the click of a mouse, and have lunch your way, right away, i think it bothers this generation that you may just have to get off your couch, put down your I-Phone, and accually GO somewhere to physically learn something........WOW I sound just like my father! It’s official - IM OLD!
P.S. Im not really a Divemaster.......but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express lastnight!
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LOL You’re not old. When you’re 90, then you can say it.
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@ScubaRich I am certified with SSI. I got my O/W, Advanced O/W and Nitrox. We had to use our dive tables while we were training even though we had computers. Maybe it’s up to the instructor??
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Another thing about online training...from personal experience...most dive shops (at least in my area) are not set up to offer a confined water dives only portion of the class. I signed up for the PADI online Open Water course while I was still on vacation when I did my Discover scuba dive, I ws that excited about diving lol. But when I got back home and looked into taking only the confined water dives, with the shops in this area I would’ve had to taken ’private’ lessons for the confined water dives which was 1.5 times more expensive than taking the regular class, so I ended up taking the regular class anyway so the money I spent on the online class was pretty much a waste, though I did know the material pretty well having gone through it all twice :o)
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From Rich-D-Fish: Way back when I was trying to decide between the two it was explained to me that the basic difference between SSI and PADI was two factors; PADI is more universally repected. And SSI lets you train with dive computers and skip the whole nitrogen tables portion you need to learn with PADI. I keep my PADI tables in my dive bag as a backup, but to be honest I have not used them once since I became OW certified and bought my own computer. I may be totally wrong and off base with this comparison, but... I am SSI certified, and oh yeah we did dive tables and no we weren’t allowed to use computers. now that may be per instructors rules. but we did learn the "long route" so to say
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