NAUI v PADI

[anniew]

Hello there everyone! Many thanks for all the comments...it makes some interesting reading and certainly gives some great advice for anyone wanting to learn to dive. NAUI is gradually trying to get a presence in the UK, recruiting Course Directors etc, so what do you think?......

....is there room for NAUI in the UK when PADI has such a huge following

...

 

[Pliny]

I found this thread very interesting. I am a NAUI certified diver and my other, more extensive training is from the Northwest Diving Institute. I only know what I read about PADI. One particular (damaging) article about PADI you might find of interest is on the following link.
http://www.cdnn.info/news/editorial/o050620.html

 

[MKDVR]

I found this thread very interesting. I am a NAUI certified diver and my other, more extensive training is from the Northwest Diving Institute. I only know what I read about PADI. One particular (damaging) article about PADI you might find of interest is on the following link.
http://www.cdnn.info/news/editorial/o050620.html

I wouldn't exactly disagree with that particular article but the CDNN site has a bad rap. Don't believe everything you read there.

 

[]-[@biT]

Yes, well... the link surely pointed to an interesting read, and an obviously unhappy customer. :head

It is really dangerous if and when diving agencies “drop or lower” standards with the sole purpose for market share/gain, and to my opinion unacceptable.

Like I’ve said before: “NAUI do allow instructors the freedom/flexibility (with minimum standards) to vary course material in order to attend to each student’s needs and assist in the learning process, thus giving the best education possible." Instructors is thus encouraged to add to a specific course to “raise the bar”, thus training more qualified and competent divers.

I would go as far as to say that your entry level course, Scuba Diver (any agency), is your most important course. This is the foundation that you will use for the rest of you diving career, should be one of the “30%” (see article) that do decide to continue. Based on the law of primacy, students retain information they learn for the first time longer than they retain information they must relearn.

Unlearning incorrect procedures (or bad habits) is always more difficult than learning the correct procedures in the beginning.

DO NOT LOWER THE STANDARDS! :duh

Something that is quit appealing to me is the DIR (“Do It Right”) way of thinking. I have been reading a lot on the topic and it is very interesting. The system is not only for technical divers, but also for recreational divers. Like I said it is an interesting way of looking at things, diving related, and it might set the new standard for diving in the future.

 

[jknobles]

As someone who has gone through NAUI and is working on Instructor, and having friends who have gone through PADI I have to say that I prefer NAUI. I understand I may have a bit of bias, but the whole concepte of going above and beyond standards makes a world of difference, especially to those divers who may not be comfortable the first couple
of lessons. I think either organization offers a good base to start with, but I think it ultimately depends on the diver to further their education beyond whatever levels they are taught.