TDI/SDI Courses available at Dive Manchester
Dive Manchester has been offering PADI scuba diving courses for recreational diving, PADI and TDI for technical diving courses. Now John is certified as SDI scuba diving instructor as well. In other words, we have more courses to offer to students.
What is the difference?
This is a very common question and discussed by many people everywhere.
PADI, SDI, and SSI are the scuba diving training agencies recognised by the WRSTC (The World Recreational Scuba Training Council). In other words, the training standard of those three agencies are proven good. :D (You can also see some articles like this; https://www.tdisdi.com/recreational-sport-diver-equivalences/)
Although these agencies share many part of the training standard, some part are slightly different. For example, for Open Water Diver course, the goal is the same; let the students become good divers. How to get to the goal is sometime a bit different, such as sequences of the skills.
After Open Water Diver course, there will be Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Divers, Master Scuba Divers, etc. These levels of progress are also pretty much the same. How they are called may be a bit different.
There are many many discussion about the difference. I, myself, is PADI all the way, the head to the toe; however, I am also SSI instructor and probably become SDI instructor near future. Why? For me, this gives me a chance to re-learn my teaching technique. I have taught over 1000 students, more than 900 certification; however, there is always something to learn for me to give better instruction for my students.
Any training and additional knowledge will be benefit to my students, that's what I believe.
When some people complain about another agency, I feel very strange. Is it really about the agency? Is one agency better than the other? Personally, I don't think so. There are great number of good divers from every agency. Also pool divers from every agency. When some divers do not want to hear my advice just because I am not an instructor of their agency, I feel very strange. It does not matter who you get the advice from when the advice works good for you and let you gain safety. I want to teach my students not to be close minded for any good advice from any agencies. After all, "Diving is FUN" not politics.
My instructor was brilliant when I started diving. If not her, I would not have been at this position. She had good skills, good teaching technique, patient, and very reliable for any situations. I went back to the same shop because of her. I chose my instructor very wisely and I am still proud of my choice. Do my students feel that way to me? I really hope so.
It is not the "shops" or "agencies" which actually teach courses to students. That is "instructors" in "person" who teach courses to students. Who do you want to take your courses from? That is the question.
When my students choose me as their instructor, that is a great honour and also I then have a great responsibility not to disappoint my students.
