PADI or BSAC

hello everyone

im new to these boards, but i was wanting some expert opinion if possible,

next week im doing the PADI OPEN WATER COURSE down in OBAN, but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are? after the course i am going to try and join my local BSAC club if possible. i know this is a BSAC board but any advice would be appreciated,

thanks

Kimball

next week im doing the PADI OPEN WATER COURSE down in OBAN, but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are? after the course i am going to try and join my local BSAC club if possible. i know this is a BSAC board but any advice would be appreciated,

The phrase "don't go there" springs to mind...

Anyway, opinion is very varied. Personally I'd go with a BSAC club (if you go with a school then PADI or BSAC is good...). You get more time to learn, there's no rush to get things done, and of course all the time you are there you will be picking things up from others, diving with lots of other people and just generally learning from those around you - can't be bad!
What you're doing sounds sensible though - get qualified quickly, and then go off and find a club to dive with. I'd definately stick to that, diving in a club you will of course firstly find people to dive with, but also learn from them. Some clubs are more welcoming to new divers than others, some would tell you to go and train somewhere else and then come back when you fully competent - others will welcome an absolute beginner and help them to learn everything you could possibly need to know, and more importantly to get the experience.
Most of all, however you do it, just make sure you do learn to dive, and while you're new to it try to stick with more experienced buddies - not only can they help you if you get into trouble, but you'll actually learn something from them too!

And the most noticeable difference from BSAC to PADI is of course, the money! :O)

David

Hi Kimball

There is not an awful lot of difference, the teaching techniques and materials vary slightly, there are some minor differences in content. But overall they both teach pretty much the same thing, Boyles Law applies equally to all divers regardless of agency and PADI divers get water in their mask just as BSAC ones do :-)

If your local BSAC club has any sense they will probably welcome you with open arms! If you get a hostile anti-PADI greeting then I suggest that you try a different club. If you join a BSAC club there's a few minor things that we need to fill in on, like a "Welcome To The BSAC", how our dive tables work and a little bit of rescue not coverred in the PADI course (it's in a later course). But with these minor bits out-of-the-way Your PADI OW is the same as our Ocean Diver, you do not have to do it all again!

Your welcome BTW, I know it says "members only" somewhere but we're an easy going bunch and guests with genuine questions are always welcome and we'll help if we can.

Enjoy your course Kimball, I hope that we can welcome you to our club in the near future.

Regards

Keith L

I'll disagree very slightly with David there (he did tell you that opinion was divided!). Having actually done a bit of each myself (Novice I was with a branch, NoviceII/SD with a school, I've done both branch and commercial SDC's) I can persoanlly say that I didn't find that much difference. Both routes have their advantages, both have their disadvantages, it just comes down to personal preference, circumstances and of course, in some cases - money!

Cheers

Keith L

[Oooops!!! I think we lost a response from Kimball somewhere there! He double posted, I deleted one for him, probably at the same time he was deleting the other as a duplciate! Sorry Kimball, try again...]

Thanks guys,

I never realised it was BSAC members only but thanks for making me welcome. Hopefully when I have completed my course I can join the Inverness Club. Thanks again for the advice,

Kimball

thanks David and Keith, i never realised it was BSAC members only but i appreciate your advice.

Kimball

Tell you what Kimball, provided that the BSAC Forum Moderator doesn't mind you can use the forum as our guest and you can ask any questions of us that you like!

Keith Lawrence
BSAC Forum Moderator

but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are?
Kimball

The subject of a million posts on every forum ever...

BSAC is a club. PADI is a money-making organisation.

The advantages and disadvantages of those views of diving should be self-evident. Postings above reflect that and are pretty spot on.

Welcome to the sport. Please keep an open mind and enjoy....

Chris

next week im doing the PADI OPEN WATER COURSE down in OBAN, but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are? after the course i am going to try and join my local BSAC club if possible. i know this is a BSAC board but any advice would be appreciated,

Quite honestly I think you've got it right. You are doing the
basics, which are pretty much the same in any agency in the UK.
Once completed you have a ticket which should be welcomed by
any BSAC club. After all thats a shedload less work they have
to do and you can now start on the next level of BSAC - Sport
Diver.

But if you do stay with PADI a bit of advice .....
PADI Open Water good, PADI Rescue Extremely Good,
PADI AOW very, very poor.

Unless you do it cheap on holiday or get a deal which is not
much more than just diving, switch to BSAC for the second
level. Even if you dont like BSAC you can still switch back
missing out PADI AOW, which gives you the best of both worlds
and a lot more practice in rescue.

If it were me, do your PADI OW and then join a BSAC club.

Rgds
TerryH

Kimball,

From someone who has recently done what you are proposing, I think it is the right way to go. (Don't know about learning in Oban though :-) Can think of plenty of warm places).

I was pretty happy with the level of instruction I got on the PADI Open Water course. I then got a bit of experience under my belt and crossed over to BSAC.

My experience of the cross over was that I was very much welcomed at my Branch (Poole Dam Divers). I got the chance to do a couple of dives with them before making my mind up. Maybe I'm lucky but I have a regional coach and a very helpful Branch instructor. The whole atmosphere at the Branch is to help you to enjoy and improve your diving.

I guess the other big difference between BSAC & PADI is that BSAC builds SAFETY, SAFETY SAFETY into it's courses. PADI markets this as a seperate course (which can cost ?300 +)

My advice, do your OW course. Then join us here at BSAC. Annual BSAC membership covers a 12 month subscription to 'Dive' magazine & third party liability insurance on BSAC dives!! That just has to be great value for anyone's ?43!!

hello everyone

im new to these boards, but i was wanting some expert opinion if possible,

next week im doing the PADI OPEN WATER COURSE down in OBAN, but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are? after the course i am going to try and join my local BSAC club if possible. i know this is a BSAC board but any advice would be appreciated,

thanks

Kimball

Hi welcome to the world of diving.
I have one reservation over what everyone has said.
Why don't you ask the dive centre to run you the BSAC Ocean diver course instead of the PADI course? Most dive centres do both and it will usually be the same instructors anyway and costs are similar.
The trouble with the route you are going is that you are giving yourself extra work, expense and confusion in crossing over. You'll pay out for all the PADI books and then have to pay out for all the BSAC books when you cross over.
PADI will teach you things that are different (only slightly) from BSAC and you'll have to re-learn things. We use different decompression tables for a start. Whilst in the big scheme of things these aren't great problems for an experienced diver, when you are learning it can get confusing.
Keep it simple and just start off with and stay with BSAC.
Nothing against the PADI training/methods, I'm just trying to keep things simple and cheaper for you.

Enjoy whichever route you take.

Derek

hello everyone

im new to these boards, but i was wanting some expert opinion if possible,

next week im doing the PADI OPEN WATER COURSE down in OBAN, but i was wondering what the disadvantages/advantages of both PADI and BSAC are? after the course i am going to try and join my local BSAC club if possible. i know this is a BSAC board but any advice would be appreciated,

thanks

Kimball