Imported post
Right, here's the first draft.
It's badly worded, badly laid-out, and so on. But it's to give an idea of what I've got so far.
More information on the basic grades would be appreciated, along with any other feedback.
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The question is asked by many, many novices when they realise that they have to choose who to train with. Unfortunately, such an innocent question posed to a forum almost always winds up a slagging match between people determined that THEIR agency was best and the OTHER agency is lousy.
So, in an effort to cut down on the flames wasted on such a common debate, this page was written, to set out clearly and non-controversially the differences between the various agencies.
Firstly, a bit of history of the organizations.
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is a commercial organization that originated in America. Started in 1966, its first instructor training course was run in 1970. It is now a world-wide organization with millions of divers having been trained by the PADI system.
BSAC (British Sub-Aqua Club), in contrast, is a non-commercial organization, set up in 1953. Whilst BSAC has branches throughout the world, it is mainly concerned with UK diving, and is the governing body for the sport in this country. BSAC was previously a member (and co-founder) of CMAS, the European scuba body. This is no longer the case, but through the SAA, BSAC qualifications have an equivalent CMAS rating.
The SAA (Sub-Aqua Association), is currently the UK representative of CMAS. It is the youngest of the three agencies, and like the BSAC, it is non-commercial.
These are the three main agencies in the UK. Before considering the courses they teach, a few pros and cons of the agencies themselves:
PADI.
PADI is undoubtedly the most widespread agency in the world. There is nowhere you can go diving that won't recognise your PADI qualification. Their courses are designed to get the enthusiastic beginner into the water as fast as possible to enjoy the sport, and come with excellent training materials.
However, courses are not cheap - over £200 is commonplace. Courses are also designed with warm-water diving in mind, which can lead to certain drawbacks in the UK - novices in cold water only being allowed wetsuits, for instance. There is also a widespread concern that PADI novices are awarded their qualifications because they have paid for them instead of because they have earnt them, and also that PADI divers are encouraged to do further training not because they would benefit from it, but because they would pay for it. It is important to recognise that this is very much against PADI standards and that a reputable center will not engage in this behavior. It is, however, a stereotype that PADI divers may find themselves subject to.
BSAC
BSAC, whilst not as widespread as PADI, is still internationally recognised. It is exceptionally rare to hear of anybody with a BSAC qualification being unable to get that qualification recognised. Courses are provided at the cost of the training materials only, which makes them substantially cheaper than PADI. In addition, because the instructors are unpaid, there is no drive to qualify as fast as possible. BSAC divers are encouraged to learn at their own pace.
Also, BSAC is a club, therefore in addition to courses, the beginner has access to club equipment, the club facilities (which may include a compressor) and the knowledge of club members. BSAC clubs run their own trips, frequently using their own boats, and so there is never any problem with finding a buddy or getting to dive.
However, whilst the courses are cheaper, you must be a member of BSAC itself and of your local branch. BSAC has an annual membership fee, and so do most clubs. Whilst this tends to be a small amount, such as £10 a month, over the course of a few years, club membership costs will amount to more than the cost of a commercial course. Also, BSAC courses tend to be an hour or two a week, as opposed to the intensive PADI courses - it can take months to gain a BSAC qualification. This may be a big advantage in terms of the knowledge that can be gained during training, but can be frustrating to somebody who just wants to get into the water. Lastly, some BSAC clubs can be 'political', and there are also some clubs with the inherent belief that anything other than BSAC training is worthless. Again, these individuals are operating against their agency guidelines and are a minority, but they do exist.
BSAC schools
Worth a mention, BSAC does have commercially-run schools, which run intensive courses that will get you qualified in a few days. If you want a BSAC grade in a hurry, these can be worth looking into.
SAA
The SAA, being a relatively new club, is less well-known globally. However, because it issues CMAS qualifications, no problems should be encountered by SAA divers abroad.
SAA divers are often divers who trained with other agencies and became frustrated with them, and so crossed-over. BSAC clubs are often accused of being "all politics", and PADI divers can become tired of the "you only get it if you pay for it" culture that some centers have.
At the end of the day, all three agencies will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to scuba dive safely, and qualifications that will be recognised wherever you may go.
However, the courses they teach have various differences.
The PADI entry-level course is the Open-Water grade, OW. An OW diver is qualified to a maximum depth of 18m, and can dive only in conditions equal to or better than those they learned in. PADI OW students are almost always taught in wetsuits.
The BSAC entry-level course is the Ocean Diver, OD. An OD diver is qualified to a maximum depth of 20m, and can dive in any conditions, subject to the approval of the club D.O. The OD will also have received training in basic rescue skills, and will usually have been trained in a drysuit.
Later training from the agencies will allow for greater depths and more varied conditions.
Possibly the most important difference to a UK diver between PADI and BSAC is that PADI forbids decompression diving. In tropical waters, where dives tend to be multi-level, this is no real handicap. However, UK diving is usually square-profile, with the whole dive being performed at depth, followed by an ascent to the surface. In these circumstances, it can be very difficult to get a good dive time without straying into decompression.
A BSAC OD is trained in decompression procedures, but not allowed to do a deco dive until the next grade, SD. A PADI diver cannot perform decompression without going to another agency for training.
A question that many novices ask is when do they become self-sufficient - at what point in their diving they stop being considered "learners to be looked after" and become "divers I'm happy to dive with".
Typically, the answer is PADI Rescue diver or BSAC Sports diver - it's at this point that you're capable of not just looking after yourself, but looking after your buddy as well, in the event that he becomes incapacitated.
So what agency should you choose?
If you intend to be a holiday diver - PADI. This is what they do best.
If you just want to get into the water ASAP - PADI, or a BSAC school. Fast courses are what they're all about.
If you want to dive the UK and get UK-dedicated training - BSAC or the SAA. Drysuits, SMBs, and decompression training come as standard.
If you intend to become a dedicated UK diver later, but just want to get into the water right now - PADI, then crossover to another agency for the UK-based training later. There's no reason to stay wedded to a single agency.
