PADI or SSI in India: which should you choose?

The short version

For a beginner in India, PADI or SSI matters much less than who teaches you. Both publish an 18 metre training limit for the entry-level course, and both issue a digital card. Pick the shop and instructor first, then take whichever agency that shop teaches.

You can continue from one to the other, but not always automatically. That is the main reason to ask before you book, especially if you plan more than one course.

How the two courses are built

The entry-level certificate is called Open Water Diver by both agencies. Each course has three parts: theory, practice in a pool or other calm water, and open water training dives with an instructor.

PADI says the Open Water Diver course includes four open water dives, usually over two days, and that students must be at least 10 years old. It says training dives go to a maximum of 18 metres. SSI's course page lists a minimum age of 10, a maximum training depth of 18 metres, and a structure of 6 academic sessions, 6 pool or confined water sessions and 4 open water sessions, with a suggested 16 to 32 hours in total.

Shops fit the sessions into different schedules. Ask how many days you will be in the water and how many of those are in a pool.

Where they differ in practice

The theory part is where the agencies feel most different. PADI describes three ways to do it: eLearning offline on a tablet, eLearning online in a browser, or a manual and video taught at a dive centre. SSI says you can train through traditional classes, home study or online, and says you can start free in its MySSI app. On SSI's English course page, each student picks an SSI Training Center as a "Training Partner" when registering.

PADI says that if you start open water training on holiday, your instructor can arrange a referral to another PADI instructor in a different location. If you want to split a course this way, ask the shop whether it accepts your theory and any pool work done elsewhere.

Cards and digital certificates

PADI says you receive an electronic certification card, available through the PADI App and on padi.com, and that the certification does not expire. SSI says your digital certification card is in the free MySSI app and works online and offline.

Both statements come from the agencies themselves. If you want a physical card as well, ask the shop what it issues and how long it takes.

Are the certificates recognised worldwide?

Both agencies say yes. PADI says its card will be recognised and accepted wherever you dive. SSI says its certification is recognised by dive centres and resorts around the world.

There is also an independent standard behind this. ISO 24801-2 sets out the competencies for a Level 2 autonomous diver, which is the entry-level open water certificate, and how they are assessed. SSI labels its course "Open Water Diver (ISO 24801-2)" in its training standards, and PADI says its recreational courses are certified as compliant with ISO standards for recreational diving services. Both PADI and SSI are listed as members of the Recreational Scuba Training Council in the United States, which describes its aim as developing worldwide minimum scuba training standards.

Whether a particular shop accepts a particular card for a particular dive is the shop's decision, so carry your card and tell them your experience.

Can you switch agencies?

Often yes, but the rules belong to the agency and the shop, so there is no guarantee.

• Moving to PADI: PADI says there is no simple equivalency or crossover. A holder of an entry-level certificate from another agency may be able to enrol in the next PADI course, such as Advanced Open Water Diver. PADI tells you to ask a local PADI dive centre.
• Moving to SSI: SSI says certificates from an SSI-recognised agency are considered equivalent, and that the holder may advance to the next SSI level. Issuing an equivalent rating is at the discretion of the SSI professional or training centre. For an agency SSI does not recognise, the student must pass an extra evaluation first. We could not confirm from SSI's pages whether a particular agency is on its recognition list, so ask the shop.

The next step looks similar at both. PADI's Advanced Open Water Diver is five adventure dives, with Deep and Underwater Navigation required, and a depth limit of 30 metres. SSI's Advanced Adventurer is five open water dives with Deep Diving and Navigation plus three specialties of your choice, to 30 metres, and lists a minimum age of 12.

How this works at dive shops in India

A shop is often affiliated with one agency, and some list both. On Coral Circuit the PADI or SSI chip on a shop's listing is entered by the shop itself, so treat it as the shop's statement and confirm it. The agency on your certificate depends on which agency your instructor teaches under, so ask.

Before you book a course, ask three things:

• Which agency will my certificate be issued by, and who is the instructor?
• Does the course price include the learning materials, the certification fee and any pool or boat costs, or are some of those extra?
• If I do the theory elsewhere or finish the course in another place, will you accept it?

We do not compare agency prices here, because we cannot verify that one agency costs more than the other. Prices vary by shop. Compare the listings and ask the shop.

All student divers complete a medical questionnaire for PADI, and a doctor must assess it and sign a form if a condition on it applies. SSI asks for a diver medical statement or physician approval where required. If you have a health condition, see a doctor first and tell the shop.

The shop and instructor matter more than the logo

Both agencies publish similar structures and depth limits, so much of what you experience comes down to the shop and the person in front of you: group size, how much time you spend in the pool, how they treat a nervous student, and whether the kit is in good order. See our guides to beginner scuba diving in India, your first dive and dive shops in India for what to compare.

If you have not decided that you want a full course, a try dive is the lighter option. PADI calls it Discover Scuba Diving and SSI calls it Try Scuba.

Next step

Open courses or dive shops, pick a shop, and tap Check availability. Tell the shop your date and group size and ask which agency it teaches. They reply by phone or email. Nothing is paid now.