#4523 - 03/05/02 04:06 PM
SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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Anyone had any experience with the above agencies - good or bad?
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#4524 - 03/24/02 02:46 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 01/23/01
Posts: 70
Loc: CA
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Have not heard anything bad, the most important thing is to meet your instructor, ask alot of questions and ultimately choice someone you feel comfortable with
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#4525 - 03/27/02 02:46 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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#4526 - 03/28/02 08:29 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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quote:
Originally posted by scuba1066:
Anyone had any experience with the above agencies - good or bad?
I do. I started as open water SSI in 1994 and now I'm an SSI instructor in Italy. As you can imagine, my opinion about ssi agency is "very good" . Bye!
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#4527 - 05/11/02 07:00 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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new diver
Registered: 05/11/02
Posts: 3
Loc: Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Hi i'm 13 and just finished an SSI Open Water Course. Thier great. They have a great sstem and everything is very orginized. You should of course make sure you have a good instructer.
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#4528 - 05/14/02 04:08 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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Hi, Just finishing up my 7 wk SSI course and they have been great - VERY professional, organzied, first rate. Very nice experience. Check Outs are in June 2002. They have been very patient, have worked with us as needed, and just overall have been awesome! Can't say enough about this agency - very well done SSI!
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#4529 - 05/14/02 07:23 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 09/13/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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What course did you take?
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#4530 - 05/19/02 04:48 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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#4531 - 05/23/02 06:46 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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avid diver
Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 6
Loc: Concord, NC
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Got SSI OWC in '99, just finished Nitrox and going for wreck/boat/deep dive specialties class in 2 weeks. Very professional and very thorough. [ 05-23-2002: Message edited by: HardRock66 ]
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#4532 - 05/23/02 04:30 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 11/06/00
Posts: 561
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There are many great certification agencies out there I think the main thing is to find a good instructor and get the certification so you can get out there diving. You will learn more about diving in your continuing classes than you will in your basic. The basic class teaches you what diving is all about and it gets you wet. But the specialty classes (like the advanced class)fine tune your skills as a diver. Whatever you do dont just take the basic class. Get out there and take as many classes as you can so you can be the most safe and comfortable diver possible.
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#4533 - 06/07/02 03:54 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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OK, I plan on that... I want to take a DIR Fundamentals class next..and drysuit and AOW as well...
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#4534 - 07/01/02 04:24 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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Hi, Just completed my SSI OW Check Outs this week and am now fully certified! Ahh, now on to some wrecks and tech diving!
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#4535 - 07/23/02 03:09 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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avid diver
Registered: 07/23/02
Posts: 8
Loc: Randolph,NJ
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Are you referring to the shop "National Aquatic"? If so, I can tell you first hand: I purchased all my gear there, and took my OW certification with them. Excellent group of people. I would recommend them to anybody. 
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#4536 - 07/23/02 03:49 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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Yup, thats them! They were extremely professional, first rate, etc. Just awesome! I plan on getting my Nitrox and Wreck courses there as well, and, if not enough, SSI offers college credits for some of their courses as well! :-)
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#4537 - 07/25/02 04:01 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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avid diver
Registered: 07/23/02
Posts: 8
Loc: Randolph,NJ
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Sounds excellent! I very much enjoyed taking the class for credit, and it gave me a little more incentive (as if I needed any to begin with). I too will probably take some more courses with them, wreck, nitrox and photography in particular.
Perhaps we will see each other in there 
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#4538 - 07/25/02 04:03 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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avid diver
Registered: 07/23/02
Posts: 8
Loc: Randolph,NJ
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I forgot to add in there... If you take drysuit with them, you'll love it. I took it this spring, and it was fantastic.
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#4539 - 07/29/02 06:11 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 03/27/01
Posts: 230
Loc: Oneida, NY
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Yea,
thats a must too....in 1-2 yrs I plan on purchasing an Andy's suit...
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#4540 - 08/26/02 11:19 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I've taken courses from various agencies i.e.. YMCA: OW, PADI: AOW, RESCUE, DMC, CAVERN, and also SSI for Nitrox. I don't think the agency matters that much (sorry PADI), what does matter is the instructor. My instructor for the Nitrox certification was bad,and I had much better instruction before, and may take another Nitrox course just because my first course was really bad! CAVE DIVERS DO IT BETTER IN THE DARK!
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#4541 - 08/30/02 09:38 AM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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veteran
Registered: 05/08/02
Posts: 455
Loc: So. California, USA
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I agree that the instructor is the key factor in scuba training, but it also matters how that instructor was trained and what standards they are held to. Each agency has their own set of standards and policies that differ from one another.
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#4542 - 10/21/02 02:12 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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just got here
Registered: 10/21/02
Posts: 1
Loc: carthage
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personally I have used both padi and SSI and feel SSI is better in the way they train and there levels of traning
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#4543 - 10/21/02 03:38 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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i think that its more in how the instructor teaches the class rather than the course itslef...they all requite about the same skill set...ive gone into shops where i dont trust the guy to give the correct change from a 5 let alone with my life...
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#4544 - 10/24/02 01:27 PM
Re: SSI / National Aquatic
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new diver
Registered: 10/18/02
Posts: 4
Loc: Denver, CO
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I am going to strongly agree with what has been said here. The quality of training you receive will greatly depend on the shop you you walk into. Some shops focus on thier retail business and consider training is an avenue to retail sales.
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