Scuba Diving
in Other Sports ·
Keith Torres48 said:Hey there,
Quick question. Someone already touched on this on the first page, but...
I just got back from Egypt and originally wanted to knock out a certification while I was there. Ran out of time, though. I figured I’d give it more focus later. Everywhere I turned, they were pushing these PADI courses where you get certified in just four days. Felt a little sketchy to me, but turns out, they actually do wrap everything up in four days.
Now that I'm back home in Chicago, I have the chance to sign up for a CMAS course. Does anyone know if a CMAS cert is actually recognized in places like Egypt or Thailand, or am I stuck sticking to PADI?
thanks
CMAS is a better course—you actually learn something. PADI feels like a tourist trap; you really have to push yourself to make it count. It's recognized globally, though when I was diving in Thailand, nobody had even heard of CMAS.
Based on my experience, go with PADI, just make sure you actually study the theory.