Scuba diving - PADI v BSAC

[bluelightbabe]

Currently a PADI Open Water Diver, just diving on holidays each year. I want to join my local club to do it more regularly but they are BSAC. If I did a conversion from PADI to BSAC, would my PADI qualification still be valid or does BSAC override it? And is BSAC recognised internationally as much as PADI? Will it cause problems as my friend/dive buddy would still be PADI?

[therealpigdog]

I'm BSAC qualified and never had a problem with PADI dive schools/charters. As long as you have one qualification or the other then most places don't mind which. Our BSAC club accepts PADI members but we can only offer BSAC training and qualification.

[rhinochopig]

I found that the BSAC training was more rounded in that it taught you stuff about first aid, how equipment works etc. The PADI course seemed to be more about purely learning to dive.

Might be different these days though.