Hi everybody,

Seems like this issue gets addressed quite a bit here, but I have some fairly specific questions. Apologies in advance if it's repetitive.

I have PADI and SSI OWD certifications. I have no idea why; a few years ago I did a referral course from an SSI school to a PADI instructor and got both cards. Dunno if I was supposed to, but they showed up in the mail and I didn't complain. I also have two SSI specialty certifications: Perfect Buoyancy and EAN (Nitrox). I don't have any PADI specialties.

I've done 60 dives, including dozens of boat dives and drift dives, a handful of wreck dives and deep(ish) (25-30m) dives, and a couple of night dives. But I haven't done specialty certification courses for any of those things.

At some point along the way I think I want to get a rescue (SSI Stress & Rescue / PADI Rescue Diver) certification. That seems like a useful set of skills that I'm not going to pick up doing regular recreational dives. Along the way I may pick up an AOW card. (Yes, I realize that means something different when it's PADI versus SSI.) It's not a big deal, but apparently some dive operators want you to have the certification, so why not?

Here's the thing: There's an SSI shop 5 minutes from my house. Super convenient, and the instructors are good, but it's a big operation and I've never had the same one twice. Also, it seems SSI courses are usually less expensive than equivalent PADI courses (for example, materials for EAN are $80 from SSI and $212 from PADI). On the other hand, my favorite instructor - the one who certified me - is AWESOME. Course Director, 20k dives, retired professional law enforcement S&R diver, and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Problem is, he's 2000 miles away.

I know I can do a little crossover - you can use up to 2 PADI specialties to get SSI's AOW certification. Is it possible to use some SSI certs to satisfy the prerequisites for PADI Rescue Diver? And even if I can, is it smart to do that, or should I just pick one agency or the other?

TIA for any advice.