eLearning and Referral PADI courses vs. Traditional version
Should I take PADI eLearning, Referral or Traditional Version of my Scuba Diving course?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of the PADI eLearning online courses?
PADI eLearning is an online course enabling students to complete the self study (theory) sections of their chosen course online, at their own pace, before leaving home for their vacation.
Benefits:
It’s a great match for an active vacation schedule as it frees up vacation time to spend having fun, rather than studying a PADI manual. Save your precious vacation time in Mexico !
The PADI e-Learning is convenient. You can complete the classroom portion for many popular courses at your own pace and anywhere you have a high speed internet connection. It is easy and you can access the program at any time day or night.
Disadvantages
The e-Learning is very generic and the student deals with a computer, while the traditional class has live Instructors to personalize the course and directly answer questions.
Lastly, when you complete your e-Learning you no longer have access to the online course. When you take the traditional Scuba Course you have your book and perhaps your DVD to look at in six months as a review when you go on your next Scuba Vacation.
What are the benefits and disadvantages of the PADI Referral courses?
Referral courses allow student divers to complete their training in distinct segments. Students enrolling in a referral course finish all theory and pool work at home with a local dive shop because they have a Scuba Diving Vacation planned and want to Scuba Dive while there.
Benefits:
By completing the theory portion of the scuba certification course before leaving on vacation, student divers eliminate the need to study on vacation.
Divers who enroll in a scuba diving referral program complete all their pool work with their local dive shop. Referral students save time on vacation because they show up ready to dive (after a brief pool check out).
Divers can pick from anywhere in the world to complete their open water check out dives. This is an especially appealing option for those whose local open water sites may not be appetizing given the conditions or time of year – such as a cold lake in January.
Disadvantages:
Many students delay completing the open water portion of the course. With PADI, a maximum of 1 year is allowed between completion of the pool and theory work and the open water dives. It is unlikely that a diver who has waited 6 months to hit the open water dives will able be able to jump straight in the ocean and feel comfortable. Divers planning on completing an open water referral course should try to book the pool and theory work as close to the dates of their check out dives as feasible. If more than a few weeks have passed, students would be wise to hop in the pool with an instructor for a quick review of basic scuba skills before heading to the ocean.
If you are considering a PADI eLearning Course, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before enrolling:
If you enroll, you MUST enroll through our store (Mexico Blue Dream – Store 21209) in order to complete the class at our location. This allows us to track your progress, view your completion and streamline paperwork in processing your certification.
Enrolling in the PADI eLearning Course, in most cases, will NOT save you money, but it will save you time. The cost of the eLearning option is IN ADDITION to the cost of the class. The advantage for you is the classroom portion of the course can be completed online at your convenience. The disadvantage – you’ll pay a little extra for that convenience.
To enroll in eLearning through our store, simply click on the eLearning Banner Below OR choose our store when you go through the PADI Website.
Note: The Cost of eLearning is the SAME at all dive shops.
What online courses are currently available?
- PADI Open Water Diver Course Online – available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Japanese,
- Dutch, Russian, Chinese and Korean
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course Online – English
- Enriched Air Diver Course Online – English and Japanese (Russian coming in 2012)
- Digital Underwater Photographer Course Online – English
- Scuba Tune-up Online – English
- Dive Theory Online – English and Japanese
- Rescue Course Online – English
- Divemaster Course Online – English
- Instructor Development Course Online – English, Japanese, and Spanish
More online courses will be available soon.
