Question: padi ssi refresher course

[FMT]

Theoretically certification is for life so unless it has been a LONG time since you last dove all you should need is a refresher course. If it has been like 15 years or more since you last dove then yes maybe you should take the O/W course over again (perhaps in abbreviated form). If not then any scuba store that FORCES you to retake the basic O/W course just because your cert isn't with the p-guys is not a store you want to be affiliated with and you should seek out a different store. Most stores will not make you do that because they WANT you as a customer and you just take their p-guys refresher course regardless of who you did your O/W cert with (both SSI and PADI meet RSTC guidelines for their O/W courses).
Does that clarify things? Hope so.
T