Certification scuba diving is essential if you plan to pursue scuba diving professionally. There are many options for certification depending on your preference and your budget. PADI (SSI), NAUI, CMAS, CMAS and other popular certifications are all available to beginners. Find the right one for you. We offer some useful tips and suggestions to help you choose the right certificate program for your needs.
PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), a professional organization, is for diving training and membership. The organization was founded in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson. The certification includes a range of training requirements including underwater navigation, scuba diving safety and dive operations. PADI training teaches divers to safely and effectively manage a dive and how to navigate underwater.
Students will earn a rescue diver license after they have successfully completed the PADI openwater course. There are five courses that require divers to be certified. They each have different learning outcomes and skills. Two of them must be Deep Dive Specialty Courses and one must be Underwater Navigation Specialty Courses. The remaining three must be chosen from a list. The rescue diver certification is for people who want to assist in emergencies underwater. It typically takes two to three days to complete the course, which includes theory and two open water diving sessions.
SSI
A SSI course can help you decide which certification is best for you. Both SSI and PADI courses require a certain level. PADI courses require students to learn in a certain order. SSI offers more flexibility. If one skill is too difficult, they can move on to another until they get it right. They can also train on vacation with SSI so they can obtain their certification in a matter weeks.
SSI offers a digital course so you can easily log your dives. The manuals are available online or can be purchased or borrowed from a dive center. SSI also offers an e-certification card. To get one, you can create an online profile. Prices vary, but most courses are around 50 USD. After completing the course, you can upgrade your certification to a higher level by taking a dive training class.
NAUI
The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is an association of certified scuba diving instructors. They are responsible for providing education programs and standards to scuba divers across the globe. A NAUI certification allows you to teach scuba diving to non-professionals, while meeting international dive safety standards. NAUI offers training courses and teaches scuba diving all over the globe.
Al Tillman, an oceanographer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, held the first NAUI training course in Los Angeles in 1959. In 1958, Tillman and another Scripps Institute oceanographer received provisional diving certifications. In 1960, the film "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges generated great interest in scuba diving as a recreational activity. 1960 saw the founding of the National Diving Patrol. Jacques-Yves Cousteau became its first president. Today, NAUI training programs are used by the Navy SEALs, NASA, and Walt Disney Resorts worldwide.
CMAS
Scuba divers from every continent should seek out a school that offers CMAS courses. While there isn't a single list of certified dive schools, it is possible to search the internet for one. CMAS courses can be equivalent to five days of diving. CMAS emphasizes safety and the necessity of using a buddy. CMAS certification can only be obtained if you are 16 years or older, have at least 25 dives, and have received a medical report from a licensed diving doctor. If you are already certified, you can take an SSI course.
If you have a qualification from one agency but not from another, you can enroll in an equivalent course in another agency. The table below can be used to refer to scuba diving experience and if you are interested in more advanced courses. You may need to start at a lower level, if you have a CMAS 1 or 2 certificate. You should consult the new agency in this instance before you make a decision.