For professional diving, you will need certification. You have many options for scuba certification programs depending on what you are looking for and what your budget is. Here are some popular certifications for beginners: PADI and SSI, NAUI and CMAS. Find out which one is right for you! These tips and tricks will help you select the right program for you.
PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), an organization for professional diver training and membership, is known as PADI. John Cronin & Ralph Erickson created the organization in 1996. The certification consists of a variety of training requirements, including the knowledge of scuba diving safety, underwater navigation, and dive operations. PADI is a course that teaches divers how they can safely and effectively supervise dives and the nuances involved in underwater navigation.
After the PADI Open Water Course, students can obtain a rescue diver certificate. There are five courses that require divers to be certified. They each have different learning outcomes and skills. Two must take the Deep Dive Specialty Course, and one must complete the Underwater Navigation Specialty Course. The three remaining must be selected from a selection. For those who are interested in helping in emergency situations underwater, rescue diver certification may be required. The course usually requires two to three days of training. It includes theory and two open water dives.
SSI
A SSI training course is a good choice for deciding which certification you should pursue. Both SSI as well as PADI courses require a level of skill. PADI courses are more rigid and require the student to complete skills in a specific order, while SSI allows students more flexibility. If a skill is too difficult, students can switch to the next one until they succeed. They can get their certifications in a matter hours with SSI because they can do it while they are on vacation.
SSI offers digital training so you can log dives quickly. Manuals can be downloaded online, or they can be borrowed or purchased at a dive centre. SSI allows you to create an online profile and obtain an e certificate card. While the price of each course varies, in 2018, most courses were around 50 US dollars. A dive training course can be completed to upgrade your certification.
NAUI
The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is an association of certified scuba diving instructors. Their primary goal is to offer education and standards for scuba divers around the world. A NAUI certification allows you to teach scuba diving to non-professionals, while meeting international dive safety standards. NAUI offers training classes as well.
Al Tillman, a Scripps Institute of Oceanography peer, organized the first NAUI training program in Los Angeles. He and another Scripps Institute Oceanographer granted provisional diving certifications in 1958. The 1960 film "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges sparked great interest in scuba dive as a recreational activity. In 1960, the National Diving Patrol was founded, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau was named as its first president. Today, NAUI training programs are used by the Navy SEALs, NASA, and Walt Disney Resorts worldwide.
CMAS
Scuba diving enthusiasts from every continent should look for a dive school that offers CMAS certification courses. You can search for accredited dive schools online, even though there is not a central listing. CMAS courses offer 5 days of dives and stress safety. To be eligible for the CMAS certification, you must be at least 16 years old, have logged 25 dives, and have a medical statement from a diving doctor. If you already have a certification, the first step in obtaining SSI will be to complete a course.
A qualification you have from one agency may not be recognized by another. However, you can still enroll in a similar course at another agency. The table references below will help you if your experience is in scuba diving. The table doesn't include information about all training agencies. This means that you may have to start at a lower grade if you already hold a CMAS 1 certification or 2. If this is the case, you should seek out advice from the new agency prior to making the decision.