For professional diving, you will need certification. Various scuba certification programs are available to you depending on your preferences and your budget. Here are some popular certifications for beginners: PADI and SSI, NAUI and CMAS. Find out which one is right 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) is a professional organization for diver training and membership. 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 teaches divers how safely and effectively to supervise a dive, and the nuances of underwater navigation.
Students will be certified as a rescue diver after completing the PADI open-water course. This requires five dive courses with five different learning outcomes. Two must take the Deep Dive Specialty Course, and one must complete the Underwater Navigation Specialty Course. The list must include the three other options. For those who are interested in helping in emergency situations underwater, rescue diver certification may be required. The course typically requires two or three days of training, which includes theory, a pool session, and two open water dives.
SSI
When deciding which certification is right for you, a SSI course is a great choice. Both SSI and PADI require a certain level skill. PADI courses have a more rigid structure and require the student complete skills in a specified order. SSI is more flexible. They can continue learning until they master a skill they don't like. They can even train while on vacation with SSI and get their certification in a matter days.
SSI offers digital training so you can log dives quickly. The manuals can be ordered online or borrowed from a local dive center. SSI offers an ecertification card. You can get one by creating an online account. Prices vary, but most courses are around 50 USD. You can then upgrade to a higher certification level by taking a diving training course.
NAUI
The National Association of Underwater Instructors(NAUI) is a group of certified scuba diving instructors. Their primary purpose is to provide standards and education programs for scuba divers worldwide. A NAUI certification allows you to teach scuba diving to non-professionals, while meeting international dive safety standards. NAUI offers training courses as well as teaching scuba diving to divers from around the globe.
Al Tillman, an oceanographer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, held the first NAUI training course in Los Angeles in 1959. In 1958, he was joined by another Scripps Institute oceanographer to receive provisional diving certifications. The 1960 film "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges sparked great interest in scuba dive as a recreational activity. In 1960, the National Diving Patrol began to be established. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, its first president, was appointed. The Navy SEALs, NASA and Walt Disney Resorts around the world use NAUI training programs today.
CMAS
Scuba diving enthusiasts on every continent need to look for dive schools that offer CMAS certificates. There is no central list of approved dive schools. However, you can use a search engine to locate one. 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 have an existing certification, you will need to take the SSI course.
If you have a qualification from one agency but not from another, you can enroll in an equivalent course in another agency. If you have some experience in scuba diving and are interested in pursuing more advanced courses, you can use the table references below. This table doesn't list all training agencies. If you are a CMAS 1 and 2 certified diver, you might have to start at a lower level. Before making a decision, it is advisable to seek the advice of the new agency.