Certification scuba diving is essential if you plan to pursue scuba diving professionally. You have many options for scuba certification programs depending on what you are looking for and what your budget is. PADI (SSI), NAUI, CMAS, CMAS and other popular certifications are all available to beginners. Find the one that is right for your needs! We also have some tips and tricks for choosing the right certification program for your needs.
PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), a professional organization, is for diving training and membership. John Cronin and Ralph Erickson established the organization in 1966. The certification includes a range of training requirements including underwater navigation, scuba diving safety 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.
Students will be certified as a rescue diver after completing the PADI open-water course. This requires five different dive courses with five distinct learning outcomes and skill sets. Two of them must be Deep Dive Specialty Courses and one must be Underwater Navigation Specialty Courses. Three of the other courses must be chosen from a given list. The Rescue Diver certification is designed for individuals who are willing to rescue others in distress underwater. 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 have a more rigid structure and require the student complete skills in a specified order. SSI is more flexible. If one skill is too difficult, they can move on to another until they get it right. They can also get their certification while on vacation through SSI.
SSI offers digital courses, so you can log your dives easily. The manuals are available online or can be purchased or borrowed from a dive center. SSI can also issue an eCertification Card by creating an account online. Although the cost of courses varies depending on when they are offered, most courses cost around 50 USD. Afterward, you can upgrade to a higher level of certification by completing a dive training course.
NAUI
The National Association of Underwater Instructors or NAUI is an association of certified Scuba Diving Instructors. Their primary function is to establish standards and provide education programs for divers all over the world. NAUI certification allows you teach scuba diving and meets international standards. NAUI offers training classes as well.
Al Tillman (a Scripps Institute of Oceanography peer) held the first NAUI training class in Los Angeles in 1959. In 1958, he and another oceanographer at the Scripps Institute granted provisional diving certifications. In 1960, the film "Sea Hunt" starring Lloyd Bridges generated great interest in scuba diving as a recreational activity. The National Diving Patrol was established in 1960. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was elected its first president. Today, NAUI training programs are used by the Navy SEALs, NASA, and Walt Disney Resorts worldwide.
CMAS
Divers on all continents should find a CMAS-certified dive school. Although there is no central listing of accredited dive schools, you should be able to find one using a search engine. CMAS courses are equivalent to 5 days of diving and emphasize the importance of safety, including the use of a buddy. CMAS certification requires that you are at least 16 and have dived 25 times. You also need to have a medical certificate from a 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. If you have some experience in scuba diving and are interested in pursuing more advanced courses, you can use the table references below. 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.