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. PADI (SSI), NAUI, CMAS, CMAS and other popular certifications are all available to beginners. Find out which one is right for you! You will also find some helpful tips and tricks on how to choose the best certification program for you.
PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), a professional organization, is for diving training and membership. John Cronin, Ralph Erickson and Ralph Erickson founded the organization in 1966. The certification consists of a variety of training requirements, including the knowledge of scuba diving safety, underwater navigation, and dive operations. PADI courses teach divers how to safely and efficiently supervise a diving operation and explain the nuances and benefits of underwater navigation.
Students who have completed the PADI open water course will receive a rescue diver certification. This requires five dive courses with five different learning outcomes. Two of these must be the Deep Dive Specialty Course. One must also take 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. It typically takes two to three days to complete the course, which includes theory and two open water diving sessions.
SSI
A SSI certification course is a great choice when deciding what certification you want. Both SSI and PADI courses require a certain level. PADI courses are more strict and require that students complete skills in a particular order. SSI, however, allows for more flexibility. If they find one skill too difficult they can easily move onto the next until they have it perfect. With SSI, they can also do the training on vacation while on vacation, which means they can get their certification in a matter of days.
SSI offers digital courses, so you can log your dives easily. Manuals can either be downloaded from the internet or obtained at a dive shop. SSI can also issue an eCertification Card by creating an account online. While the price of each course varies, in 2018, most courses were around 50 US dollars. 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 goal is to offer education and standards for scuba divers around 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. The 1960 film "Sea Hunt", starring Lloyd Bridges, sparked a lot of interest in recreational scuba diving. In 1960, the National Diving Patrol was founded, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau was named as its first president. The Navy SEALs, NASA and Walt Disney Resorts around the world use NAUI training programs today.
CMAS
Divers on all continents should find a CMAS-certified dive school. There is no central list of approved dive schools. However, you can use a search engine to locate one. CMAS courses are equivalent to 5 days of diving and emphasize the importance of safety, including the use of a buddy. You must be at minimum 16 years old and have completed 25 dives. A medical certificate from a doctor is required to be eligible for CMAS certification. If you are already certified, you can take an SSI 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 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. If this is the case, you should seek out advice from the new agency prior to making the decision.