If you want to dive professionally, certification is necessary. There are many options for certification depending on your preference and your budget. PADI, SSI (NAUI), CMAS, and many more are the most popular certifications for beginners. Find out which one is right to you! We also have some tips and tricks for choosing the right certification 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. There are many requirements for certification, including knowledge about 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.
After completing the PADI open water course, students will complete a rescue diver certification. This certification requires students to take five different dive courses, each with its own learning outcomes and skill set. Two of these must be the Deep Dive Specialty Course. One must also take the Underwater Navigation Specialty Course. The other three must be selected from a list. The rescue diver certification is for people who want to assist in emergencies underwater. Two to three days of training are required, including theory and two open-water dives.
SSI
A SSI course can help you decide which certification is best for you. Both SSI and PADI require a certain level skill. PADI courses require students to learn in a certain order. SSI offers more flexibility. They can continue learning until they master a skill they don't like. They can also train on vacation with SSI so they can obtain their certification in a matter weeks.
SSI offers digital courses so that you can log your dives quickly. Manuals can either be downloaded from the internet or obtained at a dive shop. You can also get an e-certification card from SSI by creating an online profile. The cost varies, but in 2018 most courses cost about 50 USD. 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 divers. Their primary mission is to create standards and education programs that are applicable to all scuba divers. The NAUI certification permits you to teach scuba dive to non-professionals and meets international dive safety standards. NAUI offers training courses as well as teaching scuba diving to divers from around the globe.
Al Tillman, a Scripps Institute of Oceanography peer, organized the first NAUI training program in Los Angeles. In 1958, he was joined by another Scripps Institute oceanographer to receive provisional diving certifications. Scuba diving was popularized by Lloyd Bridges' 1960 movie "Sea Hunt". In 1960, the National Diving Patrol began to be established. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, its first president, was appointed. Today, the Navy SEALs and NASA use NAUI training programmes worldwide.
CMAS
Scuba divers from every continent should seek out a school that offers CMAS courses. Although there is no central listing of accredited dive schools, you should be able to find one using a search engine. CMAS courses offer 5 days of dives and stress safety. 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 already hold another certification, the first step will be to complete an SSI course.
If you have a qualification in one agency, but not in another, you are eligible to enroll in an identical course in another agency. The table references below will help you if your experience is in scuba diving. 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. This is why you should get advice from the new organization before making any decision.