For professional diving, you will need certification. There are many certifications available depending on your interests and budget. PADI (SSI), NAUI, CMAS, CMAS and other popular certifications are all available to beginners. Find out which one is right to you! Here are some tips and tricks to help you choose the right certification program.
PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), is a professional organization that offers training and membership. John Cronin was the founder of the organization, as was Ralph Erickson. There are many requirements for certification, including knowledge about 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 completing the PADI open water course, students will complete a rescue diver certification. This requires five different dive courses with five distinct learning outcomes and skill sets. Of these, two must be the Deep Dive Specialty Course and one must take the Underwater Navigation Specialty Course. The three remaining must be selected from a selection. The Rescue Diver certification is designed for individuals who are willing to rescue others in distress underwater. It usually takes two to three full days of training. This includes theory, two open water dives, and a pool session.
SSI
A SSI course can help you decide which certification is best for you. Both SSI as well as PADI courses require a level of 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 even train while on vacation with SSI and get their certification in a matter days.
SSI offers digital courses so that you can log your dives quickly. The manuals can be ordered online or borrowed from a local dive center. You can also get an e-certification card from SSI by creating an online profile. While the price of each course varies, in 2018, most courses were around 50 US dollars. After completing the course, you can upgrade your certification to a higher level by taking a dive training class.
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. NAUI certification lets you teach scuba divers to non-professionals while also meeting international safety standards. In addition to teaching scuba diving to people from all over the world, NAUI also provides training courses.
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. Scuba diving was popularized by Lloyd Bridges' 1960 movie "Sea Hunt". The National Diving Patrol was established in 1960. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was elected its first president. The Navy SEALs, NASA and Walt Disney Resorts around the world use NAUI training programs today.
CMAS
Divers from all continents should search for schools that offer CMAS certification. 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. 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 hold an existing certification, the first step is to complete an SSI training course.
You can take a course equivalent in another agency if you hold a qualification from one agency, but not another. 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. In this case, you should seek advice from the new agency before making the decision.