Diving Information. Information about Scuba Diving qualifications and training

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Dive Qualifications

Most of the Main Dive training organisations qualifications can be separated into roughly 5 main levels of qualifications
Level 1: Personal dive qualifications so you can dive safely
Level 2: More advanced personal qualifications e.g. Advanced and rescue
Level 3: Speciality courses. Everything from photography to cave diving etc. NB many of these can be taken at any stage after you have received your level one qualification
Level 4: First step in being able to safely lead others diving (who can already dive) e.g. Dive master
Level 5: Instructor. To be able to teach others to Dive

Below is examples of the 'pathways' offered by PADI

PADI:

Open water
Advanced Open Water
Speciality courses (e.g. Boast driver, Boat handler, Compressor awareness, Coral Reef conservation, Deep diver, Digital underwater photographer, DPV diver, Drift diver, Drysuit diver, enriched air diver, equipment specialist, night diver, oxygen first aid, peak performance buoyancy, Project AWARE, search & recovery diver, SMB diver, Sunto computer assisted diving, turtle conservation, Underwater photographer, Underwater navigator, wreck diver)
Rescue diver
Dive master
Open Water Scuba Instructor/assistant instructor
Speciality Instructor
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
IDC Staff instructor
Master Instructor
Course Director

Qualification cross-overs between the main Dive Training organisations

Most of the agencies have a 'Crossover' system to compare similar training in order to give credit for training and qualifications already carried out with another agency. This table is to give you an idea of how the different qualification 'match up'. However, Changes may occur as dive training changes over the years, so we suggest that if you are at all uncertain please check with the relevant training organisation.

NAUI	PADI	SSI	BSAC
	Basic SCUBA		Novice Diver
SCUBA Diver	Open Water Diver	Open Water	Ocean Diver
Master SCUBA Diver	Adv. Open Water Diver + Rescue Diver	Adv Open Water + Stress & rescue diver	Sports Diver
		Master Diver	Dive Leader
Dive Master	Dive Master	Dive Control Specialist	Advanced Diver

Dive Qualifications
Dive Training bodies
Qualification cross-overs

Most people have heard of PADI. This is an organisation, through whom many dive centres, offer dive training and associated qualifications. Yet PADI is only one of many dive organisations worldwide that offer dive qualifications. Below is a list of many such organisations, and for the main 3, more information.
Below centre is the main levels of Dive qualifications, and also the cross over's (ie transferring between different dive organisations)

Recreational Diving Qualification organisations

ACUC- American Canadian Underwater Certification
AISE - Association of Independent Scuba Educators
ASDA - Advanced Scuba Diving Association
BSAC - British Sub-Aqua Club
CBPDS - Confederation Brasileanos de Pesca e Desportos Subaquaticos
CFT Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (Irish Underwater Council)
CEDIP- European Committee of Prefessional Diving Instructors
CSUDP - California University State Diving Programme
CMAS - Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatique
CIPP - Compagnie des Instucteurs Professionnels de Plongee
IDEA- International Diving Educators Association (Europe)
IDF - Israeli Diving Federation
NASDS - National Association of Scuba Diving Schools
NASE - National Association of Scuba Educators
NASDS- National Association of Scuba Diving Schools
NAUI - National Association of Underwater Instructors
PDIC - Professional Diving Instructors Corporation
SAA- Sub-Aqua Association
SDI - Scuba Divers International
SSAC - Scottish Sub-Aqua Club
SSI - Scuba Schools International
YMCA - Young Men's Christian Association

Technical Diving Qualification organisations

ANDI - American Nitrox Divers Incorporated
CDAA - Cave Divers Association of Australia
GUE -Global Underwater Explorers
IANTD - International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers
NACD - National Association for Cave Diving
NSS-CDS -National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section
NAUI Tec - National Association of Underwater Instructors
PSA - Professional Scuba Association
TDI - Technical Divers International

PADI - Professional Association of Diving Instructors
PADI is the world’s largest and most well know Diving qualification organisation. PADI started in 1967 and the main headquarters is located in California, and is known as PADI Worldwide. PADI also has the largest number of Dive centres that offer dive qualifications through the PADI system,

NAUI - National Association of Underwater Instructors
NAUI Worldwide was established in 1959 as a non-profit diving membership association. It is the worlds second largest diver training organisation. They have a wind range of courses, and some believe their training to be more in depth than the PADI system

SSI - Scuba Schools International
SSI is the third (perhaps now the second?)and fastest growing worldwide diving training organization It was was established in 1970. SSI has become very popular because of its in depth courses, and the support it gives its dive centres. Many dive centres are now both PADI and SSI centres.