Are you looking forward to becoming a professional scuba diver?  Or are you intending to expand your scuba diving skills?  If your answer to the two questions is yes, then there are important things you need to know before embarking on this journey to becoming a world-class skilled scuba diver.

Source: Which Scuba Diving Training Agency Should You Learn To Dive With?

But before you can even start showcasing your diving skills, you need to choose a dive organization that will help you to achieve your dream.  Finding the right dive organization can be a challenging task especially for newcomers.  This is because there are more than 50 scuba diving agencies all over and knowing the best one for you is not as simple as you may have thought.

Luckily, there is one general rule that can guide you accordingly when selecting your ideal scuba diving agency.  This rule states that you should always go for the big ones if you truly want to have a certification that will enable you to scuba dive anywhere across the world.  That is quite encouraging for someone who is eager to advance scuba diving skills and if possible, turn it into a meaningful career.

Source: So Who Trained You

So, the question that should be lingering in your mind right now is how to know which agency is the best.  In this article, you are going to have your question answered in full by learning more about two of the most preferred diving organizations, PADI vs NAUI.  In the end, you will be able to tell the emerging differences between PADI and NAUI scuba diving certification.

PADI vs NAUI, which is better?

One thing you need to know is that for you to be considered a certified diver, you will need to complete the scuba diving course first.  Most significantly, your training and certification need to be carried out by at least one of the recognized diving agencies/organizations that is authorized to issue certificates to the successfully trained divers.

Once an individual has obtained the scuba diving certificate, he or she will be able to dive anywhere.  The certificate will automatically act as a diving license or rather proof of someone having successfully completed scuba diving training.

Therefore, the moment you become a fully certified diver, you may use your certificate to hire or rent scuba diving equipment from any shop.  That is when PADI vs NAUI, two of the topmost diving agencies world overcome in.

PADI-Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Source: Why Some Scuba Divers LOVE PADI (No, Really!)

Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI is a US-based organization and it is indeed the biggest and most famous scuba dive certification organization worldwide.  The agency has been providing various types of performance-based diving training since 1966.  Over the years, this agency has spread all over and at the moment, it has centers throughout the world.  Apparently, more than half of skilled and highly experienced divers in the whole world have received their training and certification from PADI.  Here are some interesting facts about PADI:

• The project award was set up by PADI in the year 1989.  This was established as a global movement for all scuba divers to offer protection to our ocean planet.
• For the past two decades, PADI has been averaging over 900, 000 diving certifications each year.
• PADI provides recreational training as well as some variations of technical scuba dive training

NAUI-National Association of Underwater Instructors

NAUI is actually the oldest non-profit scuba certification organization.  It was started way back in 1960 in the US where it is currently based.  NAUI has been at the forefront of promoting safe diving by offering the recommended diving courses.

The organization provides diving training that is similar to that which is offered by PADI.  Currently, it is the second to PADI when it comes to issuing of scuba diving certificates.  The following are some of the most interesting facts about NAUI that you should know:

• Al Tillman is one of the organizations founding fathers and he became the first instructor from this agency.
• Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau was one of the first members to sit on the NAUI board of directors.
• The agency offers both technical and recreational dive training.

PADI vs NAUI, what are the differences?

There are underlying differences as well as similarities between PADI and NAUI based on many factors.  The bottom line is that both agencies offer outstanding scuba diving courses and certification that can make you stand out in the crowd.  This means whichever agency you choose, you can rest assured that you will become a good diver.

PADI Certification

Source: How to Get Scuba Certified

PADI certification gives you an upper hand in exploring the underwater marine life if you are indeed an experienced and certified scuba diving enthusiast.  This is only possible after enrolling and successfully completing the scuba diving course.

One example of such courses includes the PADI open-water certification.  This type of training is regarded as the most common and one of the basic PADI certifications.  Why is it considered to be the basic training under PADI certification?  This is because the course is the first ever scuba diving certifications training that the newcomers are meant to enroll in order to be certified fully as scuba divers.  From this basic course, the divers can easily qualify for the advanced diving courses just in case.

To qualify for PADI certification, you have to be 15 years old and over for you to start off with the PADI open water certification course.  Apart from that, there is junior open- water training for kids aged between 10 and 12 years old.  Once certified at the junior level, the kids can advance to standard level upon attaining the age of 15 years.

In addition to the age as a prerequisite for one to enroll for PADI Certification, your health status will also be considered.  In other words, you need to be in good health for you to qualify for this training.

Phases of PADI Open-Water course

PADI open-water training requires you to gain diving skills and knowledge in three major phases.  These phases include:

Phase 1: Knowledge development

This phase involves learning the basics of scuba diving theoretically.  During the training, you will acquire all important information pertaining to diving equipment sellers, relevant techniques and skills needed while underwater.  You can either attend the training physically or take the course online.

Phase2: Practical scuba diving-confined water dives

This second requires you to learn basic scuba diving techniques through practicing diving in confined waters or swimming pools.  The instructor will guide you on what you are supposed to do in the course of your training.  The whole course takes five sessions, ranging from simple skills to advanced diving techniques.  By the time you are through with phase 2, you are expected to have all necessary skills that are crucial for an open water diver.

Phase 3: Open water diving

This is the last phase and it will take you to the real diving in actual water such as in sea or ocean setting.  Open water diving will take you across five sessions or less than that depending on your performance.  This training requires you to apply and display all the techniques you learned in phase 2.  Also, the instructor will assist you in building confidence through your training sessions. Once you are done with the training, you will take the final examination to test you if you’ve acquired all the knowledge and skills necessary for becoming a scuba diver.  If you pass your examination, you will be awarded the PADI certification as an indication that you have qualified to become a scuba diver.

NAUI Certification

Source: NAUI SCUBA DIVER COURSE – 1

Being the world’s largest non-profit making dive training agency, NAUI can boast of decades of continuous and successful training of divers.  The courses under NAUI are somehow detailed and that is the main reason for their success.  Here, different diving certifications are offered according to the levels of skills and knowledge acquired at every level.  Check out for the summary of NAUI Certification courses below:

Scuba diving training

This is the entry level scuba diving course where you will acquire all basic fundamental diving skills in open water.  Upon completion of this level, you will get certification in open water to allow you to dive anywhere in the world.

Advanced scuba diving

Advanced scuba diving allows you to acquire skills and knowledge in various categories of diving.  These categories include deep diving, night diving, and navigation diving.

Master scuba diving

This is the level for divers who are looking forward to specializing in various types of diving techniques. At this level, you stand a chance to learn eight different diving skills.

Specialty diving courses

These courses come in handy to let you acquire certification that allows you to engage in a special type of diving without the need for supervision.  These courses focus on skills like night diving, wreck dives and search and recovery among others.

Professional diving courses

Professional diving courses enable you to achieve teaching techniques that are likely to help you become an assistant instructor, instructor trainers, dive masters or course instructors and so on.

Final Thought

Even though there are over 50 agencies that deal with scuba diving, PADI and NAUI come out clearly as the most preferred and largest globally.  From their differences, you can at least decide which one suits your scuba diving needs.  But whichever your choice you make, you will come out a well-trained and certified scuba diver with all necessary skills.

Scuba diving is a hobby a lot of people would like to get into.  The thought of going into the water and exploring the various depths of the oceans has a certain appeal to it that draw many in.  Much like driving, however, in order to be able to dive, you’ll need to get the right kinds of certifications.

This means you’ll need the right training from credible sources in order for you to do this safely.  That’s where the National Association of Underwater Instructors, and the NAUI courses come in.

The main purpose of getting a certification through NAUI courses is safety.  These courses basically educate and prepare you with the right kinds of knowledge that you can use during your entire diving career.  While it’s entirely possible to be able to dive without going through the NAUI courses, the chances of you getting back safely and having a successful dive increase dramatically when you do.  Knowledge is power, and it’s certainly true when it comes to scuba diving as well.

To help you out on where to start, we’ve summarized the different the types of certifications you can get through NAUI courses.

What is NAUI

Source: NAUI Worldwide: The Definition of Diving

The National Association of Underwater Instructors, or simply NAUI, is a non-profit organization based in Tampa, Florida that specializes in providing instruction and certification for recreational divers.  It was founded in 1960 by Albert Tilman and Neal Hess and has provided service from a number of training centers all across the globe, including Japan, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, and a number of nations in the Pacific Rim.  NAUI courses are among the most extensive in the world, and people who receive certification are generally considered with high regard.

Unlike more recreational certification agencies, NAUI focuses a lot on the technical aspects of diving and incorporates skill that make use of these aspects into their curriculum more so than others.  This also means that NAUI courses tend to be longer than those of other agencies, but of course, this also means you’ll be learning more.

NAUI Courses and Certification

Being the largest non-profit dive training organization out there, NAUI is known to offer courses that are in-depth and extensive as well as higher training standards.  They also offer different diving certifications depending on the amount of knowledge and the number of skills taught on each level.

Here is a list of the available certifications offered by NAUI:

1. Introductory Dive Training

Source: NAUI SCUBA DIVER COURSE – 1

This it first among many NAUI courses and is considered to be an entry level certification course.  This is where prospective divers acquire the basic knowledge and the fundamental skills they’ll need to get into scuba diving.

Aside from group classes, some people may opt to undergo a tandem scuba diving course, where they get to dive with an instructor.  These types of NAUI courses provide participants the ability to have 100% of the instructor’s full attention for the duration of the course.  Groups of two or more can also be accommodated with additional instructors or qualified assistants as well.

After completing this level, divers will receive the necessary qualifications that will allow them to dive in any dive center in the world that recognizes the NAUI courses and their certifications.

2. Advanced Diver Training

Source: NAUI Advanced Diver

The next training program available after the introductory NAUI courses is the advanced scuba diving training.  During this course, divers get to explore new, more advanced dive sites and will do some exclusive activities with their instructor.

Students undergoing the advanced course will undergo a minimum of 6 open-water dives, and another 3 separate dives with different to learn new activities, depending on the student’s choice. These activities include night diving, underwater mapping, saltwater and freshwater diving, altitude diving, deep diving, wreck diving and navigational skills.  Successfully finishing this course gives you the advanced diving certification, which opens up more diving opportunities in dive centers that you normally wouldn’t have if you’e only finished the introductory levels.

3. Master Scuba Diving Classes

Source: NAUI Master Scuba Diver.wmv

After taking the advanced NAUI courses and receiving the corresponding certificates, students have the option of taking the master scuba course to expand their skills further.  During the master course, students will undergo eight open-water dives, as well as 4 dives where they learn certain skills, such as what they should do during emergencies and rescue, deep compression diving, low visibility night diving and more advanced navigation with a bit of search and recovery.

Aside from those 4 classes, students also undergo further mastery of certain dives and concepts related to scuba diving, such as skin diving, environmental studies, air consumption and boat diving.  Receiving the master certificate from these NAUI courses will distinguish you as a leader amongst divers in any diving center and will be treated accordingly.

4. Technical Diving Classes

Source: NAUI Technical Training

Once you’ve finished the master level NAUI courses, you make take part in the technical classes provided by NAUI.  These classes delve deeper into more technical diving concepts such as air mixing and a huge focus on deep diving and decompression diving.  Students will also have the opportunity to make use of the diver propulsion vehicle, a personalized underwater vehicle that will allow you to glide through the water with much ease.

5. Instructor Training Course

Source: NAUI Instructor

On top of the technical NAUI courses, divers may also undergo training as a NAUI-certified diving instructor.  These courses focus more on providing students the necessary leadership skills and help them become instructors themselves.  These classes are perfect for those who seek more than just the thrill of diving and are willing to spread wisdom to their fellow diving enthusiasts.  People who receive the NAUI instructor certification will have the right kind of knowledge, skill and attitude to do so.

Final thoughts

The National Association of Underwater Instructors has a long tradition of high standards and has produced a large number of competent divers without fail.  Whether you wish to learn to be the best diver you can be, or even learn the necessary skills to teach these skills yourself, NAUI has the right classes for you.

Professional Association of Diving Instructors(PADI) is the most comprehensive dive curriculum in the world.  It’s based on progressive training that introduces local environmental knowledge and safety-related information.  PADI courses incorporate modern teaching guidelines and multi-media enhanced teaching aids.  All training programs make learning to scuba dive easy, fun, and safe.  Needless to say, the PADI professionals maintain the highest standards for diver training.  So, what are the various PADI certifications that are available?  Let’s jump right in!

Open water course

If you’ve ever wanted to discover the wondrous world beneath the waves, this is where it starts.  Open water course is usually a 5-day program designed to help you dive anywhere in the world up to 60 feet.  First, you’ll train in confined water under the supervision of PADI instructor.  This will help you learn new skills or fine-tune your techniques.

The course teaches the basic principles of scuba diving. In addition to that, you’ll learn to use basic and standard accessories including snorkel, mask, a tank, fins, and buoyancy control device.  The equipment you wear will depend on whether you’re diving in cold, temperature, or tropical water.  To enroll for this course, you must have the basic swimming skills, and most importantly be in good physical health.

Source: Learn to Dive

Just like other PADI courses, you have to learn the theory first.  Of course, the more time you spend in water the more confident you’ll become.  Why take the course?  This is a good opportunity to try the different specialties that interest you.

Advanced open water certification

This is the next step in your scuba diving journey after completing the basic open water course.  Advanced water course will help you act and think like a diver.  The instructor will introduce the different types of dives to expand your scuba skills.

Once you get this certification, you can access a wide variety of dive sites of up to 70 feet.  With this depth, you can see a variety of seas creatures that you can’t see in shallow waters.

This PADI course has five different adventure dives – two dives during the day, deep water navigation, and night dives.  In deep dive, buoyancy declines, air consumption decreases, and no stop time decreases.

Source: PADI Advanced Open Water Course Explained

During the course, you’ll learn how to deal with these effects.  To earn advanced open water certification, you should complete a number of adventure dives.  The skills and knowledge you get will help in fish identification, exploring wrecks, photography, and many more.

Rescue diver certification

This course is challenging, yet very rewarding.  You learn how to prevent and manage problems in water.  Besides that, you’ll practice problem-solving skills until they become second nature.

At the end of the course, you’ll be in a better position to deal with dive emergencies using a variety of techniques.  Some of the common topics include emergency management, self-rescue, rescuing unresponsive divers, and rescuing panicked divers.

Source: PADI Scuba Diving Lessons: PADI Rescue Diver Course

The course has three segments; confined water, knowledge development, and open water dives.  To begin with, the instructor provides you with all learning materials and clears anything you don’t understand.  In the confined water environment, you’ll learn the basic skills before you get out into real-world rescue conditions.

On each stage, the instructor will teach you how to use the oxygen unit, CPR mannequins, marker buoys, first-aid kit, and floats.  By paying attention to safety and environmental considerations, the awareness of the diver is massively increased.  Unlike other PADI courses, rescue diver satisfaction requires you to be a professional diver.

Master scuba diver

Master scuba diver certification puts you in an elite group or respected divers.  Only 2% of divers achieve this rating.  The prerequisites include earning open water certification, advanced open water diver, and rescue diver.  Other than that, you have to earn 5 specialty PADI courses and take a minimum of 50 dives.

Source: PADI Master Scuba Diver – Black Belt of Diving

Divemaster

This course offers the starting route if you want to become a professional dive master.  Apart from diving, you have some fun to see others do the diving.  The instructors will teach leadership qualities and help you fine-tune your dive skills.

Source: (Divemaster)

You’ll gain knowledge on problem-solving, rescue skills, and how to become a role model to other divers.  With this certification, the adventure of a lifetime awaits you.  A divemaster can assist with diver training or supervise scuba diving activities.  It’s one of the few PADI courses that require attention to details.

To earn the certification, you must be at least 18 years.  Other prerequisites include “fit to dive” medical statement, rescue diver certification, advanced open water certification, and complete 40 logged dives.  Note: you have to do 60 logged dives to finish the certification.  Once you’re an authorized Divemaster you can conduct dive briefings, supervise diving-related activities, and lead local diving programs.

Adaptive support diver

It’s one of the best PADI courses that help you explore adaptive techniques while increasing awareness in varying diver abilities – mentally and physically changed divers.  The diver must be at least 15 years old and must complete primary & secondary emergency first response course. P rior to becoming an adaptive course diver, you must complete peak performance buoyancy.  You can combine this certification with other PADI courses.

Source: ABOUT THE PADI ADAPTIVE TECHNIQUES SPECIALTY

Advanced Rebreather Diver

The course trains you how to dive up to 140 feet.  You’ll learn advanced skills like oxygen consumption and how to configure the bailout cylinder system.  Just like other advanced PADI courses, you must have certification in open water diver/advanced open water diver.  Above all, you should have a minimum of 30 logged lives.

Source: PADI Rebreather Diver

Beyond the normal equipment like fins, mask, and collapsible snorkel, the instructor will guide you on the type of rebreather to use.  All rebreathers are not the same, so it’s important that they undergo third-party testing to meet a comprehensive list of requirements.  If you’re not a certified rebreather diver the instructor can combine the two PADI courses together.

Adventure Diver

Do you want to try digital underwater photography?  Well, an adventure diver course offers a long list of scuba diving adventures including dry suit diving and fish identification.  This is a good chance to build more confidence in the waters.

Source: 5 Things You Need To Be An Adventure Diver

Even better, you can try the most rewarding diving adventures like underwater navigation, fine diving, and fine-tune your buoyancy.  As you complete your buoyancy you can perform underwater obstacles and backflips.

You have to complete three PADI courses to get this certification.  Deep dive course is a must as it will help to understand the diver mentality in deep waters.  It’s up to you to choose the other two PADI courses.

Final thoughts

Whatever your diving aspirations are, the above PADI courses can help you achieve them.  They sharpen you with the necessary skills and safety-related information.  It’s worth mentioning that you can register on PADI e-learning option.  The web-based system allows you to learn at your own pace through an interactive program.  It’s time you hone your scuba diving skills and explore the exciting underwater world.

Source: Top PADI Specialty Courses

Scuba diving is one of the greatest ways to explore the final frontier on earth. Oceans and fresh water bodies cover 75% of the earth, enticing people to brave the depths for exploration.

In the culture of scuba diving, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) provides training to help people safely engage in the amazing sport of scuba diving.  So, what is PADI Scuba Diving Certification?

Understanding Scuba

Scuba diving is diving underwater and swimming using additional air in either tanks or a hose to the surface.  Some people do scuba diving because they love exploring, other people make a career out of various industries associated with scuba diving, including exploration, industrial work, scientific research and conservation, or tourism.

Although scuba diving is incredibly enjoyable, it also has a high amount of dangerous possibilities, including equipment malfunction, decompression illness, running out of air, getting stuck, or getting injured by wildlife or rock formations.  With so many risks, you should seek to get training and certification from a scuba organization before going out in the deep blue sea.

Source: Scuba Diving Courses: The Diver Progression Explained

And, if you are wanting to scuba dive with a resort, cruise ship, or dive shop, you have to get certification for each level of scuba you desire to do.

History of PADI

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, was formed in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson.  They formed it to change the way scuba divers were trained.  Now, over 50 years later, PADI is the largest diver training program in the world (Divers Alert-Network).

Source: PADI – The Way the World Learns to Dive

PADI was different from other training organizations because they pioneered modular scuba certification; you didn’t have to prove you were an expert in order to get a certificate but could move up the ranks, getting certificates for each level.  Because of that unique system, the PADI certification system has many levels as you will see below.

PADI Certification Levels

Source: PADI Open Water Diver Course Video 🥽 ALL Skills in Order • Scuba Diving Tips

Besides the following levels, there are additional milestones, technical courses, and training that can all improve your ability to enjoy exploring and moving within the beautiful oceans of our earth.

Open Water Diver Certification

The true prerequisite for engaging in the world of scuba, the open water diver certificate shows that the holder of the certificate can be trusted to get themselves into the water safely, use their equipment efficiently, and avoid many pitfalls of inexperienced divers.

This certification is therefore incredibly basic but most advanced courses will require this as a prerequisite to further study and practice in the scuba diving world.

Advanced Open Water

This certification is designed to advance you from open water certification towards more expert levels.  As such, it starts with basic open water dives, introduces the diver to some limited specialty scenarios, and teaches the student how to log their dives and develop their scuba diving capabilities.

Source: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course

Rescue Diver

This certification is designed for recreational divers, to enable them to get themselves and others in the party out of bad situations safely.  It includes first aid treatment for yourself and for others, as well as limited diving rescue training.

The rescue driver training is not designed to give you full paramedic or lifeguarding training, but to empower you to perform self-rescue, manage stress in others, use emergency equipment well, and do limited in water rescuing for distressed and non-responsive divers.

Source: PADI Rescue Diver Course

Those who want to take the rescue diver certification training need to have done the open water, advanced open water, and emergency response training (CPR and first aid).

Specialty Scuba-Diving Certifications

This is where scuba diving gets interesting.  There are specialty certifications for enclosed spaces, under the ice, caving, deep water diving, and more.  To see the full list of specialty certifications, look at the PADI website.

Source: Top PADI Specialty Courses

From adventure dives to technical training, as you grow your scuba skills, scuba diving certifications verify that you are ready to perform them consistently and safely on your own.

Master Scuba-Diver Certificate

The end goal of any scuba diving certification, the master scuba diver certificate requires that you have passed open water, advanced open water, rescue driver, at least 5 specialty certificates and 50 or more logged dives.

And that’s just to start the course.

At this point, you will be trained and certified as someone who loves the ocean, loves exploring, and understands the dangers and wonders available through scuba diving.

Source: PADI Master Scuba Diver – Black Belt of Diving

Professional Certificates

Mostly outside the scope of this article, PADI offers certificates for trainers and dive leaders as well. These professional certificates are as varied as the consumer certificates.

Using Your Scuba Certificate

So, what do you do with a certificate once you have one?

The joy of PADI courses is the fact that the organization has over 4,600 diving locations and retail centers.  This means that you will be able to sign up for an ever-increasing number of dives throughout the world as you journey towards becoming a master scuba diver.

Open Water Diving

The fundamentals of diving, and also the introduction to all things underwater.  You start the certification course and then end in stable real-world environments of a lake or a swimming pool. With this certificate, you will be able to participate in scuba dives at many resorts and many cruise ships around the world.

Freshwater Diving

While smaller in scope, opportunities for freshwater diving abound.  Whether you are looking to go someplace exotic the cenotes in Mexico or find an unknown gem like the warm underground scuba diving at Homestead in Utah, there are many opportunities to use your certificate for freshwater scuba diving year round.

Spelunking

As mentioned above, one of the most interesting scuba diving experiences combines scuba diving with spelunking or cave exploring.

The level of skill required for this is high, but through a progressive series of courses, you may be able to log the hours, craft your skills, and partake in the exploration of the truly unknown places on planet earth.

Adventures in the Seas

Whether you are looking to swim in the shipwrecks of World War II, photograph exotic sea life, deep dive or explore the Great Barrier-Reef, your certifications will open up the world to you.

What is PADI scuba diving certification

It is a passport to the wonderous adventures of exploring much of our world.  It is also the proof that you have engaged in one of the most exciting hobbies, and it is the path towards a professional life as a scuba diver, if you are willing to accept the mission.

The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1960 and has remained at the forefront of diving training processes.  Its aim is to make recreational diving safe through training and to create standards in the diving industry.

Source: Getting certified by NAUI Worldwide

What are the requirements to obtain a NAUI certification

To obtain your NAUI certification you must meet the skills required for each level of training.  The training requirements of NAUI are equal to or superior to those of other agencies.  To certify as Scuba Diver, you must comply with 5 open water dives, while in other agencies only 4.  This feature requires the instructor and the student to be a better diver at the end of the certification process.

Other important features of the NAUI certification.
• The credentials do not expire.
• You can check OnLine the certification status of a diver or an instructor.
• The NAUI certifications exceed the minimum standards of the training industry for each level.
• They have validation and International recognition.
• From the first level of training skills and knowledge of first aid and rescue are incorporated thanks to the agreement with Divers Alert Network (DAN).
• NAUI has agreements with DAN to facilitate access to information about care and problem-solving procedures.

What it means to be a true NAUI professional

Being a true professional gives you a clear advantage over your competition.  Understanding the value of this distinction and developing yourself as a professional is fundamental to your success.

While there is no definitive list of the qualities of a true professional, being one goes far beyond being paid for what you do.

True professionals are defined by who they are in terms of personal character and how these personal qualities apply practically.  The professionals are people of high integrity.  Professionals assume responsibility and take responsibility for their actions.

The professionals are confident and trustworthy.  Professionals make customer service and satisfaction the top priorities.  Professionals do more than expected and refuse to settle for average performance.

The professionals recognize the importance of “the general perspective” and understand its strategic implications.  Professionals are deliberate about the development of their experience and are consistently and intentionally improving their knowledge, skills and experience.

Most people conform to the norms of human nature, taking the path of least resistance, accepting mediocrity as satisfactory, etc.  NAUI training is more challenging than the programs of other agencies.  Those who pursue NAUI training do so based on their desire to be better than average.  As a member of NAUI, the individual demonstrates inherent characteristics to true professionals because he/she chose a more rigorous path to becoming a dive leader.

However, within us everything is the temptation to be complacent, and complacency has no part in the career of a true professional.  Your professional development does not end with the completion of your NAUI leadership training; neither does it end after years of exceptional performance in teaching.  Professionals constantly improve, constantly advance their knowledge and skills, and constantly improve the quality of the services they offer.

To enable NAUI leaders to continue to develop as expert diving professionals, NAUI provides excellent programs, including member updates, presentations and seminars, training workshops, the NAUI Business Institute (NBI) and webinars, along with the evolution of the standards and training materials.

The NAUI Board of Directors is committed to NAUI being the world-recognized leader in quality diving training.  Achieving this goal includes ensuring that NAUI leaders achieve, maintain and improve their professional knowledge and skills.  Recently, the NAUI Board approved standards to improve the quality of our First Aid training, improve the professional liability insurance requirements of NAUI, create a new membership class for the Free diver Instructor and approve the International Underwater Education Conference 2018 (ICUE).

A commitment to professional experience is personally beneficial for each member.  In addition, it is important to maintain the mission of NAUI, establish NAUI as an industrial leader and professional association committed to safety, providing diving consumers with tangible evidence of NAUI’s commitment to quality and, most importantly, promoting the benefits of a greater security inherent in the training of NAUI.

NAUI is an excellent option for diving professionals, as evidenced by its growing number of members, affiliates and certifications.  NAUI is improving and attracting new members and divers.

Be part of the excitement and growth of NAUI.  Read your emails and newsletters from Headquarters and your regional representatives.  Answer the official surveys of NAUI.

Take advantage of NAUI’s official resources to obtain accurate and reliable information; If you have any questions, please contact NAUI HQ or your Service Center and interact through the official NAUI social networking sites.

Promote and attend NAUI updates, seminars, workshops and webinars.  Stay in touch and update, train all your students with the current NAUI standards and materials, and issue NAUI certifications.

The establishment of NAUI as a world leader in quality diving training requires that each of us take seriously our responsibility to be true professionals.  By doing so, we will enjoy individual success and the benefits of being part of a vital and successful NAUI.

Scuba Diving Training for Recreational Divers

Source: Become a Certified Scuba Diver with NAUI

Skin Diver

– The diver should learn apnea diving in this course.
– Minimum age: 12 years.

Try Scuba

– This is not a diving course, but an opportunity for interested laymen to get a taste of diving. (Try Diving)
– Includes two guided dives in the pool or limited open water.
– Complies with ISO 11121 standard.
– Minimum age: 10 years

Passport Diver

– This is not a diving course, but a possibility for participants who have completed at least two open water dives in the NAUI Try Scuba program to make further trial dives without having to repeat the swimming pool dive.
– Minimum age: 10 years.

Scuba Diver

– The course is a basic dive training, in which diving students should learn the scuba diving in open water.
– Conforms to ISO 24801-2

Experienced Scuba Diver

– This training allows divers who are certified by another diving organization to switch to the NAUI training system.
– Minimum age: 15 years
– Prerequisite is any diving education and at least 25 logged dives.

Advanced Scuba Diver

– This course is an advanced course.
– The course includes at least six open water dives.
– Three dives include underwater navigation exercises, night dives and deep dives up to 131 feet.
– For three dives the exchange student can choose from 14 special training courses.
– Minimum age: 12 years
– Prerequisite is a completed basic dive training according to ISO 24801-2.

Master Scuba Diver

– This training should raise the diving skills and knowledge to the level of a diving course.
– The course includes at least eight open water dives.
– Five dives include rescue, decompression, limited visibility, underwater navigation, search and recovery exercises.
– For three dives, the student can select any NAUI specialty training.
– Minimum age: 15 years

Special Courses

NAUI offers numerous special courses:

– Advanced Skindiver (Advanced Apnea Diver)
– Blackwater Rescue (rescue from black water rivers)
– Boat Diver (Boat Diver)
– Computer Assisted Diving (diving with dive computer)
– Deep diver (deep diving)
– Diving Accident Assessment (rescue and first aid)
– Dry suit diver (dry diving)
– Enriched Air Nitrox (oxygen-enriched breathing air/nitrox, complies with standard: ISO 11107)
– Equipment and repair specialist
– Fish Identification (fish identification)
– Rrescue by rescue helicopter
– High Altitude Diver (Mountain lake diving)
– Industrial Orientation (professional diver)
– Marine Naturalist (Marine Biology)
– Oxygen Administration (Oxygen Operator)
– Public Safety Diver (safety diver)
– River Diver (drift diving)
– Scuba rescue diver (rescue diver)
– Search & Recovery
– Shark Ecology (Shark Ecology)
– Stingray Experience (Stage bottles)
– Training Assistant (Instructor Assistant)
– Underwater Archeologist (Underwater Archaeology)
– Underwater Ecologist (Biology and Ecology)
– Underwater Environment (oceanography, geology, biology, and ecology)
– Underwater Modeling (Underwater Mapping)
– Underwater Photographer (Underwater Photography)

Source: NAUI Dive Team Report – NAUI Dive Training and Processes

Trainings for professional diving

Assistant Instructor

– The training as Assistant Instructor (AI) imparts the didactic knowledge to train beginners and advanced divers under the supervision of a diving instructor.
– complies with ISO 24802-1 standard
– Minimum age: 18 years

Divemaster

– The Dive master (DM) course is designed to give a diver the skills and knowledge to safely lead a group as a dive guide.  A NAUI Dive master should also be able to support a diving instructor during the training.
– Beside the group guidance the course imparts the whole knowledge about the diving sport which is contained in the diving instructor trainings based on it.  Excluded are of course the didactic topics included in the instructor training.
– corresponds largely to the standard ISO 24801-3 (Dive Leader)
– Minimum age: 18 years

Instructor

– The course provides the Instructor Candidate with the skills to teach student divers and take exams.
– The course enables instructors from other diving organizations to be certified as NAUI Instructors.
– complies with ISO 24802-2 standard
– Prerequisite for the ITC is a certification as NAUI Assistant Instructor or NAUI Dive master, which is not older than one year, as well as at least 50 logged dives.
– Prerequisites for the ICC are certification according to ISO 24802-2, at least 80 hours experience as a diving instructor and at least 50 logged dives.

Instructor Trainer

– The certification as Instructor Trainer (IT) entitles the holder to take diving instructor exams under the supervision of a NAUI Examiner and can only be applied for by a NAUI Examiner.