Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Last updated
Professional Association of Diving Instructors
AbbreviationPADI
Formation1966
Headquarters Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States
Region served
International
Membership~128,000 dive professionals, 6,600+ dive centers and resorts
LeaderDrew Richardson
Parent organization
PADI Worldwide Corp. [1]
Affiliations DSAT
PADI AWARE
Emergency First Response
Current Publishing
Website www.padi.com

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is a recreational diving membership and diver training organization founded in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson. [2] PADI courses range from entry level to advanced recreational diver certification. Further, they provide several diving skills courses connected with specific equipment or conditions, some diving related informational courses and a range of recreational diving instructor certifications. They also offer various technical diving courses. As of 2020, PADI claims to have issued 28 million scuba certifications. The levels are not specified and may include minor specialisations. [3] Some of the certifications align with WRSTC and ISO standards, and these are recognised worldwide. Some other certification is unique to PADI and has no equivalence anywhere, or may be part of other agencies' standards for certification for more general diving skill levels.

Contents

History

In 1966, PADI was founded by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson. [2] Cronin was originally a NAUI instructor who decided to form his own organization with Erickson, and to break diver training down into several modular courses instead of the single universal course then prevalent. [4] Erickson developed continuing education scuba courses during this time and wrote the initial issue of the first trade magazine for scuba instructors, The Undersea Journal. Cronin got the idea for PADI's Positive Identification Card at a trade show. PADI established the Master Scuba Diver certification, the industry's first certification awarded for accumulation of specified certification and experience, and not based on a specific training program, [Note 1] in 1973, later launching the modular scuba program. By 1979, PADI was producing 100,000 certifications a year after previously hitting 25,000 a year. PADI was the first organization to use confined water or pool dives for training new divers and introduced the PADI Rescue Diver course and manual for rescue training during the 1980s. [5] [6] [7]

In 1989, PADI founded Project AWARE to help conserve underwater environments. [8] In 1992, Project AWARE Foundation became a registered nonprofit organization with an environmental mission and purpose. [8] PADI continues to partner with PADI AWARE, supporting the organization with in-kind services, donations through its processes and connection to the PADI network of divers, dive professionals and dive centers. [9] PADI AWARE information has been integrated in most courses and divers are offered the chance to exchange their normal certification card for an AWARE-certification card by making a donation to the program when sending in their application for a new certification. [10]

In 2006, PADI was severely criticized by a Coroner's court in the United Kingdom for providing what experts regarded as short and insufficient training. [11] Although PADI training standards differ from those formerly prevalent in the United Kingdom under the BSAC system, PADI training standards are consistent with World Recreational Scuba Training Council standards. [12]

On 9 August 2012, Lincolnshire Management and Providence Equity Partners jointly acquired PADI from Seidler Equity Partners. [13] In 2015, Providence Equity Partners acquired majority stake of PADI from Lincolnshire Management.

In 2017, Providence Equity Partners LLC sold PADI [14] to Canadian investment firm Altas Partners and French private equity firm Florac for 700 million USD, through an entity called Mandarin fish Holding. [15]

In 2018, PADI launched PADI Travel, an online dive travel resource and booking platform for dive resort and live-aboard packages. [16]

In 2021, PADI reported it had a membership of over 128,000 professional members and 6,600 dive centers, and had awarded more than 28 million diving certifications internationally. PADI operates in 186 countries and territories. [3] From 2015-2020, the average male to female membership split was approximately 63% to 37% respectively. The organization hosts Women's Dive Day events across the globe in an effort to increase awareness for women divers.[ clarification needed ] [17]

Training system

PADI courses are performance-based diver training [Note 2] programs, and at the introductory level emphasizes practical knowledge, safety and motor skills. The basics of diving physics and physiology are introduced during entry level programs. The details of these concepts are left for later courses when they are necessary for the required competences of the specific training. According to PADI, these practices fall within current modern learning philosophies and receive regular updates via peer review. [18] [19]

The PADI training system is composed of modules with standardized learning objectives divided into theory and practical skills development. Each module is a stand-alone course for which certification is provided to the participant on successful completion of the course. Theory is mainly conveyed by way of self-study using books or digital training using PADI E-Learning. [20] All study options are supplemented with video and, in most cases, live instruction to help the participant visualize what they have read. [21] Confirmation of the student diver's level of competence in standardized knowledge review sessions is carried out by a scuba instructor using both written tests and personal observation during dives to verify the student's knowledge and skills. Practical skills are obtained through confined water training (pools or relatively shallow water) and performance evaluations in open water.

PADI courses target four progressive experience demographics, designated by PADI as "Youth", "Beginner", "Continuing Education" and "Professional". [22] Options are available for students or instructors to attain additional certifications across a range of categories, including "Essentials", [Note 3] "Safety Focus", [Note 4] "Advanced Skills", [Note 5] "Cold Water", [Note 6] "Conservation", [Note 7] "Photography", "Discovery", [Note 8] "Freediving" and "Technical Diving".

For the youth demographic, the Padi Seal Team and Bubblemaker Programs are provided for students ages 8+. [22]

As of 2023, the courses in "Beginner", "Continuing Education" and "Professional" categories include: [22]

BeginnerContinuing EducationProfessional
Essentials
  • Discover Scuba Diving
  • Scuba Diver
  • Open Water Diver
  • Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver
  • Night Diver
  • Diver Against Debris
  • Dive Theory
  • Emergency First Response Instructor
  • Assistant Instructor
  • Divemaster
  • Open Water Scuba Instructor
Safety Focus
  • Emergency First Response: Primary and Secondary Care
  • Emergency First Response: CPR & AED
  • Emergency First Response: Care for Children
  • Rescue Diver
  • Public Safety Diver
  • Emergency Oxygen Provider
  • Adaptive Support Diver [23]
  • Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) Diver [24]
Advanced Skills
  • Adventure Diver
  • Peak Performance Buoyancy [25]
  • Underwater Navigator
  • Deep Diver
  • Night Diver
  • Full Face Mask Diver
  • Self-Reliant Diver
  • Drift Diver
  • Boat Diver
  • Search and Recovery Diver
  • Sidemount Rec Diver
  • Wreck Diver
  • Equipment Specialist
  • Diver Propulsion Vehicle
  • Multlevel Diver
  • Cavern Diver
  • Altitude Diver [26]
  • Master Scuba Diver Trainer
  • Master Instructor
  • Speciality Instructor (25+ courses)
  • Adaptive Techniques
  • IDC Staff Instructor
  • Course Director
Cold Water
  • Dry Suit Diver
  • Ice Diver
  • Night Diver
  • Cavern Diver
ConservationPadi AWARE Speciality
  • Underwater Naturalist
  • Fish Identification
  • Coral Reef Conservation
  • Dive Against Debris
  • AWARE Shark Conservation
Photography
  • Digital Underwater Photographer
  • Underwater Videographer
  • Self-Reliant Diver
  • Fish Identification
Discovery
  • Discover Technical Diving
  • Discover Local Diving
Freediving
  • Advanced Mermaid
  • Advanced Freediver
  • Master Freediver
  • Freediver Instructor
  • Advanced Freediver Instructor
  • Master Freediver Instructor
  • Freediver Instructor Trainer
Technical
  • Discover Technical Diving
  • Tec Trimix Diver
  • Tec 40 & Tec 40 Trimix
  • Tec 45 & Tec 45 Trimix
  • Tec 50 & Tec 50 Trimix
  • Tec Trimix 65
  • Tec Sidemount
  • Tec Gas Blender
  • Discover Rebreather Program
  • Rebreather Diver
  • Advanced Rebreather Diver
  • Tec 40 CCR
  • Tec 60 CCR
  • Tec 100 CCR
  • Tec Gas Blender Instructor
  • Tec Trimix Instructor
  • Tec Sidemount Instructor
  • Tec 40 Instructor & Tec 40 Trimix Instructor
  • Tec 45 Instructor & Tec 45 Trimix Instructor
  • Tec 50 Instructor & Tec 50 Trimix Instructor
  • Tec 60 Instructor
  • Tec 60 CCR Instructor
  • Tec 100 CCR Instructor

Training standards

PADI training standards are generally inaccessible to the public via internet search, making an informed decision on whether a specific training course is appropriate to the diver's needs difficult. Those few programs which comply with ISO standards can be assumed to at least nominally include all the requirements of the ISO standard, but not necessarily anything more. Some PADI courses, i.e. those which have no actual diving component, may be presented and assessed by a PADI Divemaster registered with PADI to run the specific course. Some additional training and course attendance is required. These courses do not include actual diving skills, just skills or knowledge that may be useful while diving or interesting in the context of diving. [27]

Some PADI training standards have been found to be ambiguous of contradictory, For example, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course does not require direct instructor supervision of a student during "adventure dives", which may include a diver's first experience using a dry suit, while the standard for the PADI Dry Suit Diver course requires not only direct supervision of the student by the instructor, during open water dives, but also that open water dives must be preceded by a theory class, and a confined water skills training session, both of which must be satisfactorily completed before venturing into open water. [28] [29]

A PADI Open Water Instructor can be registered as a specialty instructor for several specialties, without demonstrating competence to teach or even perform those specialties, including Dry Suit Diver, which requires a significant skill set and understanding of the principles to be done safely. [28] [29] [30]

Workplace programs

PADI offers a specialty program called Public Safety Diver for divers who are either employed in or serve as volunteers in the public safety diving sector principally within the United States. [31] This certification is not recognised in some countries which have national standards for occupational diving qualifications and require registration with a national body.

First aid programs

PADI, via its subsidiary, Emergency First Response, Corp, distributes the following programs in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid for both divers and non-divers:[ clarification needed ] [32] These may not be recognised by health and safety authorities in some jurisdictions where workplace first aid certification must be through a nationally or state accredited training provider.

Accreditation and memberships

PADI courses are recognized, recommended and cited by the institutions and organizations listed below for both recreational diving and vocational training.

PADI courses[ clarification needed ] are recommended for college credit in the US by ACE. [35] PADI is a member of the United States Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC). [36]

Recognition's and equivalencies has been established between PADI and Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques, [37] the Colombian Navy, [38] and Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins (FFESSM). [39] PADI is also a registered training organisation in Australia. [34] As of 2012, PADI rescue diver and divemaster programs are included on the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive list of approved diving qualifications. [40]

Those PADI courses aligning with standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for 'Recreational diving services' were audited by the European Underwater Federation (EUF) Certification Body in 2004 and 2009, and were certified at both times as complying with these standards. [41] [ failed verification ] The relevant certifications may include:

Most PADI training programes are not directly covered by ISO standards.

PADI is a member of the following member councils of the World Recreational Scuba Training Councilthe RSTC Canada, the RSTC Europe and the C-Card Council (Japan). [36] [42] [43] [44]

Business strategy

PADI is recognised as the largest recreational diver training agency with the largest rate of issue of diver certification, and the largest membership of professional instructors and dive leaders in recreational diving. They are a for-profit organization focused on efficiency of training of the largest number of customers.

To gain membership of PADI, a person must agree to follow PADI training standards, be reviewed by PADI for quality assurance, sign the membership agreement and pay the annual membership dues, for which they are allowed to buy PADI course materials, resell them to their customers, and use the PADI trademarks and logos for marketing their services. [45]

In early 2024 PADI dive centres in Africa and the Middle East were prohibited from offering scuba diving training with certification from any agency other than PADI. [46]

Marketing

PADI marketing puts an emphasis on convenience, fun and continued attendance on PADI courses. Risk management is largely by limitations on the certified diver's recommended range of acceptable environmental and equipment options and providing profitable additional training programmes to extend these options by small increments.

PADI offers dive shops and training centers the opportunity to affiliate with the PADI brand by becoming a member of the PADI Retailer and Resort Association (PADI RRA) which is a worldwide group of dive shops and resorts committed to selling PADI products and promoting the PADI diving and marketing philosophy. PADI Worldwide, Inc., contracts directly with member dive shops, to join the RRA, and PADI Americas, Inc., administers the RRA in the United States. [45]

A PADI 5 Star Dive Center is a dive centre that exclusively offers PADI training and certification, has been a PADI dive centre for at least 12 months, with no verified violations of PADI quality assurance over that period and no open QA investigations, and have been awarded all three of PADI's dive centre recognition awards (the criteria for which do not appear to be publicly available). The centre must also advertise to recruit and retain customers. The centre must have provided at least one course each of Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, and Divemaster or Assistant Instructor, in the previous year, and provide diving activities or travel apart from training. There is no mention or guarantee of better quality service compared to any other dive centre. [47]

A PADI Elite Instructor is a PADI instructor with no verified QA violations who certifies more than a specified number of divers per year. [47]

Quality assurance

According to a statement by an attorney for PADI, PADI issues disclaimers on various documents, saying member shops are not agents of PADI, and PADI is no more than a professional organisation and certifying agency, and its members operate independently, and PADI is therefore not responsible for their actions or omissions. [48]

In a civil case in Missoula, Montana, where PADI Open Water Diver Linnea Mills drowned during a PADI course where the PADI dive shop and PADI instructor allegedly contravened both PADI training standards, PADI business practices, and several other procedures generally considered safe recreational diving practice, PADI's argument that Gull Dive and their staff were neither its agents nor employees, and that it could not be held responsible for the death of a client of Gull Dive was overruled by a judge, who stated that PADI exerted control over Gull Dive and its instructors by way of its membership agreement, which obliged members to follow its standards and instructions. [49] [45]

Specialty training

Adaptive Support Diver

Adaptive Support Diver is a course for divers who Want to support a dive buddy with a physical or mental barrier to full independence as a recreational diver, and must rely on some support from one or more support divers for acceptable safety. The training is targeted on increasing the support diver's awareness of the challenged diver's abilities and limitations, and how to effectively assist in their management. Prerequisites are Open Water Diver, in date Emergency First Response primary and secondary care, and recommended PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy. The course covers diving with people with reduced mobility and supporting divers who are blind or have less obvious disabilities, and focuses on what disabled people can do, to help the support diver understand the use of adaptive techniques. [50]

Affiliates and sponsorships

Since 2009, PADI and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have maintained a mutual support partnership. [51] In Canada, PADI sponsors the Scouts Canada Scuba Program. [52] Affiliates include:

Citations in professional literature

PADI's instructional methodology is cited in EDUCAUSE's 2012 book, Game Changers: Education and Information Technologies regarding badges as "a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, quality, or interest. From the Boy and Girl Scouts to PADI diving instruction, to the more recently popular geolocation game Foursquare, badges have been successfully used to set goals, motivate behaviors, represent achievements, and communicate success in many contexts." [56]

PADI's environmental emphasis is cited in the 2007 book, New Frontiers in Marine Tourism, in its section, Dive Tourism, Sustainable Tourism and Social Responsibility: A Growing Agenda – Environmental management and education: the case of PADI, (Chapter Seven). "PADI, as well as other diver certification organisations and individual businesses, has put significant resources into conservation and developed public awareness programs". [57]

New Frontiers in Marine Tourism also cites in the section entitled Student Scholarships and Social Responsibility: A Growing Agenda for PADI, that "The PADI Scholarship program … is a good example of the way that various disparate parts of an industry, each with limited resources, can pool their efforts to help more people from developing countries to enter the diving profession… PADI recognizes that good relations with the involvement of local people is essential both to business development and to environmental protection. The scholarship scheme makes entry into the dive business more possible for some students who have the backing of their dive center." [57]

See also

Notes

  1. PADI awards their Master Scuba Diver Recognition to a diver who completes:
    • Advanced Open Water Diver course or equivalent
    • PADI Rescue Diver course, with Emergency First Response course
    • any Five different PADI specialty diving courses additional to Rescue Diver and EFR
    • Logs 50 dives
  2. A system of learning based on the learner performing tasks to demonstrate knowledge and skills
  3. Skills useful for reducing risk to the divers themselves.
  4. Skills helpful for assisting another diver.
  5. General diving skills beyond the minimum necessary for acceptable personal safety in benign conditions – more advanced than basic entry level requirements.
  6. In reality, night and cavern diving do not imply cold water.
  7. Basic ecological awareness and how to avoid doing direct environmental harm.
  8. Introductory experiences with more complex scuba equipment, no certification.

Related Research Articles

A divemaster (DM) is a role that includes organising and leading recreational dives, particularly in a professional capacity, and is a qualification used in many parts of the world in recreational scuba diving for a diver who has supervisory responsibility for a group of divers and as a dive guide. As well as being a generic term, 'Divemaster' is the title of the first professional rating of many training agencies, such as PADI, SSI, SDI, NASE, except NAUI, which rates a NAUI Divemaster under a NAUI Instructor but above a NAUI Assistant Instructor. The divemaster certification is generally equivalent to the requirements of ISO 24801-3 Dive Leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational diver training</span> Training process for people who do not dive at work

Recreational diver training is the process of developing knowledge and understanding of the basic principles, and the skills and procedures for the use of scuba equipment so that the diver is able to dive for recreational purposes with acceptable risk using the type of equipment and in similar conditions to those experienced during training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational diving</span> Diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment

Recreational diving or sport diving is diving for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment, usually when using scuba equipment. The term "recreational diving" may also be used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of recreational diving which requires more training and experience to develop the competence to reliably manage more complex equipment in the more hazardous conditions associated with the disciplines. Breath-hold diving for recreation also fits into the broader scope of the term, but this article covers the commonly used meaning of scuba diving for recreational purposes, where the diver is not constrained from making a direct near-vertical ascent to the surface at any point during the dive, and risk is considered low.

Scuba Schools International (SSI) is a for-profit organization that teaches the skills involved in scuba diving and freediving, and supports dive businesses and resorts. SSI has over 3,500 authorized dealers, 35 regional centers, and offices all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Open Water Diver</span> Recreational scuba diving certification slightly above minimum entry level

Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD) is a recreational scuba diving certification level provided by several diver training agencies. Agencies offering this level of training under this title include Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and Scuba Schools International (SSI). Other agencies offer similar training under different titles. Advanced Open Water Diver is one step up from entry level certification as a beginner autonomous scuba diver. A major difference between Autonomous diver equivalent Open Water Diver (OWD) certification and AOWD is that the depth limit is increased from 18 to 30 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuba Diving International</span> Recreational diver training and certification agency

Scuba Diving International (SDI) is a Scuba training and certification agency. It is the recreational arm of Technical Diving International, a technical diver training organization.

The World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to creating minimum recreational diving training standards for the various recreational scuba diving certification agencies across the world. The WRSTC restricts its membership to national or regional councils. These councils consist of individual training organizations who collectively represent at least 50% of the annual diver certifications in the member council's country or region. A national council is referred to as a RSTC.

Master Scuba Diver (MSD) is a scuba diving certification or recognition level offered by several North American diver training agencies, such as the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Diving International (SDI), and Scuba Schools International (SSI). Other agencies offer similar programs under other names, such as "Elite Diver". Each of these agencies touts their program at this level as the highest, non-leadership program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diver certification</span> Certification as competent to dive to a specified standard

A Diving certification or C-card is a document recognizing that an individual or organization authorized to do so, "certifies" that the bearer has completed a course of training as required by the agency issuing the card. This is assumed to represent a defined level of skill and knowledge in underwater diving. Divers carry a qualification record or certification card which may be required to prove their qualifications when booking a dive trip, hiring scuba equipment, having diving cylinders filled, or in the case of professional divers, seeking employment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Water Diver</span> Entry-level autonomous diver certification for recreational scuba diving

Open Water Diver (OWD) is an entry-level autonomous diver certification for recreational scuba diving. Although different agencies use different names, similar entry-level courses are offered by all recreational diving agencies and consist of a combination of knowledge development (theory), confined water dives and open water dives (experience) suitable to allow the diver to dive on open circuit scuba, in open water to a limited depth and in conditions similar to those in which the diver has been trained or later gained appropriate experience, to an acceptable level of safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diver training</span> Processes to develop the skills and knowledge to dive safely underwater

Diver training is the set of processes through which a person learns the necessary and desirable skills to safely dive underwater within the scope of the diver training standard relevant to the specific training programme. Most diver training follows procedures and schedules laid down in the associated training standard, in a formal training programme, and includes relevant foundational knowledge of the underlying theory, including some basic physics, physiology and environmental information, practical skills training in the selection and safe use of the associated equipment in the specified underwater environment, and assessment of the required skills and knowledge deemed necessary by the certification agency to allow the newly certified diver to dive within the specified range of conditions at an acceptable level of risk. Recognition of prior learning is allowed in some training standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diving instructor</span> Person who trains and assesses underwater divers

A diving instructor is a person who trains, and usually also assesses competence, of underwater divers. This includes freedivers, recreational divers including the subcategory technical divers, and professional divers which includes military, commercial, public safety and scientific divers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency Response Diving International</span> American organisation for training and certification of emergency response divers

Emergency Response Diving International claims to be the largest organization devoted to training emergency response divers in public safety diving (PSD). It was founded in Orlando, Florida in 2000 by Scuba Diving International in response to a high accident rate in the training of emergency response divers. The earliest lessons held by it were attended by almost 24 police officers, firefighters, and volunteers from the United States. Mitch Skaggs was one of the instructors at the founding of the organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebreather Association of International Divers</span> Recreational diver training and certification agency

Dive RAID International is a dive training organization which was founded in 2007 to support diver training for the Poseidon Mk VI Discovery Rebreather. It has since extended its scope to include open circuit scuba training and training for both recreational and technical diving sectors as well as snorkeling and freediving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autonomous diver</span> International minimum standard for entry level recreational scuba diver certification

Autonomous diver is an international minimum standard for entry-level recreational scuba diver certification. It describes the minimum requirements for basic training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24801-2 and the equivalent European Standard EN 14153-2. Various organizations offer training that meets the requirements of the Autonomous Diver standard. A certification which corresponds to Autonomous Diver allows for independent diving with a dive buddy in open water. Most training organizations do not recommend exceeding a depth of 18 or 20 meters at this level of certification. After completion of this certification the training can be extended to a dive leader to ISO 24801-3 or an intermediate not defined by international standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supervised diver</span> Minimum requirements for a recreational diver to dive in open water under direct supervision

Supervised diver specifies the training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24801-1 and the equivalent European Standard EN 14153-1. Various diving organizations offer diving training that meets the requirements of the Supervised Diver. A diving certification which corresponds to the Supervised Diver allows for recreational diving under the direct supervision of a divemaster or recreational diving instructor in open water. Most diving organizations recommend not to exceed a diving depth of 10 to 12 metres. After the successful completion of a training equivalent to the Supervised diver, training can be extended to the Autonomous diver certification level.

Dive leader is the title of an internationally recognised recreational diving certification. The training standard describes the minimum requirements for dive leader training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24801-3 and the equivalent European Standard EN 14153-3. Various organizations offer training that meets the requirements of the dive leader standard. Some agencies use the title "Dive Leader" for their equivalent certification, but several other titles are also used, "Divemaster" may be the most widespread, but "Dive Supervisor" is also used, and should not be confused with the very different status and responsibilities of a professional diving supervisor. CMAS affiliates certifications which meet the requirements of CMAS 3-star diver should meet the standard by default. The occupation of a dive leader is also known as "dive guide", and is a specialist application of a "tour guide".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Introductory diving</span> Non-certification scuba diving experience

Introductory diving, also known as introductory scuba experience, trial diving and resort diving are dives where people without diver training or certification can experience scuba diving under the guidance of a recreational diving instructor. Introductory diving is an opportunity for interested people to find out by practical experience at a relatively low cost if they would be interested in greater involvement in scuba diving. For scuba instructors and diving schools is it an opportunity to acquire new customers. An introductory diving experience is much less time-consuming and costly than the completion of autonomous diver training, but has little lasting value, as it is an experience program only, for which no certification is issued. Introductory scuba diving experiences are intended to introduce people to recreational diving, and increase the potential client base of dive shops to include people who do not have the time or inclination to complete an entry-level certification program.

Recreational diver course referral is a system intended to facilitate completion of training for open water recreational scuba diving students who intend to do their training dives at a place different from the venue for the theory and confined water training. Referral systems within a specific training agency were the original format, but as more universally recognised training standard such as those of the recreational Scuba Training Council, and more recently the ISO and EUF standards have been adopted by most training agencies, it has become possible to expand the system to function across agencies. Referrals within a certification agency are relatively uncontroversial as the agency training standards are expected to be fairly uniform. Cross-agency referrals can occasionally raise problems where the standards differ significantly, as the instructor completing the training may not be entirely familiar with the relevant s requirements.

Recreational scuba certification levels are the levels of skill represented by recreational scuba certification. Each certification level is associated with a specific training standard published by the certification agency, and a training programme associated with the standard., though in some cases recognition of prior learning can apply. These levels of skill can be categorised in several ways:

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