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Scuba Diving Certification
Training and the associated
scuba certification is a must for all scuba divers. Carrying a scuba
certification card assures others you have been trained to dive safely. A dive
shop/operator will require you to show your scuba certification card before
filling your tanks, renting you equipment or taking you a dive. A scuba
certification shows that you have proved that that you know how to use the
equipment, handle yourself underwater and know how to react in a wide range of
underwater situations.
The two most popular scuba
certification courses today are the NAUI Scuba Diver certification and the PADI
(Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
Scuba Diver certification. Either of these two certificates, and the courses it
take to get them, is an indication that you have meet minimum requirements and
are ready to dive. The PADI program is generally slightly less ‘involved’ and is
ideal for holidayers who just want to take a few supervised dives on a vacation.
The NAUI program is somewhat more involved and is ideal for a beginner taking up
scuba as a recreational sport, and may later wish to dive with friends
(unsupervised i.e. without a dive instructor accompanying them). After
completing the basic beginner level (‘open water’) of scuba training, both PADI
and NAUI offer further training and certification up to the advanced level.
Main PADI courses
available:
- Open Water Diver (the most popular and first level course to get qualified to
dive)
- Advanced Open Water Diver
- Emergency First Response
- Rescue Diver
- Master Scuba Diver
- Assistance Instructor
- Instructor Development course
- Instructor
There is also many 'themed
qualifications. Some examples are:
- Aware Fish Identification
- Aware Coral Reef Conservation
- Boat Diver
- Deep Diver
- Drift Diver
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Multi Level Diver
- Night Diver
- Search and Recovery-
- Underwater Naturalist
- Underwater Navigator
- Underwater Photographer
- Underwater video
- Wreck Diver
Do the smart thing - become qualified before you dive. Yours
and others lives may depend on it! |
