PADI: Professional Association of Diving Instructors
PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving training organization, and a member of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council.
Who is PADI?
- More than forty years experience
- Over 133,500 PADI Professionals and more than 6,000 dive shops and resorts worldwide
- PADI training materials and services let you experience scuba diving from nearly anywhere
- Translations of PADI materials are available in at least 26 languages.
- PADI Divers carry the most respected and sought after scuba credentials in the world.
What is the PADI system?
- Composed of modules with standardized learning objectives divided into theory and practical skills development.
- Theory
o Mainly conveyed by way of self-study using books, computer based training using CD-ROM or online learning
o All study options are supplemented with video to help the student diver visualize what they have read
o Confirmation of the student diver’s level of mastery in standardized knowledge review sessions is carried out by a scuba instructor
- Practical skills
o Mastery is obtained through confined water training (pools or relatively shallow water) and performance evaluations in open water.
- Certification (a wallet-sized card and an optional Certificate) is issued upon completion of each course
PADI courses are performance based dive programs, and at the introductory level (eg.Discover Scuba) emphasize practical knowledge, safety and motor skills. The foundations of diving physics, physiology and chemistry are built during entry level programs (eg.Open Water Diver). The more esoteric details of these concepts are left for later courses (eg. Divemaster) when the diver has gained practical knowledge and experience beyond the entry level. These practices fall within current modern learning philosophies and receive regular updates via peer review.
Why PADI?
- Educational Difference
o Educational Materials
o Performance-Based Learning
- Educational Standards
o Certified compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for Recreational Diving Services
- Professional Quality
o Vocational Education Training
- Continued Adventures with the Scuba Diving Lifestyle
o PADI Scuba Courses (Range from entry level to specialties to instructor certifications)
- Environmental Responsibility
o Preserving the aquatic environment for future generations
o Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility & Education)
