Scuba diving is one of the most popular water sports in the world. The scuba industry continuously grows with the creation of scuba shops and training schools. The sport has attracted both the young and old from various parts of the world. As long as you can afford the high costs of scuba diving and the time it takes to learn the sport, scuba diving is not impossible. Anyone who is not ill and is relatively fit can learn to scuba dive.
There are a number of scuba diving organizations in the world, including the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), Scuba Schools International (SSI), and Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). PADI is the largest dive training and certification agency in the world.
School and Program Types
Registered diving schools and certified training agencies have the right to award a student an Open Water Diver Certification. The certification allows the holder the right to scuba dive, along with dive buddies, without the assistance of a professional.
Diving schools offer different kinds of programs. Depending on the level of knowledge and other physical factors, training schools gauge the capacity of students and set standards for them to reach. When a student completes a scuba diving program, he or she is given a certification that serves as a license to dive.
Scuba courses are offered at a variety of levels, ranging from novice to expert. The different kinds of programs involve advanced open water, enriched air nitrox, rescue diver, specialty courses, emergency first response (EFR), and master scuba diver.
Certification Requirements
An Open Water program enrollee should be older than 14 years old. Anyone younger is offered a Junior Open Water program and should always be supervised by a licensed adult diver. Upon the successful completion of the program, the training school gives the diver the certification to dive. Dive instructors teach students various scuba diving terms, fundamental scuba diving techniques, or specialized scuba diving techniques, depending on the level of training program taken.