Associations· Certifying organizations

PADI

SSI

NAUI

YMCA Scuba

PADI
Professional Association of Diving Instructors

PADI is the largest recreational diving organization in the world. It has over 180 thousand professionals, businesses engaged in diving activities, stores, academic institutions, divers, snorkelers and enthusiasts from other sports as members or partners. PADI’s professional dive centers, PADI Dive Centers y Resorts, and the independent instructors, train most recreational divers, issuing close to 1 million certificates each year. PADI has branches in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, aside from its headquarters in California, United States.

SSI
Scuba Schools International

Scuba Schools International has been around since 1970. This organization has created a training method whose main objective is forming safe and dependable divers. In 1999, SSI merged with the National Association of Scuba Diving Schools (NASDS) planning on integrating the SSI renowned educational systems with the sales and marketing expertise NASDS had created, focusing on the diving industry.

NAUI
National Association of Underwater Instructors

In order of importance, this is the third largest certifying organization. Members of this National Association have trained people in snorkeling and scuba diving all over the world since 1960.

YMCA Scuba
Asociación Cristiana de Jovenes · Scuba

Diving in the United States began with the development of the YMCA Scuba program. The first instructors received their certificates in Chicago in 1959. Since then, the YMCA has been training divers all over the world.