Scuba Diving Training 

NAUI, the National Association of Underwater Instructors, is also one of the largest scuba diver certification schools in the world with training courses that are touted as being ideal for beginners who want to take up diving as a sport. NAUI certification classes have a similar structure to the PADI programme, and like PADI also offer a technical scuba diving section, as well as several specialised classes, such as night diving, underwater recovery, ice diving and underwater photography and archaeology.

The Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE) was designed to provide to promote consistency and quality among commercial scuba diving schools and training centres, as well as to enhance communication between these schools and centres and various local and state authorities and businesses. The ACDE also ensures that commercial diving schools deliver the high standards and quality services maintained and required by other international scuba diving associations.

Once divers have completed the certification process and received a c-card, they remain certified for life and needn't undergo any other training, although they are advised to attend scuba diving refresher courses. Statistics show that up to 70% of certified scuba divers don't carry their training any further than the basic open water level; neither do they update their training with refresher courses. Many divers return to the sea years after they completed their scuba training courses and as a result place themselves and their diving partners in serious danger. Divers who wait years between dives loose their feel for the water and forget what it's like to be below the waves, they are prone to panic and can use their equipment incorrectly. Scuba diving refresher courses are relatively cheap compared to the initial course and are well worth the money.

Scuba diving certification course prices vary depending on the agency used and the location of the classes. Open water courses are generally more expensive than courses in a pool, and private tutors are more expensive than taking part in the courses offered by holiday resorts. The average cost for a scuba diving certification course is around $250, but divers still need to factor in the cost of water time, i.e. the time spent in the training pool or open water. All in all a scuba diving certification course should cost between $350 and $450.

A typical scuba diving certification will start with a basic class that covers equipment needed and care and use of equipment, most courses also require a lot of reading before divers are actually allowed in the water. In order to obtain certification, divers have to complete 4 or 5 open water dives, during which instructors will test them on all of the things they were supposed to have learnt over the duration of the scuba diving course, including clearing masks and buddy breathing. Once divers have proved to their instructors that they are capable of handling themselves underwater, they receive a certification card (c-card) and are free to buy or rent diving equipment and arrange expeditions to their hearts' desire.

In order to become a scuba diving instructor, applicants must meet a certain requirements, for instance, divers must be at least 18 years old with a clean bill of health from a certified medical practitioner with dive-related experience. Applicants for instructor training courses also need to have proof of first aid and/or CPR training, as well as proof that they have been scuba diving for a minimum of six months and have successfully completed around 100 dives.

While the jobs are undeniably cushy, becoming a scuba diving instructor isn't a lucrative career choice, most divers agree, however, that the perks more than make up for a low salary. Scuba dive instructors who are lucky enough to get jobs at coastal holiday resorts are usually offered free accommodation and meals, which means that they are able to save most of their salaries. They are also able to earn extra money by working in local scuba diving shops, so that they can afford instructor insurance, which is necessary when working with the public.

For anyone who is interesting in how to become a scuba diving instructor or who is just interested in diving as a subject, information is freely available on the web, as well as at most reputable sports shops. The scuba diving industry has experienced massive growth over the last decade or so, and doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon, which means that there has never been a better time to be a diving instructor.