PADI Diving
PADI Diving - When you first decide to scuba dive, you are inundated with a ton of information. This can be a bit overwhelming, sometimes even scary. But the key to it all is to take it one step at a time. Learn as much as you can, but don’t overwhelm your brain. One of the first things you may hear about when beginning to scuba dive is PADI diving. Most likely, you won’t know what PADI is and why it’s important to you, as an aspiring scuba diver. And that’s understandable, as PADI isn’t exactly common knowledge. Be prepared to be educated, as in this article, you’ll find all there is to know about PADI.
What is PADI?
PADI stands for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. This association was formed in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erikson. It was founded by Cronin and Erikson for the purposes of training aspiring scuba divers. Cronin and Erikson hoped to teach people how to safely scuba dive so that they could enjoy the sport. After 41 years, PADI has greatly expanded and is now the largest diving membership and diver training organization in the world.
What is A Part of PADI?
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors is not solely for beginners. Rather, it is for scuba divers of all ability levels. PADI is an organization that is a great tool in learning how to scuba dive, as well as a great organization to join. This is because being a PADI member can get you certain discounts and perks that you might not otherwise get as a scuba diver.
Where is PADI Located?
Since being founded in the late 60s, PADI has expanded its operations. You can now find PADI offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and Sweden. The headquarters for PADI are located in California. There are also PADI regional locations within many of these countries, so, chances are, there is a PADI location near you.
Certification from PADI
Scuba diving is one of those sports that requires certification in order to do it. All beginner scuba divers must go through a certification class in order to go scuba diving. PADI offers certification classes to beginners. By obtaining PADI beginner certification, you will be able to scuba dive. PADI also offers certification for intermediate and advanced beginners, as well as other classes aimed at improving the technique and ability of a scuba diver.
Here is a list of all certifications available from PADI, arranged in order of rank:
PADI Junior Scuba Diver
PADI Scuba Diver
PADI Junior Open Water Diver
PADI Open Water Diver
PADI National Geographic Diver
PADI Adventure Diver
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
PADI Rescue Diver
PADI Specialty Courses
PADI Master Scuba Diver
What are the Advantages of Being a PADI Member?
Being a PADI member has many advantages, some of which are:
Discounts on scuba gear, lessons and sessions. Most places that you could scuba dive at, as well as most shops, are part of PADI. As such, if you are a PADI member, you are often entitled to discounts on gear, lessons and more. This is a huge advantage as it can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
The PADI Name. When someone hears PADI, they think professionalism. Being a member of PADI can make you look more professional as a scuba diver, definitely a good thing if you decide to apply for a scuba diving job anywhere.
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