Getting Certified!

PADI Certification Cards
– The world is your oyster –

Getting certified will be one of the best choices you make! It opens you up to a completely new unexplored environment, full of colour, and life. Getting your dive license can be quite intimidating to most however it really is the complete opposite. It is to teach you all about diving, the equipment and open up a complete new world to explore. Many people think it is a very dangerous sport; it is an extreme sport but when you know and can predict problems, plan and stick to tables and standards and how to react in situations most of the time diving is fairly safe.

Myth: diving is scary. This is a complete myth! For most people including myself, being underwater is so calming and happy. You are easily distracted by the fish so most worries disappear quickly!

There are many global organisations offering dive licenses in which instructors teach through. Depending on which country you are in different organisations are more popular. In The UK BSAC is the predominant certification organisation, in Germany, CMAS is more popular and through Asia and Australasia PADI or SSI are more powerful. Depending on which instructor you ask you will get a different response as to which organisation is better. In my opinion, CMAS is more of a Navy standard of training, PADI and SSI for a customer are relatively the same; only minor differences in the skills and teachings. In the end, it is down to your instructor. To get certified you should find a dive shop that offers the highest standard of instructors and equipment. Every instructor has their own way of teaching and some even ‘cut corners’, so be sure the dive shop has a high standard of excellence.

In PADI there are a minimum of 4 major certifications to enable a diver to receive master diver status or to then continue education to become a professional.

The first level is called the open water certification, this teaches students all about the equipment, the rules and standards of basic diving, goes through a set of skills in confined and open water to enable the students to relax in uncomfortable situations and know how to react in the safest manner. For example, taking your mask off underwater, replacing an clearing.

The next PADI/SSI level is the advanced open water certification, in my opinion this is an experience level, you have to do 5 specialities with 3 compulsory; underwater navigation, deep diving and … from here you can choose form a long list of specialities including wreck, underwater photography and peak performance buoyancy.

When you feel your ready to take more leadership and control underwater the rescue course is a definite recommendation. In my opinion it is the most fun course but is very practical in teaching you how to potentially save someones life in and around the water; very useful for everyone to know basic first aid.

To take your education further you can either specialise and do a master diver program or become a professional; which will definitely change your life. If you dream of a career that is unique, challenging, fun and allows you to work in crazy exotic locations, why not take your hobby further and become an instructor. Not only do you get the best office in the world but you also have the satisfaction of transforming lives by teaching others to dive and opening up a new world to them.