There are several main diving organizations offering courses from the beginners’ level to the professional. The The teaching techniques and materials content differ slightly. But, of course, PADI use different books and decompression tables than BSAC. Although PADI and BSAC courses teach pretty much the same and their levels are more or less equivalents, the cross-over from one course to another may be confusing due to the discrepancies in materials, different terms, etc. Usually, the main differences in courses are the length of the course and the price. However, every course is to help people enjoy and improve their diving.
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
- maximum depth: 12m
- pool or open water
- basic learning how to scuba dive
- minimum age: 15
- pool (5 dives) and open water (4 dives)
- theory: 5 sessions
- deep diving, wreck diving, underwater photography, underwater navigation altitude diving, night diving, etc.
- minimum age: 15
- requirements: PADI Open Water Diver certification
- open water (5 dives)
- the highest non professional level
- minimum age: 12
- requirements: PADI Rescue Diver or Junior Rescue Diver certification (or equivalent), five PADI Specialty Diver certifications
- expanding dive knowledge, dive leadership skills
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent), PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent), 20 logged dives
- theory: 12 topics
- course that allows to become a PADI Instructor
- requirements: PADI Assistant Instructor (or equivalent with 6-month experience), 60 logged dives (including night diving, deep diving and underwater navigation), CPR training within the last 2 years
- chosen specialty (Ice, Deep, Photography, Enriched Air Nitrox, etc.)
- requirements: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor with five PADI Specialty Instructor certifications, 25 PADI Divers trained
- gaining in-depth instructor knowledge
- becoming the an elite dive instructor
- requirements: IDC Staff Instructor certification, PADI Instructor certification for at least 2 years, current Emergency First Response certification, 150 PADI Divers trained
- highest rating among PADI courses
- requirements: all PADI certifications, experience working with a
- self-rescue, emergency management, in-water rescue breathing protocole, egress, etc.
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, automated external defibrillator training
- no minimum age limit
- no dive certification required
- minimum age: 8
- maximum depth: 2m
- pool
- minimum age: 8
- pool
- minimum age: 10
- minimum age: 12
- basic skills, safety skills, diving equipment, diving signals, non-decompression diving, etc.
- maximum depth: 20m
- pool (5 lessons) and open water (5 lessons)
- theory: 7 lessons
- rescue diving, decompression diving, use of blobs (surface marker buoys), compass navigation, etc.
- pool (1 lesson), open water (5 lessons) and dry (1 lesson)
- theory: 6 lessons
- dive leading, marshalling and rescue management, diving in different water conditions
- maximum depth: 35m
- open water (7 lessons), dry (2 lessons), 20 dives
- theory: 12 lessons
- further development of knowledge and skills
- open water (2 lessons), dry (2 lessons), 20 dives
- theory: 4 lessons
- high level of practical skills and knowledge, organizing and leading diving expeditions
- a course on the maintenance of diving equipment
- requirements:
- one day of classroom lessons
- correct procedures of dive planning and marshalling
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver certification
- two days of classroom lessons and practical activities
- correct techniques and practical experience of underwater search
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver certification (or equivalent)
- two days of classroom lessons, dry practice and open water practice
- completion of Dive Planning and Management, Search and Recovery, Compressor Operation and Equipment Care courses
- lifesaving proficiency (various rescue methods)
- minimum age: 12
- requirements:
- one day of theory and practical activities
- basics of first aid
- requirements: being a BSAC member
- one day of theory and practice
- rescue management skills
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver
- one day of theory and open water practice
- administration of oxygen in case of diving accidents
- requirements:
- one day of theory and practice
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver and Lifesaver certifications
- one day examination
- completion of Lifesaver, Advanced Lifesaver, Practical Rescue Management, First Aid for Divers, Oxygen Administration
- safety aspects of enriched air nitrox diving
- dive planning, decompression dives using enriched nitrox mixtures
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver and BSAC Nitrox Diver certifications (or equivalents)
- two days of theory and open water dives
- efficient and safe deep diving
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver certification, 20 dives with BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver qualification (or equivalent)
- maximum depths: 10m (1st dive), 20m (2nd dive), 50 (3rd dive)
- three days of theory and practice (3 dives)
- planning and conducting dives that require obligatory decompression, diving to a limit of 50m for the recreational sport mixed gas qualification or 60m for the normoxic sport mixed gas qualification
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver certification (or equivalent with a 35m depth certification), BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver and BSAC Extended Range Diver certifications, about 100 logged dives
- theory, dry lesson, pool and open water dives
- planning and conducting dives that require obligatory decompression, diving to a limit of 80m
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: BSAC Sports Diver certification (or equivalent with a 35m depth certification), BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver and BSAC Extended Range Diver certifications or BSAC Sport Mixed Gas Dicer certification (or equivalent), about 100 logged dives
- theory, dry lesson, pool and open water dives
- diving with semi-closed rebreathers and closed-circuit rebreathers, planning and conducting dives that require obligatory decompression, diving to a limit of 80m
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: BSAC Air Diluent Rebreather Diver certification, BSAC Advanced Nitrox Diver and BSAC Extended Range Diver certifications or BSAC Sport Mixed Gas Diver certification (or equivalent), about 100 rebreather dives
- theory, dry lesson, pool and open water dives
- skills in blending diving gas mixtures
- technical diving equipment and procedures
- minimum age: 18
- technical diving, gas switch, extended non-decompression diving
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Enriched Air Diver and PADI Deep Diver certifications (or equivalents), 50 logged dives
- technical diving, gas switch, extended non-decompression diving, decompression diving, accelerated decompression diving
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, PADI Enriched Air Diver, PADI Deep Diver certifications (or equivalents), 100 logged dives
- technical deep diving with trimix
- requirements: PADI Rescue Diver certification (or equivalent with proof of CPR and first aid training within the last 2 years), DSAT Tec Deep Diver certification (or equivalent), equipment requirements
- requirements: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification, five PADI Specialty Instructor certifications, 25 PADI Divers trained
- requirements: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification, PADI Enriched Air Diver, PADI Enriched Air Diver Instructor, PADI Deep Diver Specialty Course Instructor, DSAT Tec Deep Diver certifications (or equivalents), 100 logged dives
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: DSAT Tec Deep Instructor, renewed PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, DSAT Trimix Diver certifications, 200 logged dives, equipment requirements
- gas blending (enriched air nitrox mixtures, helium mixtures, etc.)
- minimum age: 18
- requirements: PADI Enriched Air Diver certification (or equivalent)
- requirements: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, PADI Enriched Air Instructor certifications, DSAT Gas Blender certification (or equivalent)