Personal or professional goals are the most important considerations when choosing Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) courses. PADI courses will teach a beginner how to dive, an intermediate diver how to improve their skills, and an advanced diver how to teach others how to dive. Some courses are designed for those who want to learn more, while others are designed for those who already know they want a certification. The availability of time is the next factor to consider. Some PADI courses are available online or in shorter versions with fewer skills. After completing the basic certification courses, there are a variety of interest-based courses available that provide skills and experience in a specific specialization.
PADI offers a Discover Scuba Diving course for beginners, which is designed to give inexperienced divers a taste of what it’s like to breathe underwater. While the Discover course is not required, it can be used to earn credit toward PADI certification courses such as PADI Scuba Diver or PADI Open Water Diver. The Open Water Certification course, which allows learners to become certified divers, is appropriate for confident beginners. At least five pool dives and four dives at dive sites are included in this PADI course. The PADI Scuba Diver course is a condensed version of the Open Water Certification course that provides students with a limited certification that allows them to dive under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course builds on existing skills while also developing new ones and increasing student confidence in the water. It requires completion of the PADI Open Water Diver course. This certification can also be obtained completing another PADI course, the Adventure Diver course. These PADI courses cover a wide range of topics, focusing on different specialties depending on the student’s preferences. The student will be eligible for the PADI Advanced Open Water certification after completing this PADI course and five adventure dives that meet certain requirements.
The PADI Rescue Diver course is the third level of PADI certification training, and it teaches students how to avoid diving problems and how to deal with them if they do occur. This PADI course is required for the PADI Master Scuba Diver certification, which is the highest non-professional level available. In addition to these certification PADI courses, students can take a variety of interest-related PADI courses to learn more about specific types of diving, such as wreck diving, photography, or videography.
Finally, PADI courses are available that prepare divers to teach others how to dive. A PADI Divemaster course is the first step toward becoming a professional diver. The Assistant Instructor and PADI Instructor courses follow. Beyond this level, PADI Instructor specialty courses are available to hone teaching skills in a variety of areas.