PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors. The organization is the most important dedicated to scuba divers training. John Cronin (a U.S. scuba equipment salesman) founded it 50 years ago in Illinois. It was founded by John Cronin, a scuba equipment salesman from the United States, and Ralph Erickson. Erickson is a former water polo coach, champion swimmer and lifeguard. Both men were concerned by the current state in scuba diving instruction.
PADI is the world's largest dive organization
The largest scuba diving organization in the world, PADI offers certification courses for a variety of diving specialties and technical qualifications. PADI issued more than 25 million scuba certificates in 2017. Another scuba diving organization is SSI (or Scuba Schools International). Robert Clark, its founder, revolutionized diving training by creating a standard teaching curriculum. SSI was, in fact, the first organization to implement a full teaching curriculum with full motion video.
PADI's first meetings were held in Niles, Illinois and Morton Grove. Cronin later refinished part of his basement to become the headquarters for the company. Cronin also hired his neighbor to help him as a part time secretary and his younger son Brian to stuff the envelopes. The founders realized the importance of a structured educational program and began offering special diver courses as the organization grew. The organization was home to 400 members in the latter half of the 1960s.
It offers professional-level scuba dive courses
PADI offers professional-level scuba divership courses if you have been diving for a long time. But what is this certification? You should seriously consider a PADI Professional Level course if you are looking to change your career. This course is well worth your time. You can find out more about PADI Scuba Diving certifications below.
PADI, SSI and SSI offer courses at both the recreational and professional level. Both courses can be learned at your own pace and are flexible. PADI requires students to purchase manuals. SSI courses allow students the option of borrowing them once they have signed up. While both organizations offer online manuals and searchable databases to students, PADI requires that they purchase the actual cards. It is up to you to choose which one best suits you and your needs.
It has dive centers and resorts
PADI Dive Centers and Resorts offer the best diving experiences around. These institutions adhere to international regulations and local ordinances. In addition, they provide training at the most reasonable prices. The dive shop locator can help you locate one close to you. If you have already booked a vacation to dive, you can view the online availability calendar.
PADI is an international private company with offices in Australia and Canada. Their global network has more than 6,600 dive shops and 128,000 professionals. PADI issues more that 1 million certifications every year, and there are over 29,000,000 worldwide. PADI promotes exploration of the ocean through education, safety and adventure. The organization promotes environmental consciousness. The organization provides these experiences to encourage people from all walks and backgrounds to protect the ocean.