About PADI
In 1966 , Ralph D. Erickson and John Cronin founded the PADI diver training organization, with Erickson serving as its first president.
In 1971 , Cronin and Erickson decided to move the association to California in order to ensure its better development. Erickson then decided to stay in Chicago and left the management to his friend Cronin.
PADI is primarily a commercial activity. Its affiliates, including dive centers, schools, instructors and divemasters , certify the majority of recreational divers in the world. It issues approximately 946,000 licenses each year. PADI has sold operating rights to licensed companies, with offices in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States . Its world headquarters, PADI Worldwide, is located in California . At the professional level, there are approximately 100,000 members, 4,300 dive centers, and this in more than 175 countries. Translation of educational materials is available in more than 20 languages. PADI certification dominates the world market and alone occupies more than 50% of the “recreational” diving market (not scuba diving in general).
The association offers training, qualifying or not, depending on the country, in particular:
- PADI Discover Scuba Diving (Try Dive)
- PADI Scuba Diver
- PADI Open Water Diver (autonomous diver up to 18 meters)
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (advanced autonomous diver up to 30 or 40 meters deep depending on the choice of specialties)
- PADI Rescue Diver (diving rescue qualification)
- PADI Master Scuba Diver (confirmed autonomous diver in 5 different specialties)
- Deep Diver
- Underwater Navigator (navigation sous-marine)
- PADI Divemaster (dive guide)
- PADI Assistant Instructor
- PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
- PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer