A diver certification is a document carried by professional divers that recognizes the individual is authorized or certified after completing a specific course of training. To posses a diver certification is automatically assumed to represent a defined skill, ability, and knowledge in underwater diving. Professional divers carry this diver certification whenever required to prove their qualifications when going on a dive expedition, renting scuba diving equipment, filling diving cylinders, and so many other scenarios.
Although certifications are being issued by numerous recreational dive centers or dive training agencies, the entry level is not always comparable. Different venues of certification will have different entry requirements as well as for professionals. However, they are all claimed to allow the diver to develop their skills and grow from experience. As a recreational sport, scuba diving is mostly self regulated. However there are several different large scuba diving organizations that train to certify divers and have been recognized for that purpose. Today, most dive centers and dive shops use this as proof of legitimate scuba training.
These dive training agencies work by training and certifying an individual to instruct through a followed syllabus and professional teaching methods that will eventually give that individual the authority to certify divers. In addition to catering to all diver levels, the diver training agency also regulates the sport as a whole a nd represent diving professionals such as dive instructors, divemasters, and dive operators.
The Scuba certification levels
Professionally recognized as the Open Water Diver course, it is the entry-level autonomous diver certification for recreational scuba diving. All recreational diver training agencies offer this entry-level course that includes knowledge development (theory), confined water dives (also known as practical training at a limited depth), and open water dives (the experience).
Professionally recognized as Advanced Open Water Diver course, this scuba diving certification is a program that requires training and dive experience based on prerequisites of specific recreational diver training agencies.
The Rescue Diver certification course is provided by several diver training agencies that emphasizes on the responsibility of a diver in need, emergency response, and diver rescue. Following the Advanced Open Water Diver course, rescue diver certification is mostly treated as a specialty course than a mainstream certification. However, it is still opted by many dive training agencies in the certification structure.
Professionally recognized as Divemaster, it is a recreational diving role where the individual is certified to organize detailed recreational dives and lead the expedition. This certification is used throughout most of the recreational scuba diving world for a diver to have supervisory responsibility of a group dive. The title is the first professional ranking of most diver training agencies.
A certified dive instructor is an individual who trains other aspiring underwater divers. The title specializes in demonstrating and engaging discussions with an individual student or in groups about safe scuba diving practices in order for them to feel confident in basic diving skills.