 | This article contains promotional content. (July 2014) |
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| Abbreviation | PADI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States |
Region served | International |
Membership | ~128,000 dive professionals, 6,600+ dive centers and resorts |
| Leader | Drew Richardson |
Parent organization | PADI Worldwide Corp.[1] |
| Affiliations | DSAT PADI AWARE Emergency First Response Current Publishing |
| Website | www |
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) is a recreational diving membership and diver training organization founded in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson.[2] PADI courses range from entry level to advanced recreational diver certification. Further, they provide several diving skills courses connected with specific equipment or conditions, some diving related informational courses and a range of recreational diving instructor certifications. They also offer various technical diving courses. As of 2020, PADI claims to have issued 28 million scuba certifications. The levels are not specified and may include minor specialisations.[3] Some of the certifications align with WRSTC and ISO standards, and these are recognised worldwide. Some other certification is unique to PADI and has no equivalence anywhere, or may be part of other agencies' standards for certification for more general diving skill levels.
- ^ "Company Overview of PADI Worldwide Corp". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ DAN News (2003-07-17). "PADI CEO & Co-Founder John Cronin Dies at Age 74". Divers Alert Network. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
- ^ "PADI Worldwide Corporate Statistics" (PDF). Professional Association of Diving Instructors. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2023.