Posted by: Peter
on Apr 07, 2010
Scuba Certification Agencies
Certification agencies provide all levels of diver training, agencies also regulate and represent diving professionals such as divemasters and dive instructors, regulate dive operators, participate in research in dive medicine, promote marine conservation, and market diving as a sport.
The main difference between agencies is where they operate. Some agencies such as BSAC and CMAS are closely related to their countries of origin, while other agencies such as PADI are truly global organizations. All of the most popular agencies offer very similar courses from beginner through to professional level and will all recognize each other's qualifications at recreational level. Courses are quite similar and an open water certification from any agency will be recognized by dive operators worldwide.
Some of the more popular scuba diving certification agencies:
