Scuba certification levels, in order

How scuba certification levels work

Every recreational training agency organizes its courses as a ladder. Each rung has prerequisites: a minimum age, a certification you must already hold, and sometimes a number of logged dives. Each rung also comes with limits, such as how deep you are trained to go and whether you need a professional with you.

The names change slightly from agency to agency, but the structure is the same at PADI, SSI, NAUI and the others. The ages and depths on this page follow the most common standards; your agency's current standards are the final word, and they are updated from time to time. If you are still deciding which agency to train with, our comparison of PADI, SSI and NAUI explains the differences.

Before certification: the try dive

A try dive (PADI calls it Discover Scuba Diving; other agencies use names like Try Scuba) is a short, supervised experience. After a briefing and some practice in shallow water, an instructor takes you on a shallow dive and stays within arm's reach the whole time.

A try dive is not a certification. It does not let you dive without a professional. It is a good way to find out whether you enjoy breathing underwater before committing to a full course, and some schools will credit part of it toward Open Water training.

The recreational levels

1. Scuba Diver (optional halfway point)

   From age 10 · to 12 m / 40 ft · with a professional

   Some agencies offer a shorter rating that covers the first part of the Open Water course. You can dive, but only under the direct supervision of a dive professional. It is useful when time is short; you can upgrade to Open Water later.

2. Open Water Diver

   From age 10 · to 18 m / 60 ft · with a buddy

   The full beginner certification and the one most people mean when they say "certified." You can rent equipment, fill tanks and dive with a certified buddy, without a professional, in conditions similar to those you trained in. Divers aged 10 and 11 have tighter limits, usually 12 m / 40 ft with a parent or professional.

3. Advanced Open Water Diver

   From age 12 · to 30 m / 100 ft

   Five dives, each introducing a different kind of diving. A deep dive and an underwater navigation dive are almost always required; you choose the other three. It is less "advanced" than the name suggests: you can start it straight after Open Water.

4. Rescue Diver

   From age 12 · first aid and CPR training needed

   Rescue training shifts your attention from yourself to the people around you. You practice recognizing stress, responding to a tired or panicked diver, and managing an emergency until help arrives. Most agencies also require current first aid and CPR training.

5. Specialty courses

   Any time after Open Water

   Specialties go deeper into one subject: enriched air nitrox, deep diving, wreck, night, drift, dry suit, underwater photography, peak performance buoyancy and many more. Several specialties plus a set number of logged dives can earn an "elite" recreational rating, such as Master Scuba Diver.

The professional levels

1. Divemaster

   From age 18 · Rescue Diver · logged dives required

   The first professional rating. Divemasters guide certified divers and assist instructors with classes. Training is longer and more demanding than any recreational course, and you need a substantial number of logged dives to finish.

2. Instructor

   From age 18 · Divemaster or equivalent · more logged dives

   Instructors teach and certify divers. Becoming one means completing an instructor development course and passing an evaluation run by the agency, not by your own trainer.

Depth limits at a glance

Depth limits are training limits, not just rules for the sake of rules. Deeper dives use your air faster, shorten the time you can stay down without decompression stops, and make nitrogen narcosis more likely. Each course trains you for the depths it covers.

Younger divers have lower limits at every level. Check your agency's standards for the exact numbers for your age.

Which level should you take next?

If you have never dived, start with Open Water certification. If you have a card but feel rusty, a refresher session is a better next step than a new course. If you are comfortable in the water and want to see deeper wrecks and reefs, Advanced Open Water is the natural follow-on. If you dive often with friends or family, Rescue Diver is the course that will help you look after them.

Whichever level you choose, the quality of your training depends on the school. Our guide to choosing a dive school covers what to ask before you pay, and our scuba training FAQ answers the questions new divers ask most.