Some of our marine conservation programmes take participants beneath the waves to directly support the protection of ecosystems around the world. Where diving is a core part of a programme, our participants can obtain an internationally recognised diving qualification.
The governing body of the diving qualification you could earn with Projects Abroad depends on which incredible destination you choose to visit:
- Fiji : Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
- Thailand: Scuba Schools International (SSI)
- Spain: Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)
These are all internationally recognised diving qualifications, so what are the similarities and differences between them? Read on to find out.
Something to know… when joining a relevant marine conservation project, all costs associated with your diving qualifications are included in the price of your project!
PADI vs SSI vs CMAS: The similarities of all three
All three agencies are globally recognised and accepted, meaning that you can dive and rent equipment at a PADI facility with an SSI or CMAS qualification, and vice versa.
This also means that you can move between agencies as you advance your qualification. As an example, you could become a 1-Star Diver with CMAS and later complete a PADI Advanced Open Water qualification without repeating any of the basics. This is usually the case until you reach the high-level, professional qualifications.
| PADI | SSI | CMAS |
| Open Water Diver | Open Water Diver | One-Star Diver (CMAS*) |
| Advanced Open Water Diver | Advanced Open Water Diver | Two-Star Diver (CMAS**) |
| Rescue Diver | Stress & Rescue Diver | Three-Star Diver (CMAS***) |
Most importantly, they all follow the safety standards and guidelines outlined by both the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC). This means that no matter which you choose to go with, you know that your instructors are fully qualified, insured, and experienced.
There are also similarities in what you need to do to get these qualifications. To obtain the first level qualification, all three governing bodies require:
- a medical questionnaire – to make sure that you don’t have any health conditions that may impact your ability to dive
- a water fitness test – to ensure that you can swim and tread water (which, if you’re reading this, we assume you can)
- academic theory lessons – to provide you with the physics, safety, and gear knowledge
- closed pool practice – to put your skills to the test in safe and controlled conditions
- four supervised open water dives – exposing you to the conditions of open water diving with the support of the instructors
The main choice you have to make is which incredible destination you want to visit, and which qualification you’ll get as a result. Generally, there are no major differences in what you learn, how you learn it, or how hard it is to obtain. So, how do these qualifications differ at all?
PADI: a rigid structure for easy learning
The largest scuba diving certification institution worldwide, PADI issues more than a million new certifications every year.
Some consider it the most beginner-friendly qualification. This is because PADI qualifications are taught using a very rigid structure and specific teaching materials, ensuring everyone is learning at the same pace and from the same places. This rigid structure could be a positive or a negative depending on your learning style.
It also means that you know exactly what to expect when moving from one PADI instructor to another.
While all of the qualifications are globally recognised, PADI is the most well known, even in the most remote parts of the world. This could be beneficial if you are planning to travel the world while diving beyond your project with us.
One thing to think about is that PADI has a very strict set of resources that you must use to learn from, due to their rigid training structure. With us, the costs of these materials are already included as part of the project!
You can get this qualification in:
SSI: a more flexible option
SSi is one of the largest PADI alternatives worldwide, with a huge influence across Europe and Asia specifically. Their courses line up directly with PADI equivalents, making it really easy to jump between the two when building up your qualifications.
One of the major benefits to SSI is that many of their materials are available online through their app rather than through textbooks and worksheets (like PADI). This makes revision easier and access to course content a bit simpler.
SSI courses can also be more flexible and adaptive to the learner. This means individual instructors have more freedom to teach in a way that suits them and their students. If you feel like you need to spend more time on a particular subject or skill, you absolutely can! SSI is now challenging PADI’s reputation for being the best for beginners.
As a result of this flexibility, it can sometimes take a little longer to qualify with SSI if you need to repeat certain things several times. It also means that groups often move at the pace of the slowest student, but this does ensure you never forget the material!
One of the key benefits of SSI won’t be felt until you become a professional or instructor, but it is worth knowing now. SSI instructors can earn reward points for teaching diving courses, and these points can be used to reduce the cost of annual renewal fees. This is currently not an option for PADI instructors.
You can get this qualification in:
CMAS: a more local approach
CMAS is a particularly popular diving qualification in Europe with a slightly different organisational structure to PADI and SSI.
CMAS qualifications are often taught and provided by local, not-for-profit diving clubs rather than competitive diving shop businesses. This guarantees that your instructor is passionate about diving, not just making a living.
CMAS is also well known for having a slightly more rigorous and in-depth training regime when in the water. There is a huge emphasis on safety, navigation, problem solving, and fitness, which can produce more competent, independent divers. This only gets more intense as you increase in levels.
For example, a CMAS 2-Star certification includes emergency management and rescue skills as standard. The basics of these concepts are introduced in an SSI Advanced Open Water course, but they are not included at all in a normal PADI Advanced Open Water course and must be done as a separate course add-on.
This does mean, however, that CMAS courses don’t quite line up perfectly with qualifications from the other two options. While you can absolutely still move between organisations, you may occasionally find yourself repeating things you have already done.
Plus, since CMAS courses are delivered by local clubs and federations, there can be slight variations in diving practices and regulations. This is because different federations have different rules and requirements, such as dive depth or specific safety protocols.
You can get this qualification in:
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