About PADI Dive Centers and Resorts

PADI Five Star Dive Centers are progressive dive shops that provide a full range of PADI scuba diving education programs, equipment selection and experience opportunities, while encouraging aquatic environmental responsibility. These businesses excel in providing quality services to divers, present a professional image and actively promote the benefits of recreational scuba diving, snorkeling, dive travel, and environmental protection. PADI Five Star Dive Centers embrace the PADI System of diver education and offer regular continuing education programs to ensure divers have the opportunity to advance their skills and knowledge. These dive businesses are active in the community and are committed to providing customer satisfaction along with great dive experiences.

PADI Five Star Dive Resorts excel in providing traveling scuba divers with memorable scuba diving experiences by providing professional and outstanding service. These dive operations are progressive PADI Resorts that offer the full range of PADI scuba programs, have a good equipment selection and offer dive activities that promote aquatic environmental responsibility. PADI Five Star Dive Resorts are committed to providing quality diver training and continuing education programs that include dive experiences and environmental awareness. These dive businesses often cater to the traveling diver, but are also active in the local community promoting the benefits of recreational scuba diving and snorkeling.

PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centers (Five Star IDCs) are dive centers that meet all PADI Five Star Dive Center standards, plus offer PADI instructor-level training. Five Star IDCs have at least one PADI Course Director on staff and are committed to offering PADI Instructor Development Courses and continuing education opportunities to dive professionals. These businesses excel in using the PADI System of diver education to introduce people to scuba diving, and then provide the continuing education that allows individuals to progress on to the dive professional level. If your goal is to become a PADI Scuba Instructor, find a PADI Five Star IDC to start earning the world’s most recognized and desired professional scuba rating.

PADI Five Star Instructor Development Dive Resorts are dive resorts that meet all PADI Five Star Dive Resort standards, plus offer PADI instructor-level training. With a PADI Course Director on staff, these dive businesses offer PADI Instructor Development Courses and continuing education opportunities to dive professionals. Located in resort areas, these businesses often cater to travelers and can introduce people to scuba diving, then provide all the training up through the dive professional level. If your goal is to become a PADI Scuba Instructor, find a PADI Five Star Instructor Development Dive Resort to start earning the world’s most recognized and desired professional scuba rating.

The PADI 5 Star Career Development Center (CDC) classification is awarded to PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centers and Five Star Instructor Development Dive Resorts that dedicate their businesses to professional development for dive instructors. These dive shops meet the highest requirements for training PADI Professionals and offer career-oriented programs to prepare scuba diving professionals for employment in the dive industry, as well as offer job placement assistance for program graduates. PADI Five Star CDCs are committed to excellence and provide divers with the opportunity to live the dive lifestyle and Go PROSM.

PADI Dive Centers are professional businesses that engage in the retail sale of recreational scuba diving equipment and instruction. These dive shops use the PADI System of diver education to offer courses up through the PADI Divemaster level. Local and visiting scuba divers will find the services they need at a PADI Dive Center, including scuba equipment rental and repair, compressed gas sales, scuba diving and snorkeling activities, and travel opportunities.

PADI Dive Resorts are dive operators who cater to vacationing scuba divers and snorkelers with activities like scuba and snorkel instruction, Discover Scuba Diving experiences, guided scuba diving tours, snorkeling excursions and scuba equipment rentals. Other services may include dive equipment sales as well as various watersports activities in addition to scuba diving. Resort dive operators are typically located in resort areas and may be directly affiliated with hotels and resorts offering accommodations to the traveling diver.

PADI Dive Boats are dive vessels that take customers on recreational scuba dives or snorkeling excursions. Dive boats may offer scuba diving or snorkeling instruction and Discover Scuba Diving experiences, along with dive equipment rentals, gas fills and other watersports activities.

PADI Recreational Facilities operate a business with a body of water that can be used for recreational snorkeling or scuba diving, or offer PADI courses through established health clubs, purpose-built scuba diving facilities, or similar recreational facilities. PADI Recreational Facilities cater to local recreational scuba diving businesses, recreational divers and snorkelers while providing dive support services, such as gas fills, dive equipment rental and repair and underwater scuba training platforms.

The PADI TecRec Center rating is awarded to PADI Dive Centers and Resorts that teach PADI technical diving courses. With a PADI TecRec Instructor on staff, these dive businesses can offer technical open-circuit training, tec sidemount courses or tec programs for Closed-Circuit Rebreather (CCR) diving.

PADI Eco Center is granted to PADI Dive Centers, Resorts and Liveaboards that demonstrate a dedication the core values of conservation and dive industry sustainability. Each is involved with citizen science, policy advocacy and conservation education with PADI AWARE Foundation, whilst exhibiting low environmental impact across a wide range of business functions, including water conservation, energy use, use of sustainable materials and environmental diving standards. PADI Eco Center identifies dive businesses that care about the environment and are acting to protect it.

100% AWARE Dive Centers and Resorts are committed to engaging divers in education and conservation efforts, and ensure all their student divers receive the AWARE Foundation version of the PADI certification card. All donations received support ocean protection efforts and actions worldwide.

A PADI Adaptive Service Facility is an operation that has invested in comprehensive operational services and infrastructure that meet the needs of divers with physical, psychological or mental challenges to promote inclusivity in its diver training programs and other dive activities. This includes, but is not limited to: staff trained specifically in adaptive diving techniques and support; providing training for those who want to learn more about those adaptive techniques and adaptive support; having accessible retail and classroom floors as well as accessible pool and boat decks.

PADI Swim Schools are PADI Dive Centers and Resorts that offer an internationally recognized swim instruction program in affiliation with Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI). The PADI Swim School program offers state-of-the-art swim lessons that follow a similar philosophy to PADI Courses in that they are designed to meet the learning needs of each individual student and progress only as the student is ready for the next step.