National Association of Underwater Instructors

National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
Founded	1959
Association headquarters	Riverview, Florida , USA
Homepage	www.naui.org

The National Association of Underwater Instructors , or NAUI for short , is one of the oldest diving associations in the world. Their goal is to make recreational diving safe through education and to create standards in the diving industry.

history

In the 1950s, when the diving on the West Coast became increasingly popular, Albert Tillman as a director who was Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation (parks and recreation areas in Los Angeles County ) operates. He noticed that more and more divers - without any knowledge - put themselves in life-threatening situations, which is why he set up a state-sponsored training and certification system for apnea and scuba divers . In 1955 the first diving instructor course was held to establish the training of civil divers beyond Los Angeles County. This created one of the first civil diving organizations known as Los Angeles County Certification . Following their example, shortly afterwards, in the USA, the diving programs of the Red Cross , the YMCA and others were set up.

Jim Auxie and Chuck Blakeslee published a diving magazine called Skin Diver Magazine from 1950 . In 1951, Neal Hess joined the editorial team and regularly wrote content on diving training, including a column entitled National Diving Patrol , in which the names of the newly certified diving instructors were published.

In 1960, Neal Hess, Jim Auxie and Chuck Blakeslee wanted to run an instructor course. In 1959 they got in touch with Albert Tillman and John C. Jones, who led the Red Cross diving program at the time. In the same year, the National Diving Patrol was renamed the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and the NAUI was renamed by Albert Tillman, John C. Jones, Neal Hess, Garry Howland (from the US Air Force ), Jim Auxier and James Cahill was baptized. In August 1960, the first 72 instructors were trained and certified by NAUI in Houston , Texas. The first board of directors consisting of the founding members, of which Tillman was President, was advised by an advisory committee consisting of Albert Behnke, George Bond, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Andy Rechnitzer.

The actor and active diver Lloyd Bridges was the first volunteer instructor of the NAUI and carried the in collaboration with Zale Parry and Albert Tillman, in the 1960s, largely through films and publications to popularize sport diving in general and the intent on the safety diver training at . Bridges combined hobby and profession, in which he played in television series and films in which diving played a central role, gave diving demonstrations and also created teaching aids, specialist books and films for diving training.

The 1960s and 70s were characterized by strong growth in the NAUI. In 1969 the first International Conference on Underwater Education (international conference for underwater education, ICUE for short, later IQ) was organized by NAUI in Santa Ana . The IQ conference is still one of the most important platforms for diving training and diving safety. In the 1970s, various branch offices outside the USA were set up, including NAUI Europe . In 1979 the certification of the 5,000th diving instructor was celebrated.

In 1981 the headquarters were relocated to Montclair , California. In 1992 NAUI was the world's first diving organization to include Nitrox training for recreational divers . In 1995 NAUI Worldwide was launched as an umbrella organization and central certification body for the national or regional NAUI associations. In 1997 the NAUI published minimum requirements for a standardization of the diving training of different diving organizations. These minimum requirements later led to the standards ISO 24801 and ISO 24802, which are now recognized by most diving organizations. In the same year, a training program for technical divers was introduced and the headquarters relocated to Riverview near Tampa in Florida .

Diving training for scuba divers

Skin Diver

• In this course, the diver should learn to dive apnea .
• Minimum age: 12 years.

Try scuba

• This is not a diving course, but an opportunity for interested laypeople to get a taste of diving . ( Trial diving )
• Includes two guided dives in the pool or confined water.
•  Complies with the ISO 11121 standard .
• Minimum age: 10 years.

Passport Diver

• This is not a diving course, but a possibility for participants who in the NAUI Try Scuba program min. have completed two open water dives to do more trial dives without having to repeat the pool dive.
• Minimum age: 10 years.

Scuba Diver

• The course is a basic diving training program in which student divers the scuba diving is to learn in open water.
• Complies with ISO 24801-2 ( Autonomous Diver ):

Experienced Scuba Diver

• This training allows divers who are certified with another diving organization to switch to the NAUI training system.
• Minimum age: 15 years
• Any diver training and at least 25 logged dives are required .

Advanced Scuba Diver

• This course is an advanced course.
• The course includes at least six open water dives .
  • Three dives include exercises for underwater navigation, night diving and deep diving to max. 40 meters.
  • The exchange student can choose from 14 special courses for three dives.
• Minimum age: 12 years
• The prerequisite is a completed basic diving training according to ISO 24801-2.

Master Scuba Diver

• This training is intended to raise diving skills and knowledge to the level of diving instruction.
• The course includes a minimum of eight open water dives.
  • Five dives include rescue exercises, decompression dives , limited visibility , underwater navigation, and search and recovery.
  • The student can choose any NAUI special training for three dives.
• Minimum age: 15 years
• A NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver or a comparable certification and your own diving equipment are required.

Specialty courses

NAUI has numerous special courses on offer:

• Advanced Skindiver (advanced freediver)
• Blackwater Rescue (rescue from blackwater rivers)
• Boat Diver (boat diver)
• Computer Assisted Diving (diving with a dive computer )
• Deep diver ( deep diving )
• Diving Accident Assessment (rescue and first aid )
• Dry suit diver (dry suit diving)
• Enriched Air Nitrox (oxygen-enriched breathing air / Nitrox , corresponds to the standard: ISO 11107)
• Equipment Repair & Maintenance (equipment and repair specialist)
• Fish Identification
• Helicopter Emergency Extraction Device (rescue by rescue helicopter )
• High Altitude Diver ( mountain lake diving )
• Industrial Orientation ( professional diver )
• Marine Naturalist (marine biology)
• Oxygen Administration ( oxygen operator )
• Public Safety Diver ( safety divers )
• River Diver ( drift diving )
• Scuba rescuediver ( rescue diver )
• Search and Recovery Diver
• Shark Ecology ( Haiökologie )
• Stingray Experience (Stage Bottles)
• Training Assistant (diving instructor assistant)
• Underwater Archeologist ( underwater archeology )
• Underwater Ecologist ( Biology and Ecology )
• Underwater Environment ( marine science , geology , biology , and ecology )
• Underwater Hunter and Collector ( Spearfishing )
• Underwater Modeling (underwater mapping)
• Underwater Photographer ( underwater photography )
• Wreck Diver (External Survey, wreck diving outside the wreck)

Professional diving training

Assistant instructor

• The Assistant Instructor (AI) training provides the didactic knowledge required to train beginners and advanced divers under the supervision of a diving instructor.
• corresponds to the ISO 24802-1 standard

• Minimum age: 18 years
• Requirements are at least 20 logged dives and a NAUI Master Scuba Diver and NAUI Scuba Rescue Diver certification or equivalent.

Divemaster

• The training to become a Divemaster (DM) should give a diver the skills and knowledge to lead a group safely as a diving guide . A NAUI Divemaster should also be able to support a diving instructor with training.
• In addition to group leadership, the course conveys all the knowledge about diving that is contained in the diving instructor training courses based on it. The didactic topics included in the diving instructor training are of course excluded .
• largely corresponds to the ISO 24801-3 standard ( Dive Leader )
• Minimum age: 18 years
• Requirements are at least 25 logged dives and a NAUI Master Scuba Diver - and a NAUI Scuba Rescue Diver certification or equivalent.

Instructor

• The NAUI Instructor Training Course (ITC) provides the instructor candidate with the skills to teach student divers and take exams.
• The NAUI Instructor Crossover Course (ICC) enables instructors from other diving organizations to be certified as NAUI Instructors .
• corresponds to the ISO 24802-2 standard
• The prerequisite for the ITC is a certification as a NAUI Assistant Instructor or NAUI Divemaster , which is not older than one year, and at least 50 logged dives.
• The prerequisite for the ICC is certification according to ISO 24802-2, at least 80 hours of experience as a diving instructor and at least 50 logged dives.

Instructor trainer

• The certification as an Instructor Trainer (IT) entitles the holder to take diving instructor exams under the supervision of a NAUI Examiner and can only be applied for by a NAUI Examiner and awarded by the NAUI Worldwide Training Department .
• The instructor trainer candidate learns the necessary knowledge at a so-called NAUI Instructor Trainer Workshop (TIW), which is led by a NAUI Course Director .
• A NAUI Staff Instructor certification is required.

Course Director / Course Director Trainer

• Course Director and Course Director Trainer is the highest certification from NAUI. It entitles you to certify diving instructors or course programs. There are only a few holders of this certification worldwide.
• This certification is issued by the NAUI Worldwide Training Department .

Technical diving training

In addition to the training for recreational divers, which always form the basis, NAUI also offers courses for technical diving . The offer includes the following courses:

• Cave Diver, Levels I ( cave diving in zone 2)
• Cave Diver, Levels II (cave diving in zone 3)
• Cave Guide (also Technical Support Leader , Cave Diving Guide)
• Cavern Diver (cave diving in zone 1)
• CCR Mixed Gas Diver ( rebreather with the breathing gas mixture Trimix )
• Closed circuit rebreather diver ( rebreather closed circuit)
• Diver Propulsion Vehicle Diver (DPV, diving scooter )
• DPV Extreme Exposure Diver ( diving scooter under difficult conditions)
• Extreme Exposure Diver (diving with suitable breathing gas mixtures below 61 meters diving depth)
• Extreme Exposure CCR Mixed Gas Diver ( rebreather with the breathing gas mixture Trimix below 61 meters diving depth)
• Helitrox Diver (diving with the Helitrox breathing gas mixture )
• Ice Diver ( ice diving )
• Introduction to Technical Diving (A way for recreational divers to learn about technical diving.)
• Mixed Gas Blender and O ₂ Service Tech (breathing gas blender and pure oxygen specialist)
• Semi-closed rebreather diver ( rebreather with partially closed cycle)
• Sidemount Diver (stage bottles)
• Technical Decompression Diver (decompression dives with several breathing gas mixtures)
• Technical Support Leader ( TSL for short , diving guide for technical diving )
• Technical Wreck Penetration Diver (indoor wreck diving for advanced divers)
• Trimix Diver (diving with the Trimix breathing gas mixture)
• Wreck Penetration Diver (inside wreck diving)

Partners and customers

The divers of the US Navy SEALs and the US Coast Guard are trained and certified in the basic training according to the rules of the NAUI. The National Park Service (NPS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also have personnel trained in accordance with NAUI. Numerous university institutes and other research organizations worldwide train their research divers according to the rules of the NAUI.

The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory of NASA in Houston serves astronauts on spacewalks to prepare in a large swimming pool. The backup divers and instructors of the NBL are certified as NAUI Instructors .

The Chinese Underwater Association (CUA), in collaboration with the China Water Sports Administration (CWSA), translates training materials into Mandarin and certifies divers in the People's Republic of China on behalf of NAUI.

The Malaysian Sport Diving Association (MSDA) is authorized to represent NAUI in Malaysia .

NAUI supports the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando with training material, diving certifications and training of staff. In Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and in The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion in the Epcot theme park, visitors have the opportunity to take NAUI courses.

In Germany, NAUI has been a cooperation partner of the Association of German Sports Divers (VDST) since 2011 .

Web links

• NAUI Worldwide website
• NAUI Europe website

Individual evidence

1. ^ The NAUI Credo. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on September 30, 2013 ; accessed on October 8, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ^ NAUI History. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on December 22, 2015 ; accessed on October 8, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Captain Darrick Lorenzen: NAUI 50 Years of Diving History and Still Growing! (PDF; 5.1 MB) 1959-2009. In: Midwest SCUBA Diving. Maximum Publications, Johnsburg, 2008, pp. 16-19 , accessed October 8, 2013 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} Training progression. NAUI Worldweide, accessed December 12, 2016 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Certificate. (PDF) No. EUF - CB 2007 004. EUF, accessed on December 2, 2013 . 
6. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for introductory training programs to scuba diving (ISO 11121). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b} "Standards and Policies Manual". (PDF) Edition 2017. NAUI Worldwide Headquarters, accessed November 27, 2017 . 
8. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for the training of recreational scuba divers - Part 2: Level 2 - Autonomous diver (ISO 24801-2). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
9. ^ NAUI Specialty Courses. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on March 28, 2009 ; accessed on October 9, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ^ NAUI Specialty Diving Courses. More… Fantasea Scuba, accessed October 9, 2013 . 
11. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for training programs on enriched air nitrox (EAN) diving (ISO 11107). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
12. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for the training of scuba instructors - Part 1: Level 1 (ISO 24802-1). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b} Courses leadership. NAUI Worldwide, accessed December 12, 2016 . 
14. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for the training of recreational scuba divers - Part 3: Level 3 - Dive leader (ISO 24801-3). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
15. ↑ Recreational diving services - Requirements for the training of scuba instructors - Part 2: Level 2 (ISO 24802-2). ISO , accessed April 29, 2015 . 
16. ↑ NAUI Instructor Courses. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on May 29, 2012 ; accessed on October 9, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
17. ↑ Instructor Trainer. Discover Diving, Buffalo, New York, accessed October 9, 2013 . 
18. ↑ NAUI Technical Courses. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on June 14, 2011 ; accessed on October 9, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
19. ↑ ^{a b c} NAUI Corporate Alliances. (No longer available online.) NAUI Worldwide, archived from the original on September 30, 2013 ; accessed on October 10, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
20. ↑ A network of strong partners. VDST e. V., accessed on September 23, 2016 .