How good a student were you in school? Maybe you paid close attention, or perhaps you allowed your mind to wander aimlessly - maybe you were thinking about adventures you wished you could have. Chances are though, when you became a diver, you paid very close attention to each and every detail. Driven by the desire to see what's out there, dive students make the decision to learn the skills required for safe diving; and, despite differences in language and culture, dive students around the world learn the same basic information. Diver training standards are the result of a long legacy of trial and error; today, we know what works and why it works. That is why standards exist.
The History of Diving Standards
Before the 1950's, most diving equipment was experimental, and training depended largely on what kind of equipment you were using. The earliest classroom and theory training involved rudimentary oceanography, the basic mechanics of SCUBA equipment such as it was, and the elements of diving physiology and physics. There was no such thing as a BC; weights were the standard in buoyancy control.
In 1961, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) established the Z86 Committee on Underwater Safety, and the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) served as secretariat. By 1968, ASNI transferred secretariat duties to the Council for National Cooperation in Aquatics (CNCA) which produced The Science of Skin and Scuba Diving, a textbook which was widely used at the time. the first ANSI-approved standards for entry-level SCUBA instruction were implemented in 1972.
The Age of Advancement: the 1970's
During the first half of the 1970's things were going quite well for diving as an industry. In 1974, though the Los Angeles Times ran an entire series of very poorly researched and sensationalistic stories about SCUBA fatalities, spurring county politicians to enact a reactionary ordinance that regulated most aspects of recreational diving. It was finally repealed after much protesting, but it served as a rude awakening for NAUI, NASDS, the YMCA, and PADI. In 1976, the National Scuba Training Council was formed. Its' purpose was to simply provide for improved methods of communications between the organizations and to implement uniformity for diver training. Then, OSHA stepped in, branding every diving instructor in America a "commercial diver," and declaring that a number of absurd rules were necessary.
Finally, divers were able to convince the Federal government that such regulation was excessive, and diving instructors and other recreational dive professionals were exempted from OSHA regulations. This was only possible because of effort and cooperation by various diver training organizations.
During the 1980's more problems regarding government regulation occurred; but finally, by 1989, diver training organizations published an updated standard for entry level scuba instruction.
In 1991, a new Committee on Scuba Diving Instructional Standards and Safety was formed, named the Z375 Committee. This committee, formed of prestigious members of the diving community, is responsible for publishing industry standards for training divemasters, instructors, assistant instructors, and those who train instructors. In addition, content standards for basic SCUBA training are agreed upon, including standards for introductory classes such as those held at resorts.
Diver training standards are based on a solid foundation of past experience, plus present safety measures, meaning what you are taught when you participate in any SCUBA course is not based on opinion or some diver's personal preferences. The content you learn is based on best practices and industry standards developed over more than half a century. Stay safe and enjoy diving more by learning all you can.