National Association of Underwater Instructors
Template:Short description Template:Infobox organization
The National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI Worldwide) is a nonprofit association of scuba instructors founded in 1960 by Albert Tillman and Neal Hess.<ref name="Tillman and Tillman">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FLAMAR - WELCOME THE COMPANY">Template:Cite web</ref>
NAUI primarily serves as a recreational dive certification and membership organization, providing international diver standards and education programs. NAUI is headquartered in Riverview, Florida near Tampa with dive and member instructors, resorts, stores, service and training centers located around the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Certifications & leadership
It was officially CE and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified in May 2007 in all three diver levels and both instructor levels. It was re-certified for its scuba diving programs as meeting ISO and European Underwater Federation standards on November 24, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Agency standards, policies, and ethics are governed by the Association's Board of Directors, who are members themselves and who are each elected through a democratic election process by the overall instructor membership.Template:Citation needed
History
After Jacques-Yves Cousteau introduced the Aqua-Lung to the market, there followed a growing interest in scuba diving by the public and a subsequent need to codify the training.<ref name="Midwest">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1951, Jim Auxie Jr and Chuck Blakeslee started a magazine called The Skin Diver (later renamed Skin Diver Magazine).Template:Citation needed Two-year dive teacher Neal Earl Hess contributed to its "The Instructors Corner" column to inform readers about scuba.<ref name="FLAMAR - WELCOME THE COMPANY" /> He soon established a column called "The National Diving Patrol" as a section to name new skin and scuba diving "instructors".<ref name="Midwest" />
Still, no official training and certifying agency existed, except for the training and resources provided by the military (Underwater Demolition Teams) and dive clubs.<ref name="Midwest" />
In 1952, Al Tillman, the director of sports for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, said in a letter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Tillman and Tillman" /> to Parks and Recreation director Paul Gruendyke, "A new sport—skin diving—is becoming popular in the area. Recently while diving in Palos Verdes, I ran into several divers in the water with me who didn't know what they were doing. One had one of the new underwater breathing units that allows divers to stay under for long periods of time... I propose that my department get involved in this sport and provide training classes. I believe that diving will grow in the future and we have an obligation to make the sport as safe as possible."<ref name="Midwest" /><ref name="NAUI history">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Tillman and Tillman" />
In 1955, Tillman and L.A. County lifeguard Bev Morgan created the L.A. County Parks and Recreational Underwater Instructor Certification Course (1UICC) in an effort to respond to the growing number of diver requests.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was the world's first civilian training program to certify recreational divers and soon began granting Provisional Certification to instructors across the country.<ref name="Midwest" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="ProQuest">Template:Cite book</ref>
In the May 1960 issue of Skin Diver Magazine, the creation of The National Diving Patrol was announced as an official, national organization. Its purpose and function was "to insure competent underwater instruction and to reduce diving accidents through education."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1959, the name was changed to the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI).<ref name="Midwest" />
Hess, Blakeslee, Auxier, and Tillman met in August 1960 to discuss and organize NAUI's first Instructor Certification Course.<ref name="ProQuest"/><ref name=":5">Template:Cite book</ref> It was held at the Shamrock Hotel in Houston, Texas on August 22–26.<ref name="Midwest" /><ref name="NAUI history" /> During the six-day course, 72 candidates attended from the U.S. and Canada, but only 53 graduated. The 53 graduates along with their staff instructors became the first instructor members of the National Association of Underwater Instructors.<ref name="Midwest" /> The NAUI ICC became the first course to make diver certification available worldwide.<ref name=":5" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A year later, the second NAUI ICC was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> under the direction of Ben Davis.<ref name="Midwest" />
In October 1961, NAUI was incorporated in the State of California as a non-profit educational organization, with Al Tillman as the President and Neal Hess as the Executive Secretary.<ref name="Midwest" />
NAUI's first elected Board of Directors included Al Tillman, John C. Jones Jr., Neal Hess, Garry Howland, Jim Auxier, and James Cahill.<ref name="Midwest" /> A Board of Advisers was appointed and included Captain Albert Behnke Jr., Commander George Bond, Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Dr. Andreas Rechnitzer.<ref name="Midwest" />
The number of NAUI ICCs grew throughout the 1960s in central locations throughout North America. The association's conduct of business relied on volunteers and the board regional leaders, all administered out of Al Tillman's home.<ref name="Midwest" /> Skin Diver Magazine published the "NAUI Page" as a regular feature to help the organization grow, to accumulate a salary and, later, to provide office space.Template:Citation neededThe first International Conference on Underwater Education<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> was held in 1969 at Santa Ana College, where it served as a venue for NAUI members from all over could meet and exchange ideas. It was also used as a forum to present information on diving skills and safety, teaching, diving physiology, physics, and other diving and marine sciences.<ref name="Midwest" />
The US Internal Revenue Service determined that NAUI be a tax-exempt nonprofit educational organization in 1971.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Soon, NAUI membership began to expand internationally, with an ICC being held in Japan in 1970 and NAUI Canada being organized as a separate corporation in 1972.
NAUI instructors certified more than 40,000 entry-level scuba divers in 1970 alone; 1979 was a year with over 5,000 newly certified NAUI scuba instructors. By the time 1989 came around, over 12,000 NAUI instructors were certified. NAUI Worldwide had established a network of 20 service centers in 1998.<ref name="Midwest" />
From 1981 to 1997, NAUI headquarters facilities remained in Montclair, California. It was during these years (in 1987) that the NAUI Board of Directors elected its first woman president, Nancy Guarascio.<ref name="Midwest" />
In 1997, NAUI Worldwide headquarters was moved to Tampa, Florida<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and included Board of Directors members from Europe and Asia for the first time.<ref name="Midwest" />
NAUI hired Jim Bram as its president in June 1995. Bram renamed NAUI to do business as NAUI Worldwide,<ref name="Midwest" /> with the intent to provide business support to members everywhere via licensed service centers.<ref name="internationallegendsofdiving.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 20, 2015, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy amended Code 4729-21-06: Sales of medical oxygen to scuba divers. The code authorized individuals who completed courses from NAUI to purchase and possess medical oxygen for the purpose of emergency care or treatment at the scene of a diving emergency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In November 2015, NAUI released a series of announcements during the 2015 DEMA Show in Orlando, Florida.<ref name="DEMA 2015">Template:Cite web</ref> Its first podcast series, the "Dive Team Report",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> released once per week. The podcast was designed to inform the general public and divers on trends and issues affecting the sport of diving. The first full episode aired on November 12, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A series of other announcements included its new marketing campaign "The Definition of Diving",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> its demo version of its new website interface (version 1.0),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and its alliance with the Divers Alert Network and Performance Freediving International.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the first time, NAUI and DAN came together to offer DAN's first-aid programs to NAUI divers and members. NAUI established and incorporated the co-branded DAN-NAUI first-aid courses into their curricula.
NAUI Green Diver Initiative
In 2010, NAUI Worldwide formed the NAUI Green Diver Initiative (GDI). GDI was implemented to "empower individuals to preserve and conserve the ocean planet with the common goal of taking action to protect the environment."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With stagnant progress, it was not until July 2015 that NAUI renewed its commitment to the Initiative, unveiling its first manager, Sam Richardson, who entered the full-time position with over 10 years of non-profit experience. GDI remained a U.S. registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit that relied on the support of donors to fulfill its mission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Honorary NAUI members recognitions
In the United States, US Navy SEALs, Coast Guard rescue divers, and other special military forces are trained to NAUI standards as part of their overall training with open and closed circuit rebreathers; National Park Service and NOAA divers receive NAUI training and certifications.
Aqualung inventor Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau was on the original Board of Advisers of NAUI, as was Albert R. Behnke, a pioneer of diving medicine.<ref name="SAHF">Template:Cite web</ref>
Actor Lloyd Bridges was the first honorary NAUI instructor member. He played frogman "Mike Nelson" in the American television series Sea Hunt, which popularized scuba diving as a recreational sport. Zale Parry played the female role, and she formally instructed Lloyd Bridges on how to dive for the part. She was a research diver starring in the television's first underwater documentary series, Kingdom of the Sea, in 1954.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She made a record-setting 209-foot dive that same year, distinguishing women as skilled divers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Corporate alliances
NAUI has numerous corporate alliances with organizations, such as Walt Disney World Resort, The Florida Aquarium, NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and the Fire Department of New York.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> Many of the first generation of diving safety officers of the top universities, colleges and institutes of technology in the United States were NAUI members and made significant contributions to NAUI's programs, including: Lee Somers University of Michigan, James Stewart Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Richard Bell University of California, Davis, Henry Viex United States Military Academy, Lloyd Austin University of California, Berkeley, Mark Flahan California State University, San Diego, Phillip Sharkey University of Rhode Island, Ronnie D'Amico California State University, Long Beach, Walt Hendricks, Sr. University of Puerto Rico, Glen Egstrom University of California, Los Angeles, and John Heine Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>
These institutions, and others, belong to the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, and while their training programs greatly exceed minimum NAUI requirements, certifications in their scientific diving training programs are often arranged through NAUI. Many governmental agencies in the United States do the same, including the US Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, and NASA.<ref name=":6" />
Courses
NAUI produced a Scuba Diver Education System in 2000,<ref name="NAUI Certification">Template:Cite web</ref> and it began including its education systems to all mainline certification courses, listed below. Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
Recreational courses
- Junior Skindiver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Junior Scuba Diver<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Junior Advanced Scuba Diver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Skin Diver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Scuba Diver<ref name="autogenerated2">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Experienced Scuba Diver<ref name="autogenerated3">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Advanced Scuba Diver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Master Scuba Diver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Specialty courses
- Deep Diver<ref name="NAUIspec">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dry Suit Diver<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) Diver<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Scuba Rescue Diver<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Search and Recovery Diver<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Training Assistant<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Underwater Archaeologist<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Underwater Ecologist<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Underwater Environment<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Underwater Photographer<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Underwater Hunter and Collector<ref name="NAUIspec" />
- Wreck Diver (External Survey)<ref name="NAUIspec" />
Leadership courses
- Assistant Instructor<ref name="NAUIlead">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Skin Diving Instructor<ref name="NAUIlead" />
- Divemaster<ref name="NAUIlead" />
- Instructor Preparation Course<ref name="NAUIlead" />
- Instructor<ref name="NAUIinst">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Instructor Trainer
- Course Director
Technical courses
- Cave Diver (Levels I, II, and III)<ref name="NAUItech">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Cavern Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- CCR Mixed Gas Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Closed Circuit Rebreather Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Decompression Technique<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Heliair Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Helitrox Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Ice Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Introduction to Technical Diving<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Mixed Gas Blender and O2 Service Technician<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Semi-closed Rebreather Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Technical Nitrox Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Technical Support Leader<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Technical Wreck Penetration Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Tri-Mix Diver (Levels I & II)<ref name="NAUItech" />
- Wreck Penetration Diver<ref name="NAUItech" />
NAUI programs
Insurance programs
NAUI is allied with Divers Alert Network, a non-profit organization for diver's assistance and medical research on recreational scuba diving safety, developed by Executive Director Dan Orr in 1980.<ref name="NAUI history" /> DAN and NAUI allied in 2007 to work together for diver safety. DAN is the official dive accident insurance provider for NAUI. In November 2015, DAN and NAUI renewed their alliance to extend their reach of dive safety programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
NAUI initiated a worldwide coverage instructor liability insurance policy in 1974.<ref name="divinghistory.com">Template:Cite web</ref> This worldwide policy allowed members of the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands and other islands of the Caribbean, and military personnel stationed in various areas around the world to receive worldwide coverage.
First aid programs
NAUI's rescue certification course was first proposed and made available to members in 1981 to provide an alternative to the Red Cross training, which was previously required for leadership candidates in NAUI courses.<ref name=":7" />Template:Failed verification It was created by the NAUI Board of Directors to avoid making NAUI programs dependent upon other agency certifications.
NAUI technical diving professional certifications
NAUI sanctioned nitrox training in 1992 and published standards for teaching technical diving in 1997. Template:Citation needed
Technical diving includes methods that exceed the limits imposed on depth or immersion time for traditional recreational diving. It often involves the use of special gas mixtures (rather than compressed air) for breathing. NAUI standards for technical diving were developed by Tim O'Leary and published by NAUI Worldwide in 1997.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> NAUI's technical diving program requires special training, equipment, and qualified support teams.<ref name="skin-diver.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1997, the NAUI Technical Diving Division was created.<ref name=":4" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NAUI formed a Technical Training Advisory Board and Rebreather Advisory Board,<ref name="skin-diver.com"/> with Tim O'Leary as the chairman for each,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> to assist in the development of technical diving standards and training.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
NAUI decompression algorithms and tables
The reduced gradient bubble model is an iterative approach to staging diver ascents.<ref name="advanceddivermagazine.com">Template:Cite web</ref> It employs a dual phase approach with separated phase volumes as limit points, along with critical tensions across tissue compartments.<ref name="advanceddivermagazine.com"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It was developed by Dr. Bruce Wienke<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 1988 at Los Alamos National Laboratories. He published the model in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The algorithm is now incorporated into many dive computers and advanced dive planning software. Today it enhances the safety of serious deep and technical divers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
NAUI's RGBM decompression tables were developed in 1997 exclusively for NAUI by Dr. Bruce Wienke and Tim O'Leary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> NAUI began publishing the only decompression manual with a full set of RGBM tables in 2000 for air, nitrox and trimix for both open and closed-circuit diving. Recreational RGBM no-calculation tables were published in 2001 exclusively for NAUI for sea level through 10,000 feet, no-stop diving.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Accreditation and affiliations
The Chinese Underwater Association (CUA), in conjunction with the China Water Sports Administration (CWSA), officially legitimized NAUI to provide translated diver training materials and diver training in the People's Republic of China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Malaysian Sport Diving Association (MSDA) officially adopted NAUI standards for use in their diver training in Malaysia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Failed verification
NAUI is the diver training organization of choice of NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (USA).<ref name=":2" /> NAUI's alliance with the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory provides training materials, certification cards and collateral materials for their scuba program.
NAUI is a member of the Universal Referral Program (URP),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a worldwide customer service program that allows instructors to refer their students for certification dives with either NAUI or other diver training agencies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The URP was developed in 1998 through the cooperative efforts of IDEA, NASDS, NAUI, PDIC, SSI, and YMCA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> PADI Instructors and facilities can also receive students and be registered as referral instructors and locations under the URP.