Many ask ‘which dive certification is the best‘, is it BSAC or is it NAUI ‘what is the difference between BSAC and NAUI?’ In this article I compare BSAC vs NAUI and compare the differences vs the similarities of both these scuba diving certifications.
BSAC vs NAUI: Scuba diving qualifications BSAC and NAUI are recognised and accepted internationally. BSAC teach “Ocean Diver” as their beginner diver level with a max depth of 20 metres (67 feet). NAUI teach “Scuba Diver” as their first course with a max depth of 18 metres (60 feet). BSAC courses are cheaper + take longer than NAUI.
Many argue that BSAC training is more thorough too.
The best way to do more diving is to book yourself on a scuba diving liveaboard. You can check the latest and best deals on liveaboards using the following window:
What does BSAC stand for?
BSAC stands for the British Sub Aqua Club. BSAC started in 1954, so has been around for much longer than most diving organisations, SSI included (and PADI for that matter).
The British Sub Aqua Club has around 1,100 independent dive clubs and 400 diving schools worldwide that teach scuba diving.
BSAC has taught the best which includes the likes of Princes and one of my favourite people in the world, Sir David Attenborough. In fact when I interviewed Richard Bull Rock-band star and professional scuba diver, he told me how he’d certified Sir David.
BSAC’s motto is quite simple and is “Dive with us“.
The British Sub Aqua Club is a not for profit organisation based in the UK, but is recognised world wide.
NAUI stands for the National Association of Underwater Instructors. NAUI was set up by Albert Tillman and Neal Hess in 1959. Their headquarters are in Florida in the US.
NAUI’s motto is “The Definition of Diving“, but also they promote “Dive Safety Through Education“.
Similar to BSAC, NAUI is a non-profit 501 association of scuba instructors.
BSAC vs NAUI table of differences and similarities
Now that I’ve explained what each organisation stands for. Plus where they are based, lets take a look at BSAC vs NAUI compared.
In this comparison table below, I’m only going to look at the positives in both organisations. I don’t see how it benefits anyone by slating any diving agency over the other.
1,100 local independent dive clubs + 400 diving schools World-wide
World-wide
How long is a the certification good for?
Liifetime - but you may need a refresher course if you've not dived in a while
Lifetime - but you may need a refresher course if you've not dived in a while
Famous divers
Arthur C. Clarke, Prince William (Duke of Cambridge), Price Charles (+ his father Phillip), Prince Harry, Sir David Attenborough
Kevin Costner, Lou Gossett Jr., Cameron Diaz; & Tiger Woods are all famous NAUI divers + Jacques Cousteau was on the Board of Advisers
Max age limit
No - but is down to individual health
No - but is down to individual health
Size and nature of diving organisation
A not for profit diving organisation and recognised world-wide.
Second largest in the world and is a 'Not for Profit' organisation
MOTTO
"Dive with us"
"Dive safety through education"
If you have any other questions about either of these diving organisations, please post a comment below.
The best advice I can give you is to choose the trainer first over the diving organisation itself. Which ever scuba diver training you take, you’ll enjoy it and will be safe.
So whether you choose BSAC vs NAUI really doesn’t matter. It really only boils down to whether there’s a BSAC club or centre or a NAUI centre near you. Or which diving agency training centre is where you happen to be on holiday at the time you’re looking to get certified as a scuba diver.
Is BSAC recognised by NAUI and is NAUI recognised by BSAC?
The question about whether NAUI is recognised by BSAC or visa versa and BSAC recognised by NAUI, the answer is yes, both these diving agencies recognise each other.
However, whilst they recognise each other’s certifications, they are different. This means you can’t switch agency whilst you’re in the middle of your training or initial certification.
The important thing to understand is that when you’re ready to move to the next certification level, both BSAC and NAUI will recognise each other’s certifications as “equivalent” training.
I hope you enjoyed this article about BSAC vs NAUI
I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkeling, in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof Gopro’s!
If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or scuba diving (or specifically about BSAC vs NAUI), please comment below with your questions.
There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.
BSAC vs NAUI (Which diving certification is better BSAC or NAUI?)
Related Posts:
Best Places To Scuba Dive For Beginners (10 Best… The best place to scuba dive for beginners include Bonaire, The Great Barrier Reef, the Red Sea, the Maldives, Barbados, Antigua, Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, the Florida Keys and Koh…
What Are The Different Types Of Scuba Diving? (What's… The types of scuba diving and what diving you can do depends on your scuba diver qualification level and experience. The types of scuba diving available to you begin with…
Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been a scuba diver since diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1989. After his first dive he trained as a BSAC diver in the UK. He attained his Diver Leader certification with BSAC. He then went on to become a scuba diving instructor, teaching others how to dive and was voted as Diving Officer and Treasurer for the Saffron Walden BSAC club too. Russell has dived all over the world, including the UK, on liveaboards in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, South Africa and the USA. Russell is experienced in all dive types, including drift diving, deep dives that involved decompression stops and recreational dives too.
