Pro-Diver Development
Pro-Diver Development Ltd. was established in 2009 to provide scuba dive training for Pro-Dive HK-USA Ltd. Since June 2014 we have been fully independent and we now operate in our own facilities in Sheung Wan. The main goal of Pro-Diver Development was – and still is – to provide comprehensive scuba diver training emphasizing the quality and safety of training. We also provide training materials, facilities and consultation services for independent instructors. In addition to dive training, we conduct CPR&First Aid programs for individuals, corporations and community groups.
Pro-Diver Development offers a full range of courses from introductory and open water diver programs to professional level courses (divemasters, instructors, instructor trainers) in recreational diving and technical diving, as well as First Aid and CPR programs from provider to instructor levels. We run courses according to both PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and PSAI (Professional Scuba Association International) curriculums.
PADI is the largest recreational diving agency in the world. Our PADI programs are run strictly to the international standards and concentrate on the recreational side of diving introducing people safely to the underwater world. PADI is known for their excellent training materials: courses are supported with high quality manuals, videos and other interactive content.
Pro-Diver Development is closely associated with PSAI – the world’s oldest technical diving agency – and our instructors are working to develop technical dive training in Hong Kong and China. We have selected PSAI for the quality of their extensive technical diving programs. As a PSAI country licensee PSAI China, we are the only dive training provider in Hong Kong that can independently train and certify instructor trainers.
Our customers are mostly individuals seeking to take their first breaths underwater or to advance to higher levels of diving. However, we have also run several introductory dive and first aid programs for schools, kindergartens and other institutions in Hong Kong and Macau as well as provided higher level training for governmental officers including Hong Kong Police and Fire Services Department.
About PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world’s largest diving agency. The membership includes dive businesses, resort facilities, academic institutions, instructor trainers and dive educators. Professional PADI Members teach the vast majority of the world’s recreational divers, issuing close to million certifications each year. PADI Professionals make underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.
PADI is international in scope with service offices around the world. PADI Worldwide (corporate headquarters) is located in California, United States. PADI Asia Pacific is based in Sydney, Australia. PADI Offices serve more than 130,000 individual professional members and more than 5300 dive centers and resorts in more than 183 countries and territories. To serve the needs of divers worldwide, translations of PADI materials are available in various languages.
PADI provides standardized outlines for all PADI courses. This means that PADI courses are run to the same standards all over the world, and enables student divers to start their training in one place and continue in another from where they left off.
PADI is known for the superior training materials. All materials are easy to comprehend and are developed by credentialed instructional designers with state-of-the-art technology and learning theories. PADI courses are supported with high quality videos, manuals, presentations and increasingly, interactive on-line programs. The high quality educational materials allow students to learn the basics through independent study and then be guided through additional development by their instructors.
When students successfully complete PADI courses, PADI issues positive identification certification cards that identify them as PADI Divers. In addition to course materials and certification cards, PADI supports members’ teaching efforts by supplying consultation services in current instructional methods and protocols.
The PADI System of diver education is based on progressive training that introduces skills, safety related information and local environmental knowledge to students in stages. PADI’s entry level scuba certification is Open Water Diver. Once certified, divers can continue their education by becoming Adventure, Advanced Open Water, Specialty and Rescue Divers. Further training, such as the Divemaster and Assistant Instructor courses, allow interested divers to become dive leaders. Divers looking for scuba diving careers often choose to become PADI Instructors.
The PADI Instructor Development program sets the industry standard for instructor training. Through a comprehensive curriculum, dive leaders build upon their supervisory skills and learn to teach PADI courses. Each new PADI Instructor has demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the PADI System and the ability to conduct PADI programs by meeting specific evaluation criteria during a two-day PADI Instructor Examination (IE) conducted by authorized Examiners from PADI offices. PADI Instructor Development programs are conducted by qualified PADI Course Directors and experienced Master Instructors who have received training and gained experience in conducting instructor development programs.
PADI and its members are committed to making diving and a fun, safe sport available to people from many different backgrounds. All PADI programs, entry-level through instructor training, fall under strict educational standards to maintain worldwide consistency and quality. PADI takes a proactive approach to quality assurance, with a full-time department that surveys PADI Divers to monitor PADI programs and to confirm that they meet PADI’s high standards.
With thousands of members and millions of divers, PADI-sponsored programs are becoming a growing force in the worldwide effort to preserve the underwater environment. Project AWARE encompasses PADI’s environmental awareness and protection philosophy. Through their training, PADI Divers learn the importance of protecting fragile aquatic ecosystems and are encouraged to become involved in preservation efforts.
About PSAI
PSAI (The Professional Scuba Association International) is one of the oldest technical scuba instructional training agencies in the world. PSAI was the first agency to offer certification at the diver and instructor levels in both recreational sport and technical diving, almost three decades before anyone else. For many years it was a small, specialized organization that was predominantly involved with dive training associated with extended range, deep air diving.
Virtually all of the early history centers on the founder, Hal Watts, who pioneered both deep diving and cave diving standards and procedures, and broke several deep diving world records in the process. The well known and well used phrase “Plan your Dive, Dive your Plan” comes from Hal’s early PSAI desire to promote safe diving activities and safety awareness in dive planning. Hal also developed and coined the term “octopus” for the now standard additional second stage, to eliminate problems associated with “buddy breathing”.
Over the years PSAI has evolved into a much larger international certification agency and now has offices around the world.
In early 2005, the PSAI course structure was re-configured. It was set up to include logical paths for the normal extended range programs, a traditional path of technical deep diving from nitrox to trimix and a rebreather path. This technique gives the prospective students the style and courses that fit their desired training objectives, without having to do unnecessary out of scope work. At the same time, every PSAI diver will receive the highest quality training from the highest quality instructors.
PSAI was organized to offer the Sport, Technical, and Public Safety diver training programs to expand diving Knowledge, Safety, and Integrity. Thus the PSAI logo referred to as The Golden Triangle:
KNOWLEDGE is an intangible that can be gained only through experience. A knowledgeable person is someone who is well informed. PSAI been involved in teaching SCUBA since 1962 and have trained seven World Record Deep Air divers. In the knowledge department, the record speaks for itself.
SAFETY is defined as, 'being free from harm, unhurt, sound, protected, and sure.' PSAI offers the diving public just that, SAFETY. When you learn, understand, and follow the SAFETY guidelines taught in all PSAI courses, you should be protected from the causes of many diving accidents. However, remember the adage, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” An instructor can only “teach” you what to do or not do, they can not “learn” you anything.
INTEGRITY is best defined as, “being honest and upright.” PSAI strives to have its entire membership maintain honesty in all their dealings with the diving public. PSAI is the only agency that does not offer the mass of instructors the title of Instructor Trainer (IT). This is to maintain the integrity of our very foundation. PSAI will not compromise integrity or quality by putting out a hoard of ITs.
One of the hallmarks of the Professional Scuba Association International is that the programs have always stressed high quality in instructors. PSAI Instructor Trainers are all hand selected for their skill and dedication to scuba education. PSAI was in place as the mainstream technical agencies burst onto the market in the mid-1980’s and continued their program of careful selection of instructors and adherence to safe diving techniques. Many of the various agencies recognized the PSAI programs for the quality and afforded direct cross-over certification.
PSAI is the only technical training agency that requires students to dive to the actual depths they will be certified to during the course. This means that any qualification or certification listed on the student’s PSAI card shows that they have been to the listed depth and performed all the required skills during the course.
