Average Number of Dive Certifications Issued Annually by Dive Centers & Independent Instructors in Western Europe & USA by Category
Dive Training Agencies Market Shares. Average Number of Annual Scuba Diving Certifications by Dive Centers and Independent Instructors in Western Europe & USA.
This scuba diving industry market report is based on the results of the State of the Dive Industry (SOTI) survey.
This post is part of our Dive Industry Compass series by the Business of Diving Institute and Darcy Kieran, author of:
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TL;DR Overview
We’re looking at average annual certification numbers and market dynamics among dive centers and independent instructors in the USA and Western Europe.
Regional performance varies dramatically: The average dive center in the USA issued 128 entry-level open-water certifications in 2023, a noticeable decrease from 154 in 2022. In contrast, dive centers in Western Europe appear smaller on average, issuing only 40 entry-level certifications annually. Notably, independent instructors in the USA are more effective at converting entry-level divers into advanced students compared to dive centers. Furthermore, non-specialty tech diving (excluding sidemount, cave, and rebreather) remains a significant segment in the USA.
The report also highlights key differences in market share and student acquisition. When examining the agency with which instructors and centers issue the majority of their certifications, PADI’s market share decreased in both regions, dropping from 55% to 43% in the USA and from 30% (in 2022) to 27% in Western Europe.
In the USA, the top three main entry-level agencies are PADI, SDI, and NAUI; in Western Europe, the top three are PADI, SDI, and SSI.
Crucially for marketing efforts, student divers in Western Europe are far more likely to travel overnight to their chosen training location than those in the USA, with 47% of dive center students and 44% of independent instructor students in Western Europe being “out-of-town,” compared to 21% and 31% respectively in the USA.
Average Annual Dive Certifications by Category
As part of the State of the Dive Industry (SOTI) survey, we asked dive centers and independent scuba diving instructors to answer a few questions about the certifications they issued in the previous year.
Unfortunately, we can only provide statistics on scuba diving certifications in the USA and Western Europe, as we did not receive sufficient participation in other geographical regions to provide statistically valid results. We are working on fixing this issue for the 2025 survey – with your help!
Participating in our surveys and inviting your colleagues to do the same can help us provide you with better dive industry market reports.
Scuba diving certification activities in Europe and the USA are quite different, as the scuba diving market report below shows.
For financial market reports, you could consult:
Average Number of Annual Scuba Diving Certifications by Dive Centers and Independent Instructors in Europe & USA
Survey respondents indicated the number of certifications or participants they had in each of the following training segments.
Average Number of Scuba Diving Certifications in The USA by Category
The average dive center in the USA issued 128 entry-level open-water diver certifications in 2023 (it was 154 in 2022), and about half of these students, on average, take the second level of training (e.g., advanced open-water diver).
In the dive industry, independent instructors are often overlooked as a minor part of scuba diving activities. Yet, independent instructors in the USA appear much more successful at converting entry-level student divers to advanced scuba diving.
Otherwise, even with the increased popularity of rebreather diving, “regular” tech diving (excluding cave, sidemount & rebreather) remains a significant sector in the USA with more than five times the number of rebreather diving certs.
Average Number of Dive Certifications in the USA by Category:
Average Number of Scuba Diving Certifications in Western Europe by Category
Based on these numbers, dive centers in Western Europe are, on average, smaller than those in the USA, as we previously reported when examining the economic profile of dive centers.
Average Number of Dive Certifications in Western Europe by Category:
What percentage of your dive training students come from out of town (requiring them to stay at least one night near the location where you provide training)?
Scuba diving students in Western Europe are more likely to travel to their chosen dive instructor or dive center than those in the USA.
Percentage of Out-of-Town Student-Divers:
Popularity of Dive Training Agencies
Survey respondents were asked to identify all training agencies with which they offer training or certifications.
Dive Training Agencies with Which Survey Respondents Offer Training or Certification:
A blank cell means that the percentage was below 1%.
The percentages reported above were for the number of dive centers and instructors affiliated with each dive training agency.
It is more telling to look at the main dive training agency with whom they issue certification. For instance, a dive center could be affiliated with five dive training agencies but always issue certifications with one in particular.
So, let’s look at it!
Scuba Diving Training Agencies Market Shares Indicator
Survey respondents were asked to identify the dive training agency with which they most frequently provide training.
These are not market shares of the number of certifications issued. Instead, they indicate the share of dive centers and instructors who have made that dive training agency the one under which they issue most of their certifications.
Main Dive Training Agency with Which Survey Respondents Offer Training or Certification:
A blank cell means that the percentage was below 1%.
Based on these survey results, the three leading dive training agencies for entry-level open-water diver certifications are, in order:
- In the USA: PADI, SDI, NAUI
- In Western Europe: PADI, SDI, SSI
The case of PADI is particularly interesting. In the USA, they went from 55% last year to 43% this year. And in Western Europe, they went from 30% in 2022 to 27% this year.
Other Available Information About Scuba Certifications and Courses
You may also be interested in our annual survey asking which dive training agencies scuba divers and dive instructors recommend.
Video Summary & Thoughts
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