There are dozens upon dozens of recreational dive agencies that are globally recognized, all of them with their own curriculums and distinct styles of teaching (and these don’t even touch the technical/commercial side of diving). As a beginner, you may ask yourself, “Well, does it really matter which one I even use?” The answer is no… but yes.

No in the sense that each dive agency will issue you an open water diver certification card (c-card, for short). This will allow you to dive all over the world within recreational standards, and most dive operators around the world recognize a myriad of agency certs. Why, then, would it matter which one you choose? It all comes down to the curriculum. Some agencies claim to have more rigorous training standards than others, while some are more oriented on getting as many divers in and out of the pool as quickly as possible. When it comes down to it, talk to your local dive shops and ask for their recommendations. Here in the US we are experiencing a bloom of dive shops switching agencies for various reasons, so get in touch with them and get the lowdown on why they made their switch! At the end of the day, a better diver is made just by doing that: diving!