Average Number of Dive Certifications Issued in 2023 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 2024 dive industry market report is part of a series of eight scuba diving industry market reports from the annual State of The Dive Industry survey.
In early 2024, the Business of Diving Institute conducted the second annual State Of The Industry (SOTI) survey of the dive industry in collaboration with InDEPTH Magazine. We looked at 2023 results for dive certifications, scuba diving equipment sales, and dive travel compared to the prior year. We also surveyed expectations and forecasts for 2024.
We extend a special thank you to all those of you who participated in this effort to provide the dive industry with more readily available market data. Considering the positive response and extensive participation, we intend to make it an annual study to be executed in January.
You may consult the number of respondents per dive business category and geographic region here.
You can find a complete list of 8 market reports from the State of The Dive Industry 2023 study here and subscribe to stay in the know.
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 last year.
Unfortunately, we can only provide statistics on scuba diving certifications in the USA and Western Europe because we did not get enough 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 can 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 in 2023.
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 dismissed as an insignificant 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 Scuba Diving Certifications in Western Europe by Category
Based on these numbers, dive centers in Western Europe are, on average, smaller than in the USA, as we have already reported when looking at the economic profile of dive centers.
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.
Popularity of Dive Training Agencies
Survey respondents were asked to identify all training agencies with which they offer training or certifications.
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
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.
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.
You may also be interested in our annual survey asking which dive training agencies scuba divers and dive instructors recommend.
There are eight scuba diving industry market reports prepared from the results of the State Of The Industry (SOTI) survey of the dive industry.
The State of The Dive Industry annual market study is part of a series of scuba diving industry surveys by the Business of Diving Institute in collaboration with InDEPTH Magazine with support from DAN Europe, Shearwater, GUE, and most importantly, YOU!
Besides participating in the surveys, please let us know if you would like to add your name to the official list of “supporters who are supporting the industry!”
You can help the dive industry by taking part in ongoing surveys.
Results from our past scuba diving market studies are also available here.
Other Scuba Diving Industry Resources:
Check our dive industry books.