Dive Certification Levels Explained: PADI, SSI and CMAS Compared

What are the main scuba certification levels?

Every major training agency follows the same ladder, even when the names differ: a beginner course that certifies you to dive with a buddy, an advanced course that extends your depth limit, a rescue-focused course, and professional levels that let you guide or teach.

• Entry level — PADI Open Water Diver, SSI Open Water Diver, CMAS 1-Star: dive to 18 m with a buddy
• Advanced — PADI Advanced Open Water, SSI AOWD, CMAS 2-Star: dive to 30 m, navigation and deep training
• Rescue — PADI Rescue Diver, SSI Diver Stress & Rescue: manage emergencies
• Professional — Divemaster, CMAS 3-Star, instructor ratings: guide and teach

Do certifications from different agencies transfer?

Yes. PADI, SSI, and CMAS certifications are mutually recognized worldwide for equivalent levels. A CMAS 2-Star diver can join an advanced-level boat dive at a PADI center, and dive centers routinely check your highest card plus your logged experience — which is why a complete dive log matters as much as the card itself.

In Türkiye, TSSF issues CMAS certifications, and Turkish dive centers accept PADI and SSI cards at their equivalent CMAS levels.

How many logged dives does each level require?

Logged dives are the currency of progression: PADI Divemaster requires 40 logged dives to start and 60 to certify; SSI's AOWD recognition requires 24 logged dives plus four specialties. Agencies audit logbooks, so keeping an accurate, dated log directly determines how fast you can progress.