Admissions
How to Compare Schools
The first factor a prospective student should consider is the level of accreditation the school possesses. Simply stated, the more accreditations the better and don’t even consider schools without the minimum credentials. In the United States, minimum credentials are to attend a school that is accredited by a body that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Federally-recognized accreditation ensures that the school will follow the curriculum that they publish and that the school has passed an independent audit performed by the agency. This accreditation will need to be renewed every 3 to 5 years. These schools are the only schools that will be able to offer you federal financial aid, including federal loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized, that are not credit-based and Pell Grants (free money to apply to your education). Commercial Diving Academy is a federally-accredited school.
The second factor for a prospective student to consider is the additional accreditations the school offers. The Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE) offers both an accreditation and a certification. Graduates from these schools can work anywhere that the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) regulates diving operations. The mainstay of the ADCI is the United States. This certification is NOT recognized in Europe, Australia or Canada. CDA is accredited by ACDE and ADCI.
The final question to ask is what schools offer an accreditation that is recognized internationally. The international certification needed to work throughout the world is a certification recognized by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). CDA offer this higher level training and is accreditated by the Divers Certification Board of Canada (DCBC) and provides our students with certification recognized in the U.K., Norway, and Australia and qualifies our graduates to work anywhere in the world. CDA trains to a much higher standard than the other institutions. You will have a minimum of 50 hours of actual bottom time in open water diving to depths of 165/ft. Many of the other schools limit your diving to training tanks and you will never dive deeper than 20/ft.
Due to the higher level of certification, all our dives are supervised by certified Unrestricted Air diving Supervisors. All our instuctors are listed on this website with their diving credentials. If a school doesn't provide you with the resume's of the teaching staff, there is probably a reason. Please review our instructor's qualifications on this website.
As part of the decision process, you should also evaluate the total cost of training. Although funding is always a consideration, it is only part of the formula, which includes tuition, books, equipment, and based on the length of the program, the expense of room and board. Ultimately, the most important factors and where CDA excels, are the quality of education, certifications offered, and the preparation for a successful career as a commercial diver.
After all the options are considered, why not Florida, where the beaches are better and the weather is nicer?
