National Association of Underwater Instructors
An international nonprofit association that develops scuba-diving standards, certifies divers and instructors, and supports professional dive education.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The National Association of Underwater Instructors, commonly known as NAUI or NAUI Worldwide, is a nonprofit scuba-diving education and membership organization founded in the United States in 1960. It emerged during the rapid expansion of recreational scuba diving that followed the commercial introduction of the Aqua-Lung. The organization was created to address the absence of a widely available civilian system for training and certifying recreational divers and instructors. Its stated safety purpose has been to improve the competence of underwater instructors and reduce diving accidents through education. NAUI's institutional roots reach back to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. In 1955, sports director Albert Tillman and lifeguard Bev Morgan created the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Underwater Instructor Certification Course, generally recognized as the first civilian recreational-diver certification program. Neal Hess, a dive educator and contributor to Skin Diver magazine, helped develop the instructor community and the organizational framework that preceded NAUI. The first national NAUI instructor certification course was held in Houston, Texas, in August 1960. Fifty-three graduates, together with the staff instructors, became the association's first instructor members. NAUI was incorporated as a California nonprofit educational organization in October 1961. The association operates primarily as a standards-setting, certification, instructor-support, and educational body rather than as a consumer-equipment manufacturer. Its programs cover entry-level scuba, continuing education, rescue and leadership training, technical diving, nitrox, rebreather use, first aid, and instructor development. NAUI also supports training materials, certification administration, liability-insurance arrangements, and member services through regional and international service centers. Its standards have been used by recreational dive centers, resorts, stores, universities, scientific-diving programs, public agencies, and military or government-related diving operations. NAUI expanded beyond North America during the 1960s and 1970s, including an instructor certification course in Japan in 1970 and the establishment of NAUI Canada as a separate corporation in 1972. The organization reports substantial historical growth in its instructor network, including more than 12,000 certified instructors by 1989 and a network of 20 service centers by 1998. In 1995, Jim Bram became president and the organization began doing business as NAUI Worldwide, reflecting its use of licensed service centers and its international membership structure. Headquarters moved from Montclair, California, to the Tampa area in 1997. NAUI has also been associated with scientific, institutional, military, and public-safety diving. Organizations and facilities described as using NAUI standards or certification have included NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, the National Park Service, NOAA, university scientific-diving programs, and specialized military or emergency-response units. These relationships extend the brand beyond recreational instruction into occupational, scientific, and operational diving, although the association remains best known for diver and instructor certification. The organization has invested in technical-diving education and decompression research. It sanctioned nitrox training in 1992, published technical-diving standards in 1997, and established a Technical Diving Division in the same year. NAUI later published decompression tables based on the Reduced Gradient Bubble Model, developed by Bruce Wienke, for air, nitrox, trimix, and open- and closed-circuit diving. The association's environmental work includes the NAUI Green Diver Initiative, established in 2010 as a separate U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit effort focused on ocean conservation and individual action. NAUI is governed by a board of directors elected from its instructor membership. Its educational and safety positioning has been reinforced through relationships with organizations such as Divers Alert Network, including first-aid and dive-safety programs. In 2007, NAUI's core diver and instructor levels received CE and ISO certification, and its scuba programs were recertified against ISO and European Underwater Federation standards in 2015. The association remains an active international certification and professional-membership organization headquartered in Florida.
History
NAUI developed in response to the rapid growth of recreational scuba diving after the introduction of the Aqua-Lung. During the early 1950s, diver education was largely supplied by military units, informal clubs, and individual instructors. Neal Hess used his Skin Diver magazine column to discuss instruction and identify instructors, while Albert Tillman, then director of sports for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, argued that public authorities had a responsibility to provide safe training for the expanding sport. In 1955, Tillman and Los Angeles County lifeguard Bev Morgan established the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Underwater Instructor Certification Course. The program was an important predecessor to NAUI and is commonly described as the first civilian program to certify recreational divers. It also began granting provisional recognition to instructors outside California. In 1959, the organization that had been associated with the National Diving Patrol adopted the name National Association of Underwater Instructors. Hess, Tillman, Jim Auxier, and Chuck Blakeslee subsequently organized the first NAUI Instructor Certification Course. That course took place at Houston's Shamrock Hotel from August 22 to 26, 1960. Seventy-two candidates attended from the United States and Canada, and 53 completed the program. Those graduates and the staff instructors constituted NAUI's first instructor membership. A second instructor course was held in Toronto in 1961. In October of that year, NAUI was incorporated in California as a nonprofit educational organization. Tillman became president and Hess became executive secretary. The first board included Tillman, John C. Jones Jr., Hess, Garry Howland, Auxier, and James Cahill. Its advisers included figures associated with diving medicine, military diving, and recreational diving, including Albert Behnke, George Bond, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Andreas Rechnitzer. During the 1960s, NAUI expanded its instructor-certification courses across North America and began developing an international presence. Much of its administration initially depended on volunteers, regional leaders, and support from Skin Diver magazine. The first International Conference on Underwater Education was held in 1969 at Santa Ana College. It provided a forum for discussion of instruction, safety, physiology, physics, marine science, and diving practice. An instructor-certification course was held in Japan in 1970, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service recognized NAUI as a tax-exempt nonprofit educational organization in 1971. NAUI Canada was organized as a separate corporation in 1972. The organization expanded both its educational scope and its professional services. It introduced a worldwide instructor-liability insurance policy in 1974 and developed a rescue-certification course in 1981 so that NAUI leadership candidates would not have to rely exclusively on outside first-aid credentials. NAUI sanctioned nitrox instruction in 1992 and published technical-diving standards in 1997. That year it created a Technical Diving Division and advisory boards for technical training and rebreathers. The association also worked with Bruce Wienke and Tim O'Leary on Reduced Gradient Bubble Model decompression tables, publishing comprehensive tables for air, nitrox, trimix, and open- and closed-circuit diving in 2000, followed by recreational no-calculation tables in 2001. NAUI's institutional scale increased in the late twentieth century. More than 40,000 entry-level divers were reportedly certified by NAUI instructors in 1970, more than 5,000 new NAUI instructors were certified in 1979, and the instructor population exceeded 12,000 by 1989. Headquarters remained in Montclair, California, from 1981 to 1997. In 1987, Nancy Guarascio became the first woman elected president of the NAUI board. Jim Bram was hired as president in 1995 and adopted NAUI Worldwide as the organization's business name to emphasize member support through licensed service centers. Headquarters moved to the Tampa, Florida, area in 1997, and international representation on the board expanded to include Europe and Asia. By 1998, NAUI Worldwide had established 20 service centers. In the twenty-first century, NAUI continued to combine recreational certification with technical, scientific, public-safety, and institutional diving. Its standards and certification materials have been used by universities, government agencies, NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, public-safety organizations, and military units. The association formed the NAUI Green Diver Initiative in 2010, and renewed its emphasis on that environmental program in 2015 by appointing a full-time manager. NAUI's scuba programs received CE and ISO certification in 2007 and were recertified against ISO and European Underwater Federation standards in November 2015. NAUI has maintained a safety-oriented relationship with Divers Alert Network. The two organizations first allied in 2007, and their cooperation was renewed in 2015. The renewed arrangement incorporated DAN first-aid programs into co-branded NAUI courses and made DAN the official dive-accident insurance provider associated with NAUI. At the 2015 DEMA Show, NAUI also introduced the Dive Team Report podcast, promoted the Definition of Diving campaign, previewed a website interface, and announced cooperation with Performance Freediving International. NAUI remains an active Florida-based international nonprofit association governed by an elected instructor-member board.
- 2015
Standards recertification and expanded safety partnership
[1]NAUI's scuba programs were recertified against ISO and European Underwater Federation standards, while its alliance with DAN was renewed.
- 2010
Green Diver Initiative formed
[1]NAUI Worldwide established the NAUI Green Diver Initiative as a conservation-focused nonprofit program.
- 2007
CE and ISO certification
[1]NAUI reported CE and ISO certification for its three principal diver levels and two instructor levels.
- 2000
Scuba Diver Education System and RGBM tables
[1]NAUI incorporated its Scuba Diver Education System into mainstream certification and published a comprehensive set of RGBM-based decompression tables.
- 1997
Technical Diving Division and Tampa-area headquarters
[1]NAUI created its Technical Diving Division and moved its worldwide headquarters from California to the Tampa, Florida, area.
- 1995
NAUI Worldwide operating name adopted
[1]President Jim Bram renamed the association for business purposes as NAUI Worldwide to support members through licensed service centers.
- 1992
Nitrox training sanctioned
[1]NAUI formally sanctioned nitrox instruction as part of its expanding advanced-diving curriculum.
- 1981
Headquarters period in Montclair begins
[1]NAUI headquarters facilities were based in Montclair, California, from 1981 through 1997.
- 1974
Worldwide instructor-liability insurance introduced
[1]NAUI initiated a worldwide instructor-liability insurance policy for members, including instructors working internationally and in military postings.
- 1971
Tax-exempt educational status recognized
[1]The U.S. Internal Revenue Service determined that NAUI qualified as a tax-exempt nonprofit educational organization.
Products and positioning
A safety-led, instructor-governed nonprofit certification agency serving recreational, technical, scientific, institutional, and operational diving communities.
Recreational scuba education · 1960
NAUI Diver Certification Programs
NAUI's core offering is a structured system of recreational scuba education and certification. It provides entry-level instruction and continuing education through standards, teaching materials, examinations, certification cards, and instructor-led practical training. The programs are delivered through affiliated instructors, dive centers, resorts, stores, service centers, and institutional partners in multiple countries.
Professional certification · 1960
NAUI Instructor Certification Course
The Instructor Certification Course is the foundation of NAUI's professional network. It evaluates candidates' diving competence, teaching ability, safety judgment, and understanding of instructional standards. The first course was held in Houston in 1960, and later courses enabled NAUI to build a distributed international membership of instructors and service providers.
Technical diving education · 1997
NAUI Technical Diving Programs
NAUI's technical-diving portfolio addresses activities beyond conventional recreational depth or immersion-time limits. It includes specialized gas mixtures such as nitrox and trimix, staged or extended decompression, rebreathers, specialized equipment, and support-team procedures. The programs are built around additional training and qualified supervision because of their greater operational complexity.
Diver safety and first aid · 2015
DAN-NAUI First-Aid Courses
Developed with Divers Alert Network, these co-branded courses provide first-aid and emergency-response education for divers and NAUI members. The partnership connects NAUI's instructional system with DAN's focus on dive medicine, accident assistance, and safety education.
Environmental nonprofit initiative · 2010
NAUI Green Diver Initiative
The Green Diver Initiative is a conservation-oriented program intended to mobilize divers and other individuals to protect the ocean environment. It operates as a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies on donor support for environmental activities and public engagement.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015The Definition of Diving
International
NAUI introduced this marketing campaign at the 2015 DEMA Show to communicate the breadth of its diving identity and educational proposition.
Outcome. The campaign was announced alongside a website-interface preview and other efforts to modernize NAUI's public communications.
- 2010NAUI Green Diver Initiative
United States · International
NAUI launched an environmental initiative encouraging divers to take practical action to conserve the ocean and marine environment.
Outcome. The initiative continued as a separate nonprofit effort and received renewed organizational attention in 2015.
Brand decisions
2015
Renew the Divers Alert Network allianceStrategyBackground
NAUI sought to broaden access to diver-safety, first-aid, and accident-insurance resources.
Action taken
NAUI renewed its alliance with DAN and incorporated co-branded DAN-NAUI first-aid programs into its curriculum.
Aftermath
DAN continued as the associated dive-accident insurance provider, while the two organizations expanded safety education for NAUI members.
1997
Create a dedicated technical-diving organizationStrategyBackground
Growing interest in nitrox, rebreathers, deeper diving, and extended decompression required standards beyond conventional recreational instruction.
Action taken
NAUI established its Technical Diving Division and created technical-training and rebreather advisory boards.
Aftermath
The association expanded its professional education portfolio and published technical-diving standards.
Recent events
- 2015
Ohio authorizes medical-oxygen access for qualifying NAUI-trained divers[1]
Regulation
An amendment to Ohio pharmacy rules authorized people who completed qualifying NAUI courses to purchase and possess medical oxygen for emergency care at a diving incident.
- 2015
NAUI announces new media, marketing, and safety initiatives at DEMA[1]
Campaign · Product launch
At the 2015 DEMA Show, NAUI announced the Dive Team Report podcast, the Definition of Diving marketing campaign, a website-interface project, and expanded cooperation with Divers Alert Network and Performance Freediving International.
- 2015
NAUI scuba programs recertified against ISO and European standards[1]
Other
NAUI reported recertification of its scuba programs as meeting ISO and European Underwater Federation standards.
- 2010
NAUI establishes the Green Diver Initiative[1]
Other
NAUI created an environmental initiative intended to encourage individual and collective action to protect oceans and the marine environment.
- 2007
NAUI receives CE and ISO certification for diver and instructor levels[1]
Other
NAUI announced certification of its principal diver and instructor levels under CE and ISO requirements.
Sources1 sources
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