Autonomous diver

Autonomous diver describes the minimum requirements for basic training and certification for recreational scuba divers in international standard ISO 24801-2 and the equivalent European Standard EN 14153-2. Various organizations offer training that meets the requirements of the Autonomous Diver standard. A certification which corresponds to Autonomous Diver allows for independent diving with a dive buddy in open water. Most training organizations do not recommend exceeding a depth of 18 or 20 meters at this level of certification. After completion this certification the training can be extended to a dive leader to ISO 24801-3 or an intermediate not defined by international standards.

Before initial diver training and thereafter at regular intervals, a diver should undergo a fitness to dive examination by a diving doctor. In some countries, such an examination is required by law and it is a prerequisite for any training in many diving schools. A diving certification which corresponds to Autonomous Diver and a medical certificate may be required for renting diving equipment and taking part in organised dives. In some countries (eg. Australia) the law requires every diver to prove basic certification before unsupervised diving activity.

Some diver training organizations offer an intermediate Supervised diver certification which corresponds to ISO 24801-1, which usually only splits the contents of the Autonomous Diver training over two courses and does not qualify the holder to take part in independent dives.

International standard ISO 24801-2 includes:

Every year around 1.7 million people are trained according to ISO 24801. Despite the standardization, the dive courses of individual diving organizations differ considerably in their content, expansion and philosophy. However, the minimum requirements defined in the ISO standard guarantee that a diver can easily convert between training organizations.

The following certifications meet the requirements for Autonomous Diver:

The CMAS * (one-star) training goes beyond the requirements defined by the Autonomous Diver standard. CMAS requires the theory test before diving in open water. 6 theory lessons, which build the basic understanding of the learner diver and, after the successful completion of a theory test, at least 6 swimming pool or confined water training sessions, and 5 open water training and assessment dives. The course includes breathhold exercises. After successfully completing the course, training can continue with specialisation courses or the CMAS ** (two star). CMAS recommends maximum depth of 20 meters for one-star divers. For divers aged between 8 and 14 years, a maximum depth of 5 meters is recommended.

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