NASDS History

When NASDS was founded by John Gaffney in 1961, there was only Naui, founded in 1959 as a training organisation in the diving industry, and YMCA, founded in 1960.

PADI was founded in 1966 and SSI in 1970. These are training organisations that are considered milestones in the history of diving.

NASDS has achieved many innovations in the diving industry. Some of them:

NASDS Pure Air Programme
NASDS Safe Air Programme
NASDS Certified Breathing Protection Programme
NASDS Surface Protection Programme
NASDS Private Home Study Programme
NASDS Air Management and Information Verification Programme
NASDS Information Form. (Total Information Card)

In addition, NASDS has developed the additional equipment for dive planning and is a training agent, which brings with it the need for a safe second stage regulator. NASDS Safe Dive Table, NASDS Pre-Dive Analysis, Log NASDS Dive Time Calculator and Planning Table

All of these elements, developed by an innovative John Gaffney, shaped diving safety and the style of today’s modern diving industry. These innovations, which caused controversy in the diving community when they were first developed, are now the basis for industry standards. If we are safer and better divers today, it is thanks to John Gaffney’s insistence on these standards.

It is the first training organisation to link NASDS Diving Certification with dive centres.