Who Are We?
We are Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors. The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation under the guidance of scuba legend Al Tillman, saw that scuba diving was catching on back in 1953! Al sought out additional training that was being given to scientific divers and with two other instructors started traing divers in 1953. They were so overwhelmed by the response that they had to train more instructors in 1954. L.A. County was the first recreational scuba training organization in the world and the first to train and certify instructors.
The course was given over a weekend in the beginning but now comprises 14 weekends and consists of academic sessions in physics, physiology, marine biology and more. There is pool work and of course many sessions in the ocean. The course is grueling and designed to teach instructors how to teach.
We are NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) instructors. NAUI was founded in 1958 by Al Tillman so as to take his L.A. County program national.
We are PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) instructors, founded in 1966, PADI is the largest certification agency in the world.
We are CMAS (Confederation Mondiale Des Activites Subaquatiques or World Underwater Federation) Founded in 1959
We are YMCA instructors. The Y started training scuba divers in 1959.
And we are HSA (Handicapped Scuba Association of America) instructors. Founded in 1981 to allow those who are differently abled an opportunity to experience not only the wonders of the underwater world but as a way to free themselves from the bonds of gravity.
