In early 2025, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) underwent a significant change in ownership as Altas Partners and Florac (who held the company since 2017) exited their positions.
While the new owner was initially described as “undisclosed,” the transition has since been characterized as a shift from traditional private equity toward a consortium of conservation-minded family offices and philanthropists. This shift is being felt globally, the Middle East (EMEA) and Asia Pacific regions are currently the front lines for this “store-centric” enforcement.
Industry reports surfacing from DEMA 2025 (November) suggest that PADI is moving toward an uncompromising “100% PADI or Not at All” affiliation model. By early 2026, it has become clear that the new owners (the North American family office consortium) are moving PADI away from the traditional “Independent Professional” model and toward a “Authorized Dealer” model, similar to how luxury car brands or high-end tech companies operate.
According to community accounts and professional discussions, PADI has begun informing dive centers that their membership status is contingent upon training exclusivity. Specifically, shops that continue to offer programs from competing agencies—such as SSI, SDI, or NAUI—reportedly face the non-renewal of their official PADI Dive Center or Resort status.
This shift marks a strategic pivot toward exclusivity, compelling dive business owners to choose between maintaining their affiliation with the industry’s largest brand or continuing their partnerships with other organizations for the 2026 season and beyond.
The scuba diving industry is shaped by a diverse array of training organizations, each offering specialized pathways to certification while adhering to universal safety protocols. Dominating the commercial landscape are PADI, renowned for its vast global network and structured modules, and SSI, which is highly regarded for its digital integration and flexible teaching styles. More traditional, community-driven options include NAUI, which prioritizes instructor autonomy and a non-profit mission, and CMAS, an international federation founded by pioneers like Jacques Cousteau that maintains a rigorous academic standard. In the UK, BSAC stands out for its club-based culture and expertise in challenging environments. Finally, the industry’s technical evolution is led by agencies like SDI, which modernized beginner training with dive computers; TDI, the global leader in advanced decompression and mixed-gas diving; and RAID, a digital-forward organization that emphasizes elite buoyancy control and modern rebreather technology.
According to a PADI divemaster’s comment from Reddit – “As a PADI Divemaster, you’re hitting on a sentiment that has been echoing through the professional community for years. The “nickel and diming” isn’t just a feeling—the math often backs it up, especially when compared to the shifting landscape of other agencies in 2026.””
As a well-known authority in diver education, PADI is a brand recognized far beyond the diving community. However, the organization with this new requirement for its global network of dive centers, has lead to friction with some long-term partners. While these changes have caused concern among many shop owners, the impact appears to be inconsistent.
And the Last word From What Happens Next? Tasty Fox 9030
In the 90s, Microsoft’s aggression eventually led to the rise of open-source alternatives and a massive antitrust backlash. In diving, we are seeing a similar “rebellion”:
- Technical Divers Lead the Way: High-end shops are moving toward agencies like GUE or RAID specifically because they value transparency over brand name.
- The “Under the Counter” Model: Many Caribbean shops are officially “PADI Five Star” on the sign outside, but keep an SSI or SDI instructor “on the books” to handle students who want a cheaper or more flexible certification.
- The Instructor Exodus: If PADI continues to treat independent pros as “trademark thieves,” those pros will simply become the best salespeople for the competition.
It’s a bold (and some say arrogant) move to assume that a “PADI” sticker on the door is more important than the person holding the regulator. If they squeeze the “Sales Team” (the instructors) too hard, they might find themselves with a very polished product that nobody is selling.
Comments
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PADI forcing that model will just have divers who know better just start avoiding PADI.
It’s unfortunate to see PADI continuing to position itself in a way that drives dive professionals toward other training agencies. The reality is that all major agencies operate under the same RSTC standards, yet many offer more competitive pricing and better support for their professionals.
At DEMA, I was informed by our PADI representative that our dive center would not be renewed for 2026. While we could continue teaching as individual PADI instructors, we would no longer receive dive center benefits or pricing. This directly impacts our operational costs and forces us to increase class prices simply to offset the loss of material discounts.
What makes this especially frustrating is that we were never given a choice in the matter. Many others appear to have options, yet we did not. It’s hard not to view that as unequal treatment.
In the end, if PADI doesn’t see the value in having our business as a dive center, then they clearly don’t need our money as instructors either. Ironically, their decision saves me about $1,200 per year.
We are a destination, not a traditional retail dive shop, and our focus has always been on training divers and growing the diving community. We will continue to do exactly that—just not under the same banner