PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
The Origin of the PADI Acronym
The name PADI came about after a discussion between John Cronin and Ralph Erickson, who were looking to establish a new scuba training organization.
- John Cronin insisted on the inclusion of the word "professional" in the company's name.
- Ralph Erickson advocated for "association of diving instructors."
After some deliberation (and, reportedly, a few scotches), they arrived at the acronym PADI, representing Professional Association of Diving Instructors. This name was chosen to reflect their commitment to high-quality, professional scuba diving instruction.
In essence, PADI's name directly reflects its mission: to be a professional organization dedicated to the education and certification of scuba diving instructors.
