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MIXED GAS DIVER , LEVELS 1 TO 3

The Professional Scuba Association International is one of the oldest scuba instructional training agencies in the world.  For many years it was a small, specialized organization that was predominantly involved with diving training associated with extended range, deep air diving. Virtually all of the early history centers on the founder, Hal Watts.

The Professional Scuba Association International (PSA) was originally founded as the Florida Scuba Association in 1962 by Hal Watts in Orlando, Florida.  Hal’s experience with scuba had begun in 1955 while he was attending college, earning a Master’s degree in Law.

During the 1960’s Hal became devoted to extended range diving and developing proven, effective diving techniques for dives to depths greater than the normal recreational range of 40 meters (132 feet).  In 1968, using the methods he developed, Hal set the World’s Record Depth by diving to 119 meters (390 feet).  In 1970, Hal wrote and copyrighted the first manual for Extended Range Deep Diving for instructors.  Hal also had Ned Deloach of New World Productions produce a 16 mm color film for Deep Diving on location at Wakulla Springs, Florida.
Hal Watts formed a specialty diving club known as the “Forty Fathom Scubapros” that was very active diving all over Florida, especially at a spectacular sink hole, that just happened to be 40 fathoms deep!  Many of the other divers and organizations simply were not prepared to understand the desire of these early pioneers, so they continued largely in quiet.  During the 1970’s they continued to refine techniques and skills to improve safety in deep diving activities.  Hal still holds the record for a deep air dive in caves at 127 meters (415 feet).

Widely respected for business and marketing Hal, also known as “Mr. Scuba”, has been active in virtually all the trade shows and meetings spanning over 4 decades.  Hal has been recognized as the Diver of the Year by Beneath the Sea, testified before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a host of other accolades and experiences.  Little known facts include that he developed and coined the term “octopus” for the additional second stage, to eliminate problems associated with “buddy breathing”.  In the “old days” buddy breathing meant sharing one mouthpiece, not like today’s world of simply passing the “octopus”!  Another contribution to safety awareness is his devotion to dive planning.  The phrase “Plan your dive, Dive your Plan” came from Hal’s early PSA desire to promote safe diving activities.

PSAI was in place as the mainstream technical agencies burst onto the market in the mid-1980’s and continued their program of careful selection of instructors and adherence to safe diving techniques.  Many of the various agencies recognized the PSA programs for the quality and afforded direct cross-over certification. 

During the 1990’s Hal had long discussions of the philosophy with Joe Odom.  Joe had been Chairman of the National Speleological Society’s Cave Diving Section and was a well known author of a wide variety of technical diving articles and manuals for Technical Diving International (TDI) as well as the International Training Director for International Training Incorporated.  ITI was the parent heading for the popular open water organization SDI as well as TDI and ERDI, the public safety branch.  Joe had dove all over the world and was well known for his unique teaching style. 

Many of their ideas of what should be included in courses and the importance of continuous in-water training clicked and Joe would use Hal’s commercial diving site, the Forty Fathom Grotto, for many of his classes.  Joe was also well known as an outstanding educator in aviation, holding the Gold Seal Flight Instructor certificate for Single Engine, Multi Engine and Instrument ratings.  It was only natural, that after Joe resigned from TDI in 2004 that Hal felt Joe was ideally suited to push PSA forward. 

Joe Odom became the President of PSA in November 2004 as Hal Watts kept the mantle of Founder and CEO.  Together, they are proud to bring the diving public many of the skills and techniques of safe extended range diving they have developed over their almost 90 years of diving experience.

January 2005 saw the addition of another well known author, instructor and diving professional, Mike Ange who took the position of Vice President, Americas to develop the programs throughout the region.  Shortly afterwards, Dave Crockford, author, expert witness and highly accomplished instructor took the post of Vice President, Europe.  These two dynamic and professionally motivated divers have already taken PSAI on the road and building a solid business structure.

The Professional Scuba Association International has their headquarters in Ocala, Florida and is expanding its offerings to a variety of international offices.  Soon, it is expected that PSAI Headquarters will find a permanent home in Orlando, Florida.  This location would make travel very convenient for the international divers and instructors.

During organizational meetings in early 2005, the PSA course structure was re-configured into course offerings.  It was set up to include logical paths of their normal extended range programs, a traditional path of technical deep diving from nitrox to trimix and a rebreather path.  This technique gives the prospective student the style and courses that fit their desired training objectives, without having to do un-necessary out of scope work.  At the same time, every PSAI diver will receive the highest quality training from the highest quality instructors.

One of the hallmarks of the Professional Scuba Association International is that the programs have always stressed high quality in instructors.  Cross-over certification requires evaluation as well as a written examination on the history and philosophy of PSA.  Instructor Trainers are all hand selected for their skill and dedication to scuba education.  At PSA each IT is fully taught the background of the PSA philosophy of skill, knowledge and integrity.  Due to this process, administrative cross-overs are not practical, and in fact, simply not justifiable from a quality and defensibility standpoint.