The I.A.D.P
The International Association of Dive Professionals (IADP) is the only independent global membership association created by professionals, for professionals in the diving industry. We are a nonprofit organization committed to uniting skilled, ethical, and forward-looking dive professionals who believe in collaboration, responsibility, and excellence.
While IADP was officially established as a nonprofit in 2022, our roots trace back to 2007, when we began as an informal community of dive professionals connecting through social media and working groups.
Our Identity
Strength United is Stronger
Vis Unita Fortior
In a world marked by environmental challenges and global uncertainty, the IADP brings together quality-oriented professionals to make a meaningful impact — not only in their trade and workspaces, but also on the aquatic environments they depend on.
We believe that the only way to meet today’s global challenges is through solidarity: professionals supporting one another, exchanging knowledge, and building a better, safer, more ethical future for professional diving.
The Diving Industry – A Fragmented Profession
Professional diving is not a single industry. It is a network of sectors operating under very different economic, regulatory, and environmental conditions.
- Training systems are fragmented and commercially driven
- Legal frameworks differ widely between countries
- Access to infrastructure, vessels, and equipment is unequal
- Income models vary significantly across regions and sectors
Despite this complexity, there is no independent global body representing professionals across all sectors. The IADP exists to address that gap.
Our Core Beliefs
A Multi-Sector Profession
The IADP recognizes diving as a multi-sector profession. Our work is structured across ten core sectors within professional diving:
Understanding diving requires both a global structural view of these sectors and a local operational view of how they function within individual countries.
From Global Structure to Local Reality
To bridge the gap between global understanding and local realities, the IADP is developing structured Country Reports and Industry Briefs.
These reports map diving activity across all sectors within specific countries, providing insight into:
- Market structure and operational conditions
- Regulatory environments
- Professional opportunities and risks
- Environmental pressures and priorities
This approach creates a clearer picture of the industry as it actually functions on the ground.
Why an Independent Association?
Unlike most dive organizations, IADP is not tied to any training agency, commercial brand, or political influence. This independence, supported by transparent independent governance, allows us to:
- Advocate for real industry standards
- Support members without conflict of interest
- Launch unbiased conservation and media initiatives
- Set a new benchmark for what professional diving can and should be
Join a Global Movement
If you work in or around diving professionally, you are already part of this system. The question is whether you remain isolated within it — or help shape it.
We invite you to help build the world's most trusted community of dive professionals. Together, we can shape the future of diving.