American Nitrox Divers International

Origins and history

ANDI was founded by Ed Betts and Dick Rutkowski in 1988 for the following purpose - “to standardize Instructor Training, Sport Diver Training, and refill station dispensing procedures for Enriched Air Nitrox diving.” It is one of the first diver training organisations to specialise in technical diving and in the delivery of training for the use of nitrox. Between the years 1989 and 2000, ANDI is reported by the Divers Alert Network as certifying 49,118 divers out of a global total of 233,798 in the use of nitrox along with the certification of 3,196 instructors (out of a global total of 32,924) to specifically teach nitrox.

Certification

ANDI offers training programs for recreational diving, use of nitrox, technical diving (including rebreather), gas blending, equipment service, diver first aid and hyperbaric chamber personnel. Each program is identified by “a three-letter course code”. Programs specific to diver training are also classified by a “Level of Training” in order to “differentiate the programs and their scope of training” with Level 1 (L1) being “an introductory program for new divers or divers-in-training” while Level 5 (L5) is used for the highest level of training, i.e. “exploration courses" that "involve the use of other inert gases".

Open Water certification

Introductory Scuba Experience - ISE

ANDI Surface Diver - ASD

Confined Environment Diver - CED

Junior Sport Diver - (L1) JSD

Open Water Sport Diver - (L1) OWD

Ocean Scuba Diver-L2 OSD

Ocean Diver - (L2) OCD

Ocean Adventurer - (L2) OCA

Advanced Open Water Diver - (L2) AOW

Ocean Explorer - (L2) OCE

Expert Scuba Diver - (L2) ESD

Ocean Expert Explorer - (L2) OEE

Rescue Diver - (L2) RSD

Openwater Divemaster - (L2) CDM

Assistant Instructor - (L2) ASI

Open Water Instructor - (L1&2) OWI

Advanced Openwater Instructor - AOWI

Master Instructor - (L2) MSI

Specialty certification

Dry Suit Diver - DSD

Dry Suit Instructor - DSI

Diver Propulsion Vehicle - DPV

Night Diver - NGT

Boat Diver - BOT

Deeper Water Diver - DWD

Navigation Diver - NAV

Specialty Instructor - (L1-2) SPI

Marine Environmentalist Specialty (MES)

Total Buoyancy Control Specialty (TBC)

SafeAir (Nitrox) certification

Limited SafeAir User - (L1) LSU

Complete SafeAir User - (L2) CSU

SafeAir Instructor - (L1 & 2) LSI & CSI

SafeAir Wreck Diver - (L2) SWD

Altitude Diver Specialty - (L2) ALD

Specialty Instructor - (L2)

SafeAir Divemaster - (L2) SDM

Cavern Diver - (L2) CVN

Cavern Diver Instructor - (L2) CVI

Technical certification

Technical SafeAir Diver - (L3) TSD

Technical Tri-Mix Diver - (L3) TTM

Solo Diver - (L3) SLD

Technical Wreck Diver - (L3) TWD

Technical SafeAir Instructor - (L3) TSI

Technical Instructor (Specialty) - (L3)

Technical Divemaster - (L3) TDM

Cave Diver (L3) CAV

Cave Diver Instructor - (L3) CAI

Exploration certification

Extended Range Diver - (L4) ERD

Extended Range Instructor - (L4) ERI

Intermediate Tri-Mix Diver - (L5) ITM

Tri-Mix Diver - (L5) TMD

Exploration Divemaster - (L4 & 5) EDM

Tri-Mix Instructor - (L5) TMI

Cave Explorer - (L4) CVX

Cave Explorer Instructor - (L4) CXI

Cave Explorer - (L5) CVX

Cave Explorer Instructor - (L5) CXI

Rebreather certification

Rebreather Intro - (L1) ICC

Rebreather Diver - (L2) CCR

Rebreather Diver - (L2) SCR

Technical Rebreather Diver - (L3) TRD

Rebreather Explorer - (L5) ERE

Rebreather Instructor - (L1&2) RBI Technical Rebreather Instructor - (L3) TRI

Exploration Rebreather Inst. - (L5) XRI

Technician certification

Gas Blender - CGB

Advanced Gas Blender - AGB

Gas Blender Instructor - GBI

Breathing Gas Dispenser Tech - BDT

Breathing Gas Maintenance Tech - BMT

SafeAir Service Technician - CST

Service Technician Instructor - STI

Eddy Current Tech - ECT

Cylinder Inspection Technician - CIT

Apprentice Service Technician - AST

Professional Service Technician - PST

Senior Service Technician - SST

Master Service Technician - MST

Dive Medic certification

Oxygen Administration Provider - OXP

Oxygen Administration Instructor - OXI

CPR Provider - CPR

CPR Instructor - CPI

First Aid Provider - FAP

First Responder - FRS

Dive Medic - DMD

Dive Medic Instructor - DMI

Hyperbarics certification

Hyperbaric Chamber Awareness - HCA: Introductory background on chamber applications.

Hyperbaric Chamber Tender - HCT: Basic theory and procedures of hyperbaric chamber operation to assist a qualified chamber operator in a clinical environment.

Hyperbaric Chamber Operator - HCO (3 levels): Unit-specific chamber operation skills and the necessary theoretical background.

Certified Hyperbaric Technician - CHT: Practical and theoretical chamber related equipment maintenance and operation skills.

Hyperbaric Chamber Operator Instructor - HCI

Recognition

ANDI obtained CEN certification from the EUF certification body in 2005.

ANDI ratings for recreational diving supervision and instruction are recognised by the Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom as of 2015.

ANDI is recognised as a technical diving organisation by the Chamber of Diving and Watersports in Egypt as of 2016.