A 2025 Dive Industry Study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that PADI’s dive centres and resorts are the most successful in the industry in terms of productivity, earnings, and trustworthiness.
The study found that PADI-exclusive dive shops earned US$186,000 more in 2024 than non-PADI dive centres and reported 15–20 per cent higher productivity than competitors.
The survey also found that PADI is considered to be the most trustworthy by customers, earning the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) of any dive training organisation.
NPS scores measure customer loyalty by analysing how likely they are to recommend a particular business to another person.
PADI has long been considered the dive industry’s leading training agency, to the point where prospective divers even talk about ‘getting their PADI’, rather than ‘getting certified to scuba dive.’
PADI’s 128,000 members and 6,600 dive centres or resorts currently offer more than 94 courses in 27 languages and have, according to PADI, issued more than 30 million certifications since the agency’s founding in 1966.
The study also found that PADI garners at least 21 times the media exposure of other agencies and has 3.6 times more social media followers than its nearest competitors.
‘These findings validate that the PADI brand, along with its training and marketing programmes, help dive centres thrive,’ said Kristin Valette Wirth, Chief Brand and Membership Officer at PADI Worldwide.
‘Being a PADI Member is a profitable business strategy. Through global awareness, best-in-class training, and unmatched business and marketing tools, the PADI organisation helps members not only succeed, but lead in their market.’
‘With nearly six decades of leadership and purpose-driven innovation, PADI is more than a training agency — it’s a growth engine for the dive industry.’
