• PADI hosts diving excursions all the time.scuba diving 01 image by Undy from Fotolia.com
  
  The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, is the leading authority in all things related to scuba diving and snorkeling. If you wish to pursue scuba diving, or are an experienced diver looking to connect with other divers, you will probably be doing business with each of the 4 types of PADI dive centers. While these centers fulfill some overlapping functions, each type of dive center has its own reason for existence.
  
  

PADI Dive Center

• PADI Dive Centers are retail shops geared toward local customers. As well as offering the latest, greatest dive gear and information, these facilities typically offer dive classes where anyone interested in becoming a certified diver can receive accredited training. They also put together group excursions, enabling divers from all over to meet each other and experience diving adventures in a group setting. Dive Centers also provide equipment rentals for certified divers who don't have their own gear.
  
  

PADI Dive Resort

• Dive Resorts do many of the same things as Dive Centers, including equipment retail and rental, scuba instruction and organization of diving excursions. The main difference is that, while Dive Centers are quite numerous and cater to local populations, Dive Resorts tend to be located only near prime scuba diving locations, and cater mainly to vacationing tourists. They offer guided underwater tours and snorkeling excursions, with emphasis on sightseeing more than certification instruction.
  
  

PADI Dive Boat

• Sometimes the best diving experiences are found far from land, which is when a PADI Dive Boat is necessary. These boats are mainly for transporting certified divers to dive sites, but some Dive Boats offer introductory scuba and snorkeling classes, as well as the Discover Scuba Diving program that gives new divers an immersive experience. Some of these boats perform services offered at Dive Centers and Resorts, such as equipment rental and air refilling.
  
  

PADI Recreational Facility

• Hands-on instruction at a Dive Center is typically limited to what can be done in a swimming pool. For more advanced divers looking for a training experience similar to being out in the open water, PADI Recreational Facilities offer an acceptable environment. These are bodies of water, such as lakes or rock quarries, that are suitable for training, but can be used for purely recreational purposes as well.