In 2026, PADI is celebrating 60 YEARS of seeking adventure and saving the ocean. Since humble beginnings in 1966, PADI has issued more than 30 million certifications and led the way in uniting the global dive community to create positive ocean change.
“Sixty years ago, a torch was lit and a movement was born beneath the sea,” says Dr. Drew Richardson, PADI President and CEO.
As we reflect on the past 60 years, we are also looking ahead to the next 60 years. Diving into what the future of PADI will look like, this article includes thoughts and perspectives from PADI team members who play key roles in steering PADI’s continued legacy into 2026 and beyond. Notably, PADI President and CEO, Dr. Drew Richardson, is also celebrating his 40th anniversary leading the organization this year.
The Future of Scuba Diving
There’s no doubt that the future of PADI diving will be shaped by our long-standing commitment to making diving possible for everyone. PADI will continue to champion inclusivity in the sport by ensuring that the underwater world is accessible and welcoming to all.
A core part of PADI’s long-term vision is to continue to advance adaptive diving by breaking down any remaining barriers and creating more opportunities for people of all abilities to access the life-changing experience of diving. Divers around the world will celebrate the third PADI Adaptive Diving Week in 2026. This global event will highlight the remarkable benefits of adaptive diving as well as the many PADI Dive Centers, Resorts, Professionals and dive buddies who empower adaptive divers.
“PADI has long been inclusive, since for instance when I was the first paraplegic in the world to qualify as a PADI Instructor in the early 90s. Over the next few years, I hope more and more Dive Centers will apply for the PADI Adaptive Service Facility accreditation as well as have more support divers and PADI Pros who embrace adaptive diving,” remarks Fraser Bathgate, PADI Global Adaptive Diving Coordinator.
Passing the torch to the next generation of divers is also a fundamentally important part of the future of PADI diving. Drawing on PADI’s historical commitment to empowering youth to join the dive community, PADI is aiming to make diving even more accessible, inclusive and inspiring to young people around the world. This is evident from the PADI youth dive courses (Bubblemaker, Seal Team, Junior Open Water Diver) and the newly appointed PADI Junior AmbassaDivers.
“PADI’s vision is to make it easier for young people to shape their own dive journey, from that first breath underwater to becoming confident divers and ocean advocates. We’re committed to providing education and opportunities that encourage curiosity, confidence and responsibility. By investing in youth, we’re building an engaged, diverse dive community that’s connected to protecting the underwater world for future generations,” adds Ashley Levy, PADI Director of Marketing Communications.
The Future of PADI
In 2016, when PADI celebrated its 50th anniversary, the organization evolved its tagline from being ‘The Way the World Learns to Dive®’ to ‘Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.℠’, with the defined mission to create a billion Torchbearers to protect the ocean. PADI’s commitment to this Torchbearer mission stands strong today and will continue to be a driving force as we look to the future.
Another driving force that will continue to shape the future of PADI diving is utilizing technological advances to facilitate and evolve the diver experience. Drawing on PADI’s long-standing history of using the latest technology to make diving more accessible, PADI will continue to develop and enhance the technological features of PADI eLearning, the PADI App and PADI Travel in order to:
- Offer flexible learning options that fit today’s time-crunched lifestyle
- Reduce friction on a consumer’s digital journey to learning to breathe underwater
- Expand accessibility to diving in areas where diving traditionally has low participation due to technological barriers
“PADI will continue to be the way the world learns to dive, by continuing to invest in delivering industry best tools that allow our members to provide the best possible experience for divers as they seek adventure and save the ocean. We’ll continue to lead the industry with premium learning materials and digital experiences for divers worldwide, while encouraging divers to preserve our ocean planet,” states Kevin Braun, PADI Vice President of Mobile and Experience Design.
The Future of Ocean Stewardship With PADI AWARE
Founded in 1989, PADI AWARE Foundation® (formerly Project AWARE) has been driving local action for global ocean conservation for more than three decades. In looking to the future of ocean stewardship, PADI’s work will continue to be guided by the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, a shared conservation framework between PADI and PADI AWARE that is organized around these five priority programs:
- Marine Debris
- Marine Protected Areas
- Vulnerable Marine Species
- Marine Habitat Restoration
- AWARE Community Grants
The Conservation Action Portal is an important tool for PADI Divers to use now and moving forward. The powerful platform will not only help us achieve goals aligned with the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action, but will also help divers to secure a healthier ocean for future generations. It was recently designed as a one-stop digital hub that makes it easy for divers to take action, track their impact and join the growing global dive community committed to protecting our blue planet.
Thanks to the incredible support of divers around the world, numerous shark and ray species were recently granted the strongest possible protection measures against unsustainable trade at the CITES 2025 Convention. PADI AWARE will now build on that momentum with the launch of the Global Shark and Ray Census, which will play a key role in the future of ocean stewardship. This global citizen science program aims to further reduce extinction risks for vulnerable shark and ray species through advocacy, education and citizen science.
“As these [shark and ray] protections come into force over the coming years, PADI AWARE Foundation will continue working with PADI Divers, dive professionals and industry partners to ensure conservation commitments turn into visible change in the ocean. PADI Divers are the global eyes under the surface, and they are in a unique position to tell us what is working and, just as importantly, what isn’t. To ensure conservation translates to improved ocean health, PADI AWARE is concentrating our work to enable divers to tell us the state of their favorite dive spots,” says Ian Campbell, PADI AWARE Associate Director of Policy and Partnerships.
Ready To Be Part of the Future of Diving?
“I’m excited about the future of PADI, because we’re on the brink of something big. Humanity and the ocean are both vulnerable, both codependent. Divers are a fortunate group of people who understand this. I see a future where one billion people think and feel this way. This is the art of the possible and what PADI is determined to achieve. Together, we will create positive ocean change,“ remarks Dr. Drew Richardson, PADI President and CEO.
