American Canadian Underwater Certifications

Recreational diver training and certification agency
ACUC American & Canadian Underwater Certifications, Inc.
AbbreviationACUC
PredecessorAssociation of Canadian Underwater Councils
Formation1986
HeadquartersOntario, Canada
Official language
English, French, Spanish
President
Juan Rodriguez
AffiliationsRSTC Canada
RSTC Europe
Websitehttp://www.acuc.es (International)
http://www.acuc.ca/ (North America)

ACUC, American and Canadian Underwater Certifications Inc. is an international recreational diving membership and diver training organization. Formerly known as the Association of Canadian Underwater Councils, it was formed as a not for profit collective of regional dive councils to create a national forum for their common interest and concerns. It soon began developing a training curriculum better suited to the Canadian conditions that many other training agencies neglected. It was later incorporated in 1986 in Canada by Robert Cronkwright. Cronkwright was a National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) instructor from 1969 to 1971. In 1971 he crossed over to the Association of Canadian Underwater Councils and became a Training Director, Secretary/Treasurer and later Vice President of the Association (1972–1984). He was also Training Director for the Ontario Underwater Council (OUC) in the 1970s.[1]

Cronkwright's long-time friend and ACUC Instructor Trainer Evaluator, Juan Rodriguez, purchased shares in the company in the mid-1990s. Since becoming an ACUC Instructor, Rodriguez was instrumental in expanding ACUC's business interests in the global marketplace. In May 2003 Juan Rodriguez became the sole owner and President when Cronkwright retired. Nancy Cronkwright, Cronkwright's daughter, continues as Vice President and Director of the corporation. She has been with the company since its beginning in 1986, and she was Office Manager for the Association of Canadian Underwater Councils (1982–1986).

Corporate offices and delegate offices

ACUC's corporate head offices are divided into two regions. North America head office is in Ontario, Canada. Eur-Asia head office is in Madrid, Spain.

ACUC has numerous delegate offices worldwide, including Argentina, Latin America, Cuba, India, Italy/Croatia & Italian Switzerland, and South Korea.

Associations and standards development

ACUC is a member of RSTC Canada and RSTC Europe.[2][3] Juan Rodriguez is a technical advisor for AENOR (Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification) and Nancy Cronkwright is a technical advisor for the SCC (Standards Council of Canada). The company is working with AENOR and SCC in the development of ISO - TC228 recreational diving standards.

Training system

The ACUC training system is composed of theory and practical training modules. Students learn the theoretical aspects of the program directly from an ACUC instructor supplemented with training manuals, handouts, presentations, and videos. Practical training is provided in a pool or confined water environment by a certified ACUC instructor. Students are certified once they have completed a theory exam and practical evaluation. Practical evaluations are performed in the open water by a certified ACUC instructor. The number of dives required for practical evaluation and instructor-to-student ratios are based on the current ACUC standard for the level of certification.[4]

ACUC training courses range from "Snorkel Diving" and entry levels such as "Scuba Diver" and "Open Water Diver" to "Master Diver", as well as numerous specialty diver programs. Leadership level programs start from "Divemaster", and progress to "Instructor Trainer Evaluator", which is the highest level within the ACUC training ladder.[4] Through affiliation with LifeGuard Systems, based in Shokan, New York, USA, they also provide public safety diving and surface ice rescue certifications used by numerous fire and police service groups internationally.[5][6]

The company also has a long-standing agreement with the Canadian Forces and the Spanish National Guard to recognize numerous military dive training programs and provide equivalent civilian dive certification cards for military personnel in Canada and Spain.

Recreational diving levels

Snorkel diving

  • Snorkel Diver Level I - Beginner award
  • Snorkel Diver Level II - Intermediate award
  • Snorkel Diver Level III - Advanced award
  • Snorkel Diver Level IV - Leadership award

Entry level diver programs

  • Scuba Experience (non-certification program)
  • Scuba Diver (supervised diver)
  • Open Water Diver

Advanced level diver programs

  • Nitrox Diver
  • Advanced Diver
  • Rescue Diver

Entry level and intermediate diver specialty programs

  • Night Diving
  • Underwater Navigation
  • Deep Diving (40 meters/130 feet)
  • Underwater Photography
  • Wreck Diving (non penetration)
  • Underwater Archeology
  • Dry Suit Diving
  • Cavern Diving

Advanced level diver specialty programs

  • Dive Guide
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Wreck Penetration
  • Technical Deep Diving/Advanced Decompression
  • Ice Diving
  • Cave Diving

Non-diver specialty programs

  • First Aid Provider
  • Surface Controller
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Visual Inspection Technician

Additional specialties

In addition to the certifications listed above, ACUC instructors may apply to ACUC for approval to teach their own distinctive specialty programs.[4]

Leadership level programs

  • Divemaster
  • Snorkel Diving Instructor
  • Assistant Instructor
  • Entry Level Instructor
  • Open Water Instructor
  • Advanced Instructor
  • Instructor Trainer
  • Instructor Trainer Evaluator

References

  1. ^ Who's Who in Ontario, ISBN 0-9697049-5-X, Publisher B & C List (1982) Ltd., Page 241
  2. ^ "Canadian Agencies". WRSTC. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  3. ^ "European Agencies". WRSTC. Archived from the original on 2012-06-17. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  4. ^ a b c ACUC Standards and Procedures Manual, 2008
  5. ^ http://www.teamlgs.com LifeGuard Systems
  6. ^ ACUC Contact Magazine, Winter 2000/2001, "LifeGuard Systems", page 4
  • v
  • t
  • e
Underwater diving
Basic equipment
Breathing gas
Buoyancy and
trim equipment
Decompression
equipment
Diving suit
Helmets
and masks
Instrumentation
Mobility
equipment
Safety
equipment
Underwater
breathing
apparatus
Open-circuit
scuba
Diving rebreathers
Surface-supplied
diving equipment
Diving
equipment
manufacturers
Access equipment
Breathing gas
handling
Decompression
equipment
Platforms
Underwater
habitat
Remotely operated
underwater vehicles
Safety equipment
General
Activities
Competitions
Equipment
Freedivers
Hazards
Historical
Organisations
Occupations
Military
diving
Military
diving
units
Underwater
work
Salvage diving
  • SS Egypt
  • Kronan
  • La Belle
  • SS Laurentic
  • RMS Lusitania
  • Mars
  • Mary Rose
  • USS Monitor
  • HMS Royal George
  • Vasa
Diving
contractors
Tools and
equipment
Underwater
weapons
Underwater
firearm
Specialties
Diver
organisations
Diving tourism
industry
Diving events
and festivals
Diving
hazards
Consequences
Diving
procedures
Risk
management
Diving team
Equipment
safety
Occupational
safety and
health
Diving
disorders
Pressure
related
Oxygen
Inert gases
Carbon dioxide
Breathing gas
contaminants
Immersion
related
Treatment
Personnel
Screening
Research
Researchers in
diving physiology
and medicine
Diving medical
research
organisations
Law
Archeological
sites
Underwater art
and artists
Engineers
and inventors
Historical
equipment
Diver
propulsion
vehicles
Military and
covert operations
  • Raid on Alexandria (1941)
  • Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
Scientific projects
Awards and events
Incidents
Dive boat incidents
  • Sinking of MV Conception
Diver rescues
Early diving
Freediving fatalities
Offshore
diving incidents
  • Byford Dolphin diving bell accident
  • Drill Master diving accident
  • Star Canopus diving accident
  • Stena Seaspread diving accident
  • Venture One diving accident
  • Waage Drill II diving accident
  • Wildrake diving accident
Professional
diving fatalities
Scuba diving
fatalities
Publications
Manuals
  • NOAA Diving Manual
  • U.S. Navy Diving Manual
  • Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival
  • Underwater Handbook
  • Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving
  • Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
  • The new science of skin and scuba diving
  • Professional Diver's Handbook
  • Basic Scuba
Standards and
Codes of Practice
General non-fiction
Research
Dive guides
Training and registration
Diver
training
Skills
Recreational
scuba
certification
levels
Core diving skills
Leadership skills
Specialist skills
Diver training
certification
and registration
organisations
Commercial diver
certification
authorities
Commercial diving
schools
Free-diving
certification
agencies
Recreational
scuba
certification
agencies
Scientific diver
certification
authorities
Technical diver
certification
agencies
Cave
diving
Military diver
training centres
Military diver
training courses
Surface snorkeling
Snorkeling/breath-hold
Breath-hold
Open Circuit Scuba
Rebreather
  • Underwater photography
Sports governing
organisations
and federations
Competitions
Pioneers
of diving
Underwater
scientists
archaeologists and
environmentalists
Scuba record
holders
Underwater
filmmakers
and presenters
Underwater
photographers
Underwater
explorers
Aquanauts
Writers and journalists
Rescuers
Frogmen
Commercial salvors
Diving
physics
Diving
physiology
Decompression
theory
Diving
environment
Classification
Impact
Other
Deep-submergence
vehicle
  • Aluminaut
  • DSV Alvin
  • American submarine NR-1
  • Bathyscaphe
    • Archimède
    • FNRS-2
    • FNRS-3
    • Harmony class bathyscaphe
    • Sea Pole-class bathyscaphe
    • Trieste II
  • Deepsea Challenger
  • Ictineu 3
  • JAGO
  • Jiaolong
  • Konsul-class submersible
  • Limiting Factor
  • Russian submarine Losharik
  • Mir
  • Nautile
  • Pisces-class deep submergence vehicle
  • DSV Sea Cliff
  • DSV Shinkai
  • DSV Shinkai 2000
  • DSV Shinkai 6500
  • DSV Turtle
  • DSV-5 Nemo
Submarine rescue
Deep-submergence
rescue vehicle
Submarine escape
Escape set
Special
interest
groups
Neutral buoyancy
facilities for
Astronaut training
Other