American Nitrox Divers International Explained

American Nitrox Divers International
Abbreviation:	ANDI
Formation:	1988
Type:	NGO
Headquarters:	Freeport, New York
Location:	74 Woodcleft Avenue Freeport New York 11520-3342
Region Served:	World wide
Leader Title:	President
Leader Name:	Ed Betts

American Nitrox Divers International (or ANDI) was founded by Ed Betts and Dick Rutkowski in 1988.

ANDI has since expanded to include offices in The United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Sweden, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Greece, Japan, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Republic of Maldives, Republic of Philippines, Latin America, Middle East, with its home office in the United States of America.^[1]

"SafeAir" is ANDI's term of art for breathing mixtures with extra oxygen added that are commonly known as nitrox or Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN).^[2]

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."^[3] ^[4] It is one of the first diver training organisations to specialize in technical diving and in the delivery of training for the use of nitrox.^[5] 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.^[6]

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.^[7] 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".^[8]

Open Water certification

Introductory Scuba Experience - ISE^[9]
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^[10]
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^[11]
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^[12]
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^[13]
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^[14]
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.^[15]
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.^[16]

ANDI ratings for recreational diving supervision and instruction are recognized by the Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom as of 2015.^[17]

ANDI is recognized as a technical diving organisation by the Chamber of Diving and Watersports in Egypt as of 2016.^[18]

References

Web site: Introduction to ANDI. December 7, 2007. American Nitrox Divers International. https://web.archive.org/web/20071212103307/http://www.andihq.com/pages/intro.html. December 12, 2007. dead. mdy.
Book: Jeffrey H. Rudell. Bends Explained: How to Plan a Safe Dive. July 2009. iUniverse. 978-1-4401-5330-3. 51–.
Web site: ANDI History and Origins . 2015 . ANDI . July 29, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160623014142/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/about-andi/history . June 23, 2016.
Book: Bret Gilliam. Robert Von Maier. Darren Webb. Deep Diving: An Advanced Guide to Physiology, Procedures and Systems. January 1995. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.. 978-0-922769-31-5. 313–.
Book: Ghazali Musa. Kay Dimmock. Scuba Diving Tourism. June 26, 2013. Routledge. 978-1-136-32494-9. 22–23.
M.A. . Lang . 2001 . Lang . M.A. . DAN Nitrox Workshop Proceedings. . DAN Nitrox Workshop . Durham, NC . Divers Alert Network . 65–68 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081024235442/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4855 . October 24, 2008 . July 28, 2016 .
Web site: Courses . ANDI . July 28, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160816171435/http://andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings . August 16, 2016 . dead .
Betts . E . 2001 . Lang . MA . ANDI SafeAir Training . DAN Nitrox Workshop Proceedings . Durham, NC . Divers Alert Network . 31–32 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081024235442/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4855 . October 24, 2008 . July 28, 2016 .
Web site: Recreational Open Water Diver Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828202343/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/open-water. August 28, 2016. dead.
Web site: SafeAir Nitrox Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160823205237/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/safeair-nitrox. August 23, 2016. dead.
Web site: Technical and Exploration Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 31, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160802001820/http://andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/technical-and-exploration. August 2, 2016. dead.
Web site: Rebreather Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 31, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160823205153/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/rebreather. August 23, 2016. dead.
Web site: Gas Blender and Technician Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 31, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160823205148/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/gas-blender-technician. August 23, 2016. dead.
Web site: Dive Medic and Hyperbaric Ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. 31 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828211404/http://www.andihq.com/index.php/courses/ratings/dive-medic-and-hyperbaric. August 28, 2016. dead.
Web site: Hyperbaric ratings. Staff. 2015. ANDI. July 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160702004810/http://andihq.com/index.php/hyperbaric/hyperbaric-ratings. July 2, 2016. dead.
Web site: EUF Certified Training Systems/Training Organisations . EUF Certification International. January 12, 2016 . May 12, 2016.
Web site: Diving at Work Regulations 1997 List of Approved Diving Qualifications dated 18th March 2015 . Health and Safety Executive (UK) . July 28, 2016 . 4–5 and 24–25 . November 18, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161118224742/http://www.cdws.travel/diving/training-agencies . dead .
Web site: Training Agencies (recognised by the CDWS) . The Chamber of Diving and Watersports (Egypt) . July 29, 2016 . November 18, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161118224742/http://www.cdws.travel/diving/training-agencies . dead .