What is ADAS?
ADAS, the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme, is the national framework that accredits commercial diver training in Australia and New Zealand. It sits on top of AS/NZS 2299, the standard that governs occupational diving operations in both countries.
If you want to be paid to work underwater in Australia: aquaculture, civil construction, jetty maintenance, harbour inspection, offshore. Your employer's insurance, your safe-work method statement, and the law that governs the worksite all assume you hold an ADAS card. It's not optional. It's the foundation.
ADAS is administered by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and recognised internationally through the IDRCF (International Diving Regulators & Certifiers Forum). That mutual recognition is what makes an ADAS ticket portable to New Zealand, the UK and Europe, Canada, the South Pacific and most of South-East Asia.
The four parts of ADAS.
ADAS qualifications stack. Most divers start at Part 1, do Part 2 immediately after, work onshore for a few years, then step up to Part 3 or beyond if they want offshore.
A note on naming: ADAS officially renamed its diver certifications in 2015 (e.g. “Occupational SSBA to 30 m” replaced “Part 2”). The new titles appear on every modern ADAS card, but most of the industry still talks in Parts. We use both.
There's also an Onshore Supervisor qualification, separate from Parts 1–4 , that lets you plan and run dive teams under AS/NZS 2299. See our supervisor course →
Choosing your pathway.
Three honest paths, depending on the work you actually want.
You want to work onshore in Australia.
Start with the Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2) course (8 weeks). Work for a few years across aquaculture, civil and inspection.
You want to work offshore eventually.
Same starting point: the Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2) course, then 2–5 years onshore, then ADAS Part 3 (SSBA 50 m), then Part 4 (closed-bell saturation). IMCA member contractors recognise both. There's no shortcut.
You want to run dive teams.
Minimum 12 months experience, log 100+ dives and 75+ bottom hours, then enrol in the ADAS Onshore Supervisor course.
International recognition.
Through the IDRCF, ADAS is mutually recognised with most major international diving regulators. In practice that means an ADAS Part 2 ticket lets you work onshore commercially in New Zealand, the UK and Europe, Canada, the South Pacific and most of South-East Asia without re-qualifying, though local medicals and right-to-work paperwork still apply.
We regularly train students from New Zealand, the Pacific, South-East Asia and the United Kingdom. Burra has motel and shared-house accommodation within walking distance of the centre, and we'll point you toward what's currently student-friendly once you enrol.
For offshore work: Part 3 (SSBA 50 m) and Part 4 (closed-bell saturation), IMCA member contractors recognise both qualifications, but the specifics vary by destination. We're happy to walk through the specifics for your destination. Get in touch →
FAQs.
Both. ADAS officially renamed every diver and supervisor certification in 2015: “Part 1” became “Occupational SCUBA to 30 m”, “Part 2” became “Occupational SSBA to 30 m”, and so on. Modern ADAS cards print the new titles, but the legacy “Part X” shorthand is still what most working divers, supervisors, and employers use day-to-day. Either name refers to the same qualification under the same AS/NZS 2815 standard.
Most students take Combined SCUBA and SSBA to 30m (Part 1 & 2).
Eight weeks. Walk in with a recreational ticket, walk out as a working commercial diver.