The many faces of ITI

You may know International Training (ITI) chiefly as the parent company of SDI and TDI. But there is more to ITI than just these two organizations. And each of ITI’s subsidiaries represents money-making opportunities you may be missing.

With 26 Regional Offices servicing more than 100 countries, ITI far exceeds its founder’s original vision. Come with us while we look at each of the five ITI member agencies. Then you can decide which of them are a good fit for your business.

By the way, no matter how many ITI member agencies you certify through, you only pay a single annual renewal fee. This saves both time and money.

Technical Diving International (TDI)

Divers have been making what we would today consider technical dives almost since the inception of scuba. However, before the 1990s, technical diver training was available only through cave diver courses.

TDI was among the very first organizations to correct this oversight. Since its founding in 1994, TDI has become the world’s largest and most widely recognized technical diver training organization.

Technical diver training is lucrative in two respects:

• Tech diver courses typically command substantially higher course fees than sport diver courses. For example, a week-long rebreather course usually costs up to $1,500 or more.

• The typical tech diving student will outfit themselves with substantially more equipment than sport divers do. Open-circuit tech divers can easily invest $5,000 or more in specialized gear. Rebreather divers will often double or triple this. Compare this to the typical Open Water student who seldom buys more than mask, snorkel and fins.

Here is what sets TDI apart from its competition.

• TDI was the first to offer Nitrox Diver training in a simple format that requires no confined or open-water training dives.

• It was the first organization to offer an advanced wreck program that teaches overhead-environment diving techniques outside of cave diving.

• TDI was the first organization to make Trimix training accessible to recreational divers.

• It was the first to have a Technical Divemaster certification.

• TDI was the first to offer online courses including leadership programs like TDI Divemaster. The online academics and preparation for these programs allow you more “in-water” quality time!

• It was also the first to make certification cards available directly through participating dive centers.

Scuba Diving International (SDI)

By the late 1990s, it was apparent that substantial changes in sport diving were just over the horizon. Yet, at the time, no existing organization was preparing for these changes.

In 1998, ITI created SDI in response to these needs. Although considered radical at the time, SDI’s innovations have become a standard of practice among most other agencies. Among its firsts:

• SDI was the first to teach and require the use of personal dive computers, recognizing that the days of sport divers relying on dive tables was at an end.

• It was the first major organization to offer eLearning.

• SDI was also the first to offer online Specialty Diver training for courses such as Wreck Diving, Computer Nitrox, Deep Diving and Underwater Navigation.

• It was the first and only insured sport-level Solo Diver™ program.

• SDI was the first to make it possible to certify ten- and eleven-year-olds.

SDI feels that you should not teach entry-level divers at a loss. This is why their training materials are not only more affordable but also offer substantially better margins than those of many other agencies. This is among the chief reasons stores and instructors switch to SDI.

Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI)

Public safety diving is a substantially larger market than many dive centers realize. For example, Miami-Dade County issues more than 1,000 ERDI certifications annually.

Many SDI dive centers provide ERDI training to local government agencies. Public safety instruction can also be very profitable. Where some consumers might balk at paying $500 for entry-level certification, taxpayer-funded police, fire and rescue departments may think nothing of shelling out several times this amount for comparable courses.

Among ERDI’s many firsts:

• It is the only public-safety diver training available online.

• ERDI was the first to provide instructors and facilities with standards underwritten and supported by liability insurance.

• It was the first to offer training through a network of professional facilities.

• ERDI was also the first to offer OSHA and NFPA compliance programs.

First Response Training International (FRTI)

ITI introduced FRTI in 2019. It was immediately recognized as having better, more effective learning materials than its competitors. For example:

• FRTI’s OSHA- and ILCOR-compliant standards and materials meet most international standards.

• The US Coast Guard and other government agencies recognize FRTI training.

• FRTI’s video-based eLearning courses make it easier for students to visualize important concepts. They also free instructors to focus on hands-on, practical application exercises.

• The easy-to-use FRTI website and student-registration process work just like the TDI/SDI website does.

• FRTI offers cost-effective and competitive pricing. Real people, real support and real customer service back this up.

It is important to understand that the market for first-response training extends far beyond diving. It’s training that companies, schools and a variety of government entities consider essential for their staff and others.

Performance Freediving International (PFI)

US Special Forces, Red Bull extreme athletes, big wave surfers, Tom Cruise, David Blaine, Margot Robbie and James Cameron…what do they have in common? They made one call when they needed the world’s top freediving instruction. It was to PFI.

Since its formation in 2000, PFI instructors have taught more than 10,000 people to freedive safer, longer and deeper. Whether you’re new to freediving or an experienced water enthusiast, PFI is the only source you need for freediver courses, instructor certification, elite specialized training and competition events.

As you’ve no doubt seen, freediving is more visible than ever. It is a market that continues to grow. PFI can provide you with the means to tap this market. And, in so doing, you will enjoy all of the benefits associated with other ITI agencies, including:

• eLearning.
• Easy-to-use website and registration process.
• Unparalleled customer service.

Others are taking advantage of this growing market. Are you?

Don’t miss out

If you only take advantage of one ITI agency, you may be missing countless earning opportunities. Contact us to find out what other ITI affiliations are right for your business.