Crossover Guidance Chart Re Equivalent Qualifications
| SAA | BSAC | PADI | NAUI | CMAS |
| Elementary Diver | ----- | Basic Scuba | Scuba Diver | ----- |
| Open Water Diver | Ocean Diver | Open / Advanced Open Water Diver | Advanced Scuba Diver | 1 Star |
| Club Diver * | Sports Diver * | Rescue Diver | Sports Diver | 2 Star |
| Dive Leader | Dive Leader | Dive Master | Dive Master | 2 Star |
| Dive Supervisor | Advanced Diver | ----- | Dive Master | 3 Star |
| National Diver | Advanced Diver + above | ----- | ----- | 4 Star |
This guide gives the highest permitted crossover level. Each Club Diving Officer reserves the right to assess each application on experience as well as qualifications held and may cross applications over at a lower level.
Nothing in this guide alters the policy that Diving Officers may not award certification higher than that held themselves.
Grades above SAA Dive Supervisor may only be awarded by the National Diving Officer.
Instructor Crossover Guide
If you have an Instructor award from another dive agency, the SAA have arrangements to cross over such awards to SAA Instructor certification - this is done by the SAA NDO who should be contacted via Head Office for advice. A crossover chart is reproduved here for guidance only.The NDO will assess each application individually and will cross over at the level considered appropriate at the time. It was decided by the Executive Committee that crossover of Instructor grades will be limited to SAA Open Water Instructor as a maximum.
This is to support Clubs and Regions by allowing crossovers at that level without the need for any form of Instructor Development Course, whilst preventing crossover candidates fron running courses at Regional Level without the support of experienced SAA Regional Instructors.
| SAA | BSAC | PADI | ScotSAC | CMAS |
| Club Instructor | Practical Instructor | Branch Instructor + Sport Diver | ----- | |
| Open Water Instructor | Open Water Instructor and above | Open Water Instructor and above | Branch Instructor + Master Diver and above | 1 Star |
| Regional Instructor | 2 Star | |||
| National Instructor |
For example, a PADI MSDT applying for an instructor crossover would be likely to be awarded SAA OWI provided the applicant was at least 18 years old, had crossed over their diver grade to at least SAA Dive Leader, and had crossed over any rescue qualification to SAA Diver Rescue prior to applying for the crossover.
Any applicant who ommitted a relevant and required qualification would likely be crossed over at the highest available grade, e.g. PADI MDST who had crossed their diver grade over to SAA Dive Leader but did not supply a SAA Diver Rescue Qualification would be crossed over at SAA Club Instructor level. Once crossed over at a level then any progression would have to be attending an SAA Instructor Course rather than subsequently resubmitting the same qualification with SAA Diver Rescue and expecting an upgrade.