Bring the industry together.
To develop practical, independent standards and services that help diving professionals progress, contractors demonstrate capability and clients make informed decisions, while promoting safe and competent operations.
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE ESTABLISHING ICDA
Independent thinking.
Higher standards.
The Independent Commercial Diving Alliance is being developed to bring the international inshore commercial diving community together around professional standards, practical guidance and a proposed independent contractor assurance framework.
ICDA IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT
OUR PURPOSE
Building confidence across the diving industry.
Commercial diving demands competence, sound judgement and consistently applied safety standards.
ICDA is being established as an independent, commercially operated business providing practical services to support a clearer, more consistent approach to professional practice in inshore commercial diving. Its intended role is to provide contractors, individuals and clients with useful standards, professional development pathways and a proposed, proportionate assurance framework intended to support contractor evaluation, career progression and safer operations.
ICDA is not intended to replace national legislation, regulators or applicable codes of practice. Its proposed standards and services will be developed to complement existing requirements and support informed decisions.
OUR DIRECTION
Our mission and vision
Raise the benchmark.
An industry in which divers, contractors and clients can have greater confidence in professional competence, transparent assurance and the standards that underpin safe diving work.
WHY ICDA
A practical response to a complex industry.
Inshore commercial diving spans a wide range of environments, project types and regulatory frameworks. The expectations placed on contractors, personnel and clients can vary considerably between markets and assignments.
ICDA aims to help address these challenges by encouraging clearer benchmarks, accessible guidance and a stronger shared understanding of what good practice looks like.
Support informed contractor selection and evaluation
Promote professional development throughout a diving career
Encourage consistent and independently reviewed industry guidance
INDEPENDENCE
Credibility must be built into the process.
ICDA’s proposed governance model places independence and transparency at the centre of standards development and assurance.
An independent technical committee is envisaged to review proposed standards and guidance, drawing on suitably experienced representatives from across the diving industry. Governance, conflicts-of-interest safeguards and assurance procedures will be formalised as the alliance develops.
These arrangements are proposed and under development; no ICDA contractor certification or assurance scheme is currently operational.
OUR FORMATION
Founded on experience. Built for progress.
ICDA is being developed by experienced and competent commercial diving professionals whose combined careers span decades in the industry.
The founders bring complementary experience across hands-on diving, operational and general management, technical oversight, quality management, auditing and professional development. This experience informs ICDA’s focus on practical standards, meaningful career pathways and credible independent assurance.
The intention is to make standards practical to apply, professional development meaningful, and assurance accessible to contractors of different sizes without compromising assessment requirements.