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Make my first Scuba Dive!
Where can I Scuba Dive?
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So now what do I do?
How many times do we look out at the water, knowing that there is a whole other world underneath? Scuba divers have the opportunity to experience this amazing 3 dimensional world first hand. When you don your air supply, enter the water, and take your first breath below the surface, you will know that what you are experiencing will change your view of the world forever.
Scuba diving is a safe sport, but it is a sport that requires participants to have proper training in order to enjoy it safely. There are various methods to receive this training. Some choose a resort course, which gives you the basics you need to safely enter the water and enjoy a guided dive on shallow reefs. This is called the resort course because it is commonly given to vacationers who are looking to experience scuba diving safely, but don't have time to learn all that you need to know to be a proficient independent scuba diver.
For those of you who want to pursue this sport, you will have to seek an internationally recognized certification. The two most popular certifications worldwide are PADI and NAUI. Both of these organizations offer a consistent syllabus that ensure as long as you are at a PADI or NAUI registered scuba school, you will get the training you need to become a proficient diver.
Certification
Open Water Certification consists of classroom training, a written exam, confined water scuba dives (usually a pool, or shallow pond / lake, and finally open water scuba dives (in the ocean, a lake, deep water spring, or quarry).
In the classroom training you learn the basic skills you need to be able to breathe underwater. Including how the equipment works, how to use and maintain your equipment. You will also learn about the basic physics of diving, such as atmospheric pressure under water, nitrogen absorption and the effects these elements have on your body.
Your first level of certification is called "Open Water Certified". This means that the diver has obtained the necessary skills to dive safely in oceans, lakes, and other natural bodies of water. Scuba Certification offers continuing education opportunities to allow you to progress within the sport. These advanced certifications include:
- Advanced Open Water
- Rescue Diver
- Dive Master
- Diving Instructor
In addition to these levels, there are a number of specialties available. This is not a comprehensive list, but here are some examples:
- Wreck Diver
- Deep Diver (All dives beyond 100 feet are considered "Deep Dives")
- Nitrox Diver
- Photography
- Underwater Naturalist
To find more specialties check out the PADI and NAUI sites on our Scuba Links page.
Resort Course
The resort course is designed for people who just want to get in the water and try this thing out. This is usually given to vacationers in the pool of their hotel, and they just teach the bare minimum basics to get you into the water, breathing, and safely back to the surface. You don't learn the sport of scuba, but you are safely able to participate with the dive masters taking care of all of the safety concerns.
The locations offered on this site focus on places that teach scuba diving certification. I just wanted to point out that if you just want to try this out once, there is another option out there for you without having to go through the entire certification process.
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Gotta try Scuba Diving!
