Scuba Diving

Getting yourself certified as a scuba diver is a rewarding achievement that should be enjoyed. When we scuba dive we enter a liquid realm where the rules of gravity are, if not temporarily suspended, at least subtly different. Learning to move and operate in this environment is as important to the scuba diver as learning to walk is to the new-born.

Therefore selecting your dive school and dive instructor is as important as shopping for your new equipment.

Choosing the right instructor is important. Make sure he, or she, is someone you can get along with. Remember that what this person is about to teach you will introduce you to a wonderful new experience and open up a whole new world.

If you get an opportunity to watch this person at work, do so! A lot of what you see will be new and often incomprehensible, but don't get sidetracked by the pile of equipment and sexy bodies in wet suits. Concentrate instead on this person's demeanor. If he is calm and methodical outside the water then it's a pretty sure bet he will be calm in the water too.

Take a look around the school too. Does the equipment look like it is in good condition and well taken care of? A bad sign is a bunch of wet, mouldy equipment lying in a corner somewhere. If the stuff looks mouldy and ratty on the outside then it probably looks the same on the inside too. That does not mean that a dive school with old, well-used, and worn equipment is bad - there is nothing wrong with using the same equipment for years and years, if it is well taken care of and regularly serviced.

Look in the school's social calender. Do they have regular outings planned? Diving on your own is no fun and part of the reason we learn new skills is to meet new people. A dive school that does not have a healthy club life is probably only interested in getting your money before moving on to the next student. A good dive school on the other hand has lots of opportunities for newly certified divers to meet other people more advanced than themselves, and will promote further advanced or specialized training such as rescue diver courses, or underwater photography.

While this is not an exhaustive list of what to look for in a school, it should give you an idea of what a dive training facility who care about their clients looks like.

There are plenty of dive federations in the world and all have their own philosophy on teaching. Doing some research before picking one is advisable, but it should be a recognised body. You might be able to get a good deal from the newly started Bob's Diving Federation, but if no-one's ever heard of Bob or his dive training philosophy then chances are you won't be able to use your certification card while on holiday anywhere other than in Bob's back yard. PADI and SSI are probably the biggest names in the industry and their certification cards will be acceptable to just about everyone in the world.

Without a certification card from a recognised diving federation you won't be able to buy or rent equipment, get air refills for your tanks, or go on dive boats.

Anyone who sells or rents you equipment, fills your tanks or takes you diving without inspecting your certification card is liable to prosecution should they be caught doing it.

So, you've signed up with your local dive school after checking them out and you're happy with the person who will be instructing you.

They should have made you aware of a few medical conditions, such as asthma, that precludes diving. It is also a good idea to mention to your doctor that you're thinking of taking up scuba diving and see if he thinks you're medically fit for it.

Okay, so now you're ready to breathe underwater for the first time in your life. The easy way to introduce anyone to a new experience is to let them have control, and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, or that you have no control over what is going on, you should let your instructor know immediately.

Otherwise just enjoy your new environment and learn how to propel yourself effortlessly along with only your feet.

Your hands have no work now other than occasionally picking your nose.

The amount of new divers who completely ignore their fins while trying to swim with their hands beggars belief.

You don't need your hands!

Compare the size of your hand with that of your fin. Now look at the size of your bicep muscles, and then compare that with the size of your quadruceps muscles.

No contest. Use your legs to move and forget that you have hands - fish don't have hands for a reason - they don't need them, and neither do you.

Actually, there's not that much to learn. After all, you're becoming a recreational scuba diver, not an astronaut.

The book learning is interesting and informative without ever feeling like you're back in college. All of what you're learning is relevant, and this is knowledge that you will use in some way or another every time you get into the water.

I can't say the same thing for the stuff I learnt at University!

Finally! You're one small step away from being certified. All you have to do now is prove to your instructor that you can do all the things he taught you in the pool, when you're in the ocean.

This means that after all that sitting around in the pool and classroom you're finally going to get to dive in real open water.

Easy enough, just sit around in the ocean. Only kidding, however, everything you do in the ocean on your certification dives will be stuff that you have already done in the pool. Nothing new is ever taught in the ocean.

Don't get sidetracked by the dynamic new environment you're in, though. There will be plenty of time to explore after you've done a few skills. Part of the certification process is introducing you to your new world, and typically around fifteen minutes of each dive will be just swimming around looking at stuff.

Now here's a few things to remember:

You're in Open Water. This stuff is too deep to stand up in. Make sure you can stay afloat before you put anything on that will make you sink. That means the tough guy you see standing around on a boat with his weight belt on is not really so tough...he's an idiot. How does he think he's going to swim with 20 pounds of lead taking him down to the bottom of the sea? That's what the weights are for - they SINK you. Make sure you have a set of fins on BEFORE you put on a weight belt.

Make sure you can go down when you want to, and not before.

By the way, if the instructor wears his weight belt as part of a tough guy image...it's time to get a new instructor. A guy who teaches his students to wear a weight belt on a boat is a monkey, and should not be teaching other people.

Next tip: Enjoy yourself, ask lots of questions and have a good time.

The world is your oyster. Wherever you go on holiday you can now be a part of the cool crowd.

Every night at the bar you can regale all the other non-divers with how much fun you had. If you think they're not envious, you're mistaken.

Have you ever seen how those guys who have to accompany the wife on her shopping trips to the local town look at you? If you're clever you'll get the wife certified too. At least then you won't feel so guilty about going on holiday to a diver's paradise like Cozumel, or the Maldives, where there is nothing to do for non-divers except suntan.

Other than impressing non-divers the benefits of your new skills are...Travel! Lots and lots of travel. Travel to exotic foreign locations where you get to see stuff most people can only ever dream of. Depending on how enthusiastic you are and obviously on your level of training you get to do stuff that you could only dream of before.

Diving off a Pacific atoll with walls reaching down from an azure sea into the inky black depths of the abyss, or diving with Orcinus Orca, the killer whale, to cage diving amongst Carcharodontus Carcharodon, the great white shark, it all comes within a few easy hours flight time. The stuff lesser mortals can only dream of.

Seriously though, diving has taken me places I never would have believed existed. I've seen the world's largest underwater stalactite - a behemoth of 85 feet, and stared in awe at the most delicate cleaner shrimp busily working inside the mouth of a moray eel. Incredible sights that sustain you in the midst of a dreary big city winter.

Everyone is different when it comes to dive equipment. Some people believe in getting only the basics while others believe they should put the Cousteaus to shame with the amount of gear they buy.

Somewhere in between is probably good. You should definitely, and a lot of dive schools insist on this, have your own mask, snorkel and fins. Make sure the stuff you buy works for you. Don't be fooled into buying the latest and greatest just because you saw someone else using it. Your instructor should be able to assist you in choosing the right mask. Fins are a bit more of a personal choice - again buy what works for you. This is not necessarily what everyone else is using but that doesn't matter as long as you're happy with your choice.

Good fins to look out for on eBay are Scubapro Jetfins. Usually quite inexpensive these are the fin of choice with most military and commercial divers for a reason. Made from very hard wearing rubber, they are stiff and very powerful. While they might not be the best fin for starting a dive career due to their weight, they are the most powerful fins I have ever used. With a bit of practice you'll be able to swim backwards with these. Due to their short, stiff and powerful blades they can be used to perform any type of kick with the greatest of ease. Two types are generally available; a long blade version and the more coveted by cave divers and much harder to find, short blade version.

Next time you see someone dive with the latest and greatest fin, ask yourself how many different styles of kick such a fin would allow. Most will allow only a scissor kick. Nothing wrong with doing a scissor kick but this is not really the most efficient means of propulsion in the water. Who wants to kick all the time? Kick, kick, kick, kick. I get tired just thinking about it. Much better to kick, glide 5 metres or so, kick, glide 5 metres or so etc. You'll be a lot less tired, conserve a lot of air and see a lot more.

Now, a big one. Do you or don't you buy your own dive computer? Your own regulator? And wet suit? What about a BCD? Oh, Oh, Oh! A big shiny knife to strap to your leg. And so on and so on...

Who has time on holiday to calculate dive times and repetitive dive intervals using a bunch of dive tables? Take the guesswork out of it and buy yourself a dive computer. They are surprisingly cheap new, and even cheaper when used. I paid £20 for a decent Suunto Solution on eBay that I use as a backup if my Aladin should ever fail. Also, nowadays Nitrox-capable computers are the norm rather than the exception. The latest and greatest are of course very nice to have and these start off at quite low prices, depending on what you're looking for.

Having worked in the dive industry for a number of years I would never consider using a dive school wet suit. These get used (and abused!) by everyone and his uncle. You may want to invest in a hydroskin. This is a thin, close fitting lycra suit that can be worn under a wetsuit. The ultra-smooth fabric reduces friction between the skin and a wetsuit, and aids with the donning of the suit. In addition, it reduces the chafing that can occur when wearing a tight or ill-fitting suit - it also keeps the, erm...,it keeps your skin from contact with the wetsuit. Not a problem if the wetsuit is your own, but if it is a rented one you might not want to have too close contact with it. Thumb loops prevent the sleeves of the garment from riding up and a minimum of seams has been used to maximise the comfort of the garment against the skin.

The same goes for regulators. Having your own regulator from new means you know exactly how much, and how hard it's been used. Buy what you're comfortable with, and something you know that works for you. My first regulator of choice is a Scubapro G250HP with a R190 octopus and a Mk 25 first stage. A lot of people will pull their noses up at it because it's not the latest and greatest, however the only thing that matters is the fact that it works for me. I know I can trust it at any recreational depth, at any temperature I care to dive in, and inside any cave.

My second regulator is a Poseidon Cyklon 5000 with Cyklon octopus that I picked up on eBay for £90.00. (You don't need to have second set of regulators - I just like toys!) It goes without saying that if you should buy a regulator off eBay it is a good idea to have it professionally serviced by an authorised service and repair centre before using it. Poseidon regs are well-known for their ruggedness and ease of repair, but such servicing and repairs should only be undertaken by qualified personnel. Lots of cave divers swear by Poseidon, and it's easy to see why. They can even be taken apart underwater! Extremely reliable regs and a very good buy at any price. (and no, mine are not for sale!)

Forget the knife. Lots of places won't allow you to dive with them, because you're usually in a marine park. Easier and safer to use, is a line cutter (or a pair of shears if you're liable to run into fishing nets.) If you feel you have to get a knife then get one that you can attach to your BCD. Strapping a big knife to your leg is an entanglement hazard, spoils your streamlining, and makes you look like a SeaHunt extra.

The next big one is a BCD, or buoyancy compensating device. It is also referred to as a stab jacket, or stabilization jacket by some. Whatever you want to call it, make sure it fits properly, and has enough lift capacity to keep your face comfortably out of the water. My personal preference is for a BCD that has enough lift to keep my face out of the water, while I'm supporting my dive buddies weight. In other words, it has enough lift to keep both of our faces out of the water without either of us having to do more than just hang on.

Any BCD can keep you neutrally buoyant under water, it doesn't take a lot of lift to do that, but a BCD that can keep two grown men on the surface is a bit harder to find, so don't just buy the first BCD that comes to hand. You can start by observing your instructor's choice; chances are good that his BCD will keep two people afloat. In fact, ask him if you can try it on. Most people will talk your ear off about the benefits of their equipment and will be more than happy for you to try it on in the pool.

Why don't you have a look and see if there's anything that you like at my Amazon store Scuba Goodies! I look for all the coolest bargains on Amazon and list them in Scuba Goodies. If something makes it into my store you can bet it's worth a look! Have a look and see if you too can snag yourself a bargain.

Your Open Water Diver Certification is your first step into a rich and rewarding pastime. Further training will allow you to explore this fascinating pastime more fully.

Learning to dive at night, or diving in an overhead environment adds a completely new dimension to your diving - and that's just scratching the surface of what diving has to offer! Diving specialities such as ice diving, cave diving, night diving, and wreck diving can turn your fascination with the underwater world into a lifelong obsession.

If you're interested im turning Scuba into a profitable career check out my new blog Becoming a Scuba Instructor for Fun and Profit and follow the journey from zero to hero!

What are you waiting for? Come on in, the water's great!

I am a certified Scuba Instructor with PADI and SSI. I am also a certified Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor, and qualified as a NACD Full Cave Diver.
I love the ocean, I love the caves, and I hope to dive as much of both as I can.

Lastly, check out my store at Scuba Goodies. If you can't find what you're looking for on Scuba Goodies let me know and I'll try to get hold of it for you and feature it in the store for others.