While some might say there’s quite enough excitement above the surface of the water, Texas residents might want to consider a whole new world that beckons.
It’s the world of scuba diving — strapping on a tank and equipping yourself with the proper diving equipment to explore all that the world of underwater has to offer.
For those living in the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin, exploring the world of scuba diving may mean traveling to the coast of Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico. But there are also numerous opportunities inland, with training facilities, including one in Athens, southeast of Dallas, available for training and recreation.
Those choosing to take up scuba diving will have lots of company, with an estimated 3 million Americans now certified scuba divers, many of them Texas residents.
While there are scuba diving possibilities in and around Texas, including the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, many scuba enthusiasts head to the warm waters of the eastern and western Caribbean, where coral reefs and marine life are aplenty. Some opt to stay at one or more of the hundreds of land-based resorts from which they can dive — or learn to dive — but many divers will want to stay on a boat, either crewed charter boats (in the eastern Caribbean) or live-aboard dive vessels (in the western area).
On a dive boat the crews are diving professionals, many being instructors who can help with a new diver getting certified or checked out if it’s been awhile since a person’s last dive. Charter captains know the most popular dive spots and have a few not-so-well-known favorites of their own. All of the boats have dive equipment on board and most have compressors to keep the dive tanks full.
Land-based vacationers may have to travel in a small open boat for an hour or more to get to a dive site, but those on a charter or dive boat are already there. Plus, they aren’t limited to one area; they can dive from one island one day and another the next. Indeed, on a live-aboard dive boat in the western Caribbean, a vacationer can travel more than 100 miles over the water during a typical seven-day trip.
It’s also often less expensive to charter — with food and drinks included — than to stay in a hotel or resort. Extras that hotels may tack on to a bill – - like rental fees for equipment — are almost always included in the charter fee.
There are many options for learning how to scuba. Open Water certification, which includes classroom sessions, a pool dive where you learn to use the scuba equipment, and four open-water dives, can be obtained in as little as four or five days. An increasingly popular certification method is to take the classroom portion and pool instruction at home, and then have your instructor write a letter of referral to a dive instructor in the Caribbean.
In the eastern Caribbean, especially the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, there are at least 40 yachts available with a certified diving instructor so you can learn right on board. The kinds of boats available range from 80-foot motor yachts and sprawling catamarans to smaller sailboats that cater to couples. Each boat and crew is different, but they all want their clients to have a great time.
If scuba diving isn’t exactly what you want, but you still want to check things out, snorkeling can be a wonderful way to get a window on what’s below. In St. John, USVI, as an example, there is a marked snorkeling trail in Trunk Bay maintained by the U.S. National Park Service.
Another benefit of crewed charters is the ability to dive after the sun goes down. Some 80% of all marine life emerge only at night, but with underwater flashlights, a diver is all set.
Live-aboard dive vessel operators say a diver is four times more likely to see large marine animals like manta rays, dolphins and whales than they are staying at a land-based resort.
If you want more information on scuba diving, you don’t have to go too deep. For a start, check out the NAUI, PADI and YMCA Web sites at www.naui.org, www.padi.com, and www.ymcascuba.org. Learn about Divers Alert Network (DAN), an insurance and medical program for divers, at www.diversalertnetwork.org. An excellent site for all-around information on scuba diving is www.scubadiving.com.[MSOffice1]
Scuba diving is one of those lifestyle activities that can energize those who try it. What can also be energizing is knowing you’re looking after your long term health.

Scuba Diving is a wonderful activity and a great way to experience the beauty of underwater worlds. But one has to be careful when diving. Otherwise your fun adventure could quickly turn into an underwater nightmare.Here are three great tips every diver should know to keep safe and have fun.

1) Don’t Drink and DiveEveryone wants to have a fun time on their vacation or trip. For some people that means the inclusion of alcohol. But if you are going to scuba, it is very important that you limit your alcohol consumption. The less aware you are underwater, the greater danger you get into. Also drinking leads to dehydration those pesky hangovers!. So when scuba diving remain well hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of bottled water, get sufficient rest, and hold off on drinking alcohol until your diving day is done.

2) Optimize Your Dive GearAnyone who has ever done a cave dive has probably learned the importance of streamlining, and tightening up your dive gear. Dangling hoses, straps, or other items that might entangle you pose a serious threat to your safety. There are many things underwater to get caught on such as seaweed, a shipwreck, coral, or even the dive boat as you are getting into the water.

3)Monitor Your Air SupplyNothing is more important to your safety then your air supply. To ascend slowly, you must have air in your tank. Watching your air supply and consumption frequently is important for the duration of the dive. If you are down to 1,000 p.s.i., you should be well aware of the proximity of your dive boat or the beach. After 500 p.s.i. you should be in the process of making a slow, controlled ascent back to surface. I know it sounds dumb but please watch your gauges constantly throughout your dive and never, ever run out of air!

There is much more to scuba diving safety, but remember these tips the next time you are in the water, after all better safe then sorry!

Those who have been on a cruise to the Caribbean or Catalina know that it is the perfect place for diving as the water there is so blue and clear. You would definitely want to try scuba diving there, even if you are not into it. In order to sign up for that, though, you have to be in a good physical shape, be an experienced swimmer, and be certified. Only if you are a qualified scuba diver would the cruise diving team let you dive – after all, danger is everywhere, including underwater.
Before you embark on that extreme experience, there are facts you need to know. Following are a few Dos and Don’ts related to scuba diving.
•    Scuba Diving Dos:
1)    The two most important requirements are the good physical shape and certification. If you lack any of those, do not risk your life.
2)    The things you need to take: mask, diving fins, weight belt, regulator and octopus, compass, dive light with backup, dive knife, air tank and backup, dive flag, spare mouthpiece, first aid kit, flare gun (do not forget the flares!).
3)    It is safer and more pleasant if you have a diving partner. Do not forget to constantly keep visual contact, and try not to kick out their mouthpiece.
4)    A third person is a must. They stay on the boat, have a mobile phone, and help when getting out of the water.
5)    If you want to bring back a souvenir, take an underwater camera with you together with underwater light and backup.
•    Scuba Diving Don’ts:
1)    Do not drink and then dive. Think about your own safety and the safety of your partner.
2)    Do not forget to tell someone where you are and when you will go back.
3)    Do not eat too much before diving; before diving wait for at least two hours after eating. Otherwise, you might get cramps or troubled breathing.
These are only some of the useful tips related to scuba diving you need to take into consideration. Always inform yourself before diving.
Following are some other topics you mind find interesting:
•    The only documentation of the use of inflated goatskins used as breathing devices is carvings depicting Assyrian soldiers crossing rivers with the help of the devices.
•    The first to mention an underwater device was Leonardo da Vinci (the 15th c.). He called it Bad Human Nature and did not explain how it works – most probably because it could be used for the sinking of ships, and even for murdering.
•    Guy Gilpatrick invented the waterproof goggles in the 1930s, France. Their function was to keep the salt water out of the eyes at the surface.
•    The L. A. Co. Dept. of Parks and Recreation, USA, offered the first scuba diving certification course. The wetsuit was introduced to the public in 1956.