If you are interesting in the majestic beauty and freedom of scuba diving, most official scuba diver leaders will not take you diving unless you can show them your certificate. Also, many places require that you log so many diving hours or dives in your log book before they will take you on. Scuba diving is fairly safe, but many shops do not want to risk their business and your safety if you do not seem adequately prepared.

The first step to getting scuba certified is to contact your local dive shop or store and see if they provide certification classes or where they would suggest you take the classes. Classes aren’t cheap but they are also not too expensive, the really expensive part of diving is getting good equipment like goggles (I suggest you do not skimp on getting the best goggles, but more on that later) fins, a good underwater hid light lamp and a suit.

Once you’ve signed up for the class, soak in the information, pass the required textbook quizzes and, assuming you are doing some in-pool live exercises (if you are in a class that doesn’t actually have you in the water, find a different class) and hopefully you pass with flying colors and get your certification. After you’ve got your certification, talk to your instructor about some local places that offer further training dives to get more comfortable with your equipment and diving in gernal.

After your certification you will get your laminated license and logbook which will allow you to buy equipment and record the various exotic locations you will soon be exploring with your new scuba license. Stay safe, always listen to your dive master, and you will be in for an unparalleled experience in the depths of the ocean.

Has the thought of learning how to scuba dive crossed your mind? If it did, what are the questions you often ask? Who can become divers? What are the requirements to become a certified diver? Why do I have to learn to dive?Well, first of all, in order to get an Open Water Diver Certification, you must be over 15 years old. Young adults ages 10 to 14 (10-14 for PADI and 12 to 14 for NAUI) can get the counterpart which is the Junior Open Water Diver Certification. Before one can get certified, he must be in good, or better yet, excellent physical health. If you think that you aren’t fit in scuba-diving terms, consult your doctor first. Don’t worry. You don’t have to be an Olympic-medal winning swimmer for you to get your certificate. As long as you know the basic skill – which is swimming then you’re good. Now, the best way for one to learn how to dive and to get the certificate is registering at a reputable program. Most offer PADI and NAUI certifications. There are other agencies that include Scuba Schools International, PDIC and YMCARegard choosing the program like you are shopping for clothes. You can compare them. It is your right to do so. It is also important that you go for the instructor you feel most comfortable with and completely trust. He or she must be patient, supportive, thorough and clear. If you feel queasy being around an instructor, then don’t continue the lessons anymore. Scuba diving is a hazardous sport and you need the proper training in order to be safe and successful. The duration of courses depend on how short and how long you want it to be. You can fix your schedule. If you’re as free as a bird, then voila, you can be a certified diver in just two weeks. But for those who work and leisure time is an opportunity they have to seize, the average is two months. Now the cost? Generally, scuba diving courses cost around $175 to $250 but every penny is worth it. That is because it includes books and rental equipment. If you are into the sport, you can shop for your own equipment. There are a wide variety of masks, snorkels, weights, fins, belts and boots to choose from. As time progressed, you will learn other scuba skills such as underwater photography, wreck diving, deep diving and spear fishing. Look at this way: earth is two-thirds water. As a certified scuba diver, you can discover first-hand the beauty of marine life not a majority of people have the opportunity to see.

Hundreds of thousands of people get certified to Scuba dive every year.  Some of them are doing it for a one-time thrill on their honeymoon.  Others are getting certified as a first step, in many, to a (underwater) world of adventure.  In either case, taking a beginner lesson and getting your Open Water Scuba Diver or Scuba Diver certification is the first step.

All beginner classes are  structured in a similar fashion.  The class has two parts, knowledge development and in-water work.  Regardless of the agency (whether PADI, NAUI, SSI or SDI), there is little variance in this first step.  The most important factor is choosing an instructor in which you feel comfortable.  To get certified as a beginner Scuba diver, you must complete all the knowledge development and pass a final exam and you must “master” your in-water skills. While this may seem daunting, it is generally pretty easy for most people.  And, it can be done in as little as a long weekend.

Your Beginner Scuba Diver Course

Most Scuba shops offer mid-week and weekend courses.  Beginner classes are broken up into three components. The first component is the knowledge development.  This is done using three different strategies (1) self study, (2) classroom lecture and (3) online learning.  Most instructors employ more than one of these strategies to develop a student’s knowledge base.

The second component is confined water sessions. Generally, there are five parts to a confined water session.  However, more than one part can be done in a single day or evening.  Confined water sessions are done at a pace determined by the student’s performance.  Some students excel in confined water, some take more time.  Confined water sessions can be done in shallow lakes or oceans, but, most commonly, confined water sessions are done in ten foot deep, heated pools to maximize comfort and relaxation during the early stages of skill development.

The third component is open water sessions.  These are a minimum of four dives done in a lake or ocean environment.  No more than three training dives are done in one day.  During the training dives, students will show mastery of the skills learned during the confined water sessions.  Divers can reach up to 60 feet (which is the maximum depth for an Open Water Diver), discover marine life and live the adventure that is a Scuba diver!

Learn to Scuba dive online

It is the 21st century and the world has taken to educating itself online.  Scuba is no different.  As mentioned above in the first component of a Scuba class, self study is an integral part of learning to dive.  Traditionally, self study has been accomplished through manuals and text books.  And, while many folks, still enjoy this method, the trend has brought us to embracing online learning for the self study component.  As of this date, in-water sessions cannot be done online … yet.

The Online Learning program needs an Internet connection.  It can be done 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.  You do it at your pace.  Some divers do it all in one session, some divers break it up into several sessions.

Your first class session

O.K., you have finished your self study, and tonight is the first night of class.  What should you do? Relax, it’s going to be a lot of fun.  First off, you should bring all your forms.  Your instructor would have given these to you when you signed up. Additionally, you should have all of your self study complete.  If you are using the online learning service, print off your completion document.  If you are using a textbook, bring copies of your completed knowledge reviews.  Eat something light before class — no carbs.  If you are in the classroom, bring a notebook, paper and some water (in a non-spill bottle).  There will be breaks.  If you are in the pool, you will need to bring your personal gear.  This includes, your mask, snorkel, fins, booties, bathing suit, towel, and dry clothes to change into.  You may want to bring some ear drying formula for after the pool session.  Within a few hours, you will be looking and acting like a new Scuba diver.

Gear for a new Scuba diver

Scuba diving is a gear intensive sport.  From the first day of inquiring about Scuba, you have probably been discussing and researching gear.  As a new diver, in class, you must own a mask, snorkel, fins with boots, and an underwater timing device.  Your gear must be Scuba quality.  If you don’t know what that means, you should talk with your instructor.  However, as a general rule, if it came in a $20 package at the local pool store, it probably isn’t Scuba quality.  Once you have jumped in the pool once or twice, it is definitely beneficial to talk about purchasing the rest of your gear with your instructor.  Owning Scuba equipment increases your comfort, fun and safety.  Additionally, once you own your gear, Scuba diving is far more economically sensible than most other adventure oriented sports.  Of course, like any equipment purchase, you want to buy right and buy once.  If you can’t afford or are unsure of purchasing additional equipment, renting is a viable and acceptable second option. 

Once you complete your classroom, confined water and open water sessions, you will be certified to go Scuba diving with a buddy.  This is where the fun and adventure start.  However, this is not where the learning stops.  A great diver is always learning.  Advanced classes will increase your fun and safety.  Sign up for your Scuba certification class today. Your adventure of a lifetime is waiting for you.

Have fun and dive safe!

Information for this article was contributed from LearnScubaToday.com