Most people who walk into a Scuba shop for the first time are thrown into sensory overload as to the mountain of equipment in front of them is so daunting and foreign to them. With a glazed look in their eyes, they approach the dive professional behind the counter and tell them they are interested in getting certified. At that point, the glazed look becomes permanently fixed as the dive professional starts discussing schedule, equipment needs, risk and liability, costs and more. All the while, visions of the underwater world become closer to the soon-to-be-diver as he hurriedly hands over his credit card and schedule his or her class for the upcoming weekend. This is the point to slow down, start asking some questions and do a little due diligence. Following is a list of tips and questions to use while conducting your research to choosing a Scuba instructor:

Don’t just interview the closest shop to your home or work. Spend a Saturday and drive around to several shops in the area. Phoenix has over 20 different dive shops that can certify divers. Get to know the shop culture, how they approach training, and what differentiates them from everyone else.

Get to know the agencies that are available in your area. Each dive shop and/or instructor has an affiliation to a Dive Agency. PADI, NAUI, SSI, and SDI are among the largest and oldest. However, there are dozens of agencies that offer extensive programs and extremely professional curriculums. Many of them have become members of the RSTC which is an industry based umbrella that allows the different agencies to network among themselves and effect industry standards. Understand, from the candidate instructors and dive shops, what is different about their agency and why they chose them to be affiliated. Being the biggest or the “best” is not always the right match for your needs.

Take your time to research and find the best instructor in your area. Ask around to different friends who are certified. Ask them about instructors they like and don’t like. Ask what qualities make up a good instructor. Do a lot of research on the Internet within the different online Scuba communities. Also, consider alternatives to dive shops. Some of the best instructors are independent or affiliated with colleges, universities or the YMCA. Most importantly, don’t just jump into a class with any old instructor because that is the next one on the schedule and he or she is the one teaching it.

Interview potential instructors before you take a class. Most beginner divers never ask any questions beyond price. As the old say goes, “you get what you pay for.” Find a professional instructor that will provide direct answers to your questions and not just give you rhetoric. When they tell you something, ask them why? It’s during this interview that you will learn if this instructor has the mastery necessary to give you the knowledge and skills to meet your needs.

Following is a list of questions to ask your instructor:

How long have you been teaching? Experience is a great educator. Find someone who has been teach a while and is passionate about their profession.

How many students have you certified? Just because they have been an instructor for ten years doesn’t mean they have been active. The Scuba industry breeds a lot of part time instructors.

How many students have you certified at this level? If the instructor has certified very few people at this level, he or she may not be familiar with the curriculum and material being presented. You want someone who knows the material.

Do you certify all of your students? How many have you not certified? Not every student is ready to be certified. An instructor who (overly) confident states every student has passed his course, may not be doing a thorough job or may have very low standards for mastering skills.

Do you teach skin diving skills? What skin diving skills will I learn? Skin diving is a great way to get familiar with equipment, build up confidence in the water and have a lot of fun during surface intervals. If your instructor is not teaching you some valuable skin diving skills, you may want to look elsewhere.

What is the maximum ratio (dive professional to students) in the pool and open water?The lower the ratio the more 1 on 1 time you have to develop skills with an instructor. If a class is overloaded with students, the instructor may not be able to spend the personal time you need to master the key Scuba diving skills.

What certifications you earned and what classes have you taken in the last year? Any instructor who is not actively taking classes is destined to become a stale instructor. Further, by taking classes, an instructor can learn different styles and techniques from a student perspective.

Typically, how many hours does it take you to teach a student at this level? This is a difficult question, as it has to make economical sense. A beginner Scuba class does not need to take 100 hours. However, the more hours of training, theoretically, the more information being conveyed and learned. The real thing to look out for is the minimum number of hours. Some instructors breeze through class without any regard that you are there to immerse yourself in Scuba. One thing to consider is the smaller the class, the fewer hours needed and vice versa.

How many people will be in my class? Generally, any more than 8 people in a pool session is probably overcrowding a class. Lower numbers are better for you.

How many certified assistants will you be using in my class? Most instructors don’t have eyes in the back of their heads. It is a good idea to always have a second set of eyes in the water.

Where did you last go diving for fun? If an instructor isn’t diving for fun, then he will not be fun from which to learn. A Scuba instructor must have passion. The best way to do that is get on a plane and go some place fun and exciting. I want to learn from instructor that is still having a lot of fun with what they do.

Now that you have asked the instructor a lot of questions, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

Was the instructor patient? If the instructor wasn’t patient, or talked down to you, while answering these questions, he will probably have the same character trait during class. You want a patient instructor that will allow you to learn at your speed.

Would I be happier learning from a man or woman? Only you can answer that question. Good and bad instructors come in all sexes. However, this is a physical sport and someone with the same physical concerns may be a better teacher.

Would I let this instructor take my loved ones underwater? If the answer is no, run fast.

Scuba diving offers a lifetime of adventure. Finding the right mentor and role model is essential in developing your dive path. Do your due diligence, take your time and have fun.

For more information about the author and where he teaches, please go to the Academy of Scuba.Follow the author on FacebookFollow the author on Twitter

Waterproof Digital Camera can capture your memories on a beach, at a nightclub, pool and in many other places because of its high technical configuration. It is specially designed for taking clear pictures of the objects under water that is below five feet and more. Parallel to this, you can view all the pictures instantly and you have quick access of the images taken. There will be lot of differences in taking shots and the working condition also varies when compared with the other digital cameras. Waterproof digital cameras have different modes that are used for diverse scenes, but you need to have proper knowledge of the camera before use and that can be attained by thoroughly reading the manual. You have to do some research before deciding to buy. Always purchase a camera that is easily accessible by the thumb for clicking and the user interface should be simple. Technical aspects like compact, digital zoom, flash levels, dimensions, internal memory, movie mode etc have to be given importance while buying. Sony and Canon offer waterproof digital cameras at different prices. Nowadays the waterproof cameras are designed for lifestyle purpose and fulfilling professional needs also. People enjoying vacation on water base always opt for waterproof digital cameras to enhance and cherish their experience. You can take colorful shots while doing underwater snorkeling or scuba diving and so you cannot rely on faulty cameras. In addition to this, these cameras are good options for capturing action shots that are water-based like white water rafting, fishing and kayaking etc. There are cameras available to capture underwater photographs at the depth above 30 feet.Sealife DC500 is scuba divers delight as it can be used up to 200feet depth. This camera has two underwater shooting options. First one is typical shot for underwater with slight shutter pause or lag. But the Shark shooting option captures intended object and the range or distance is remembered for the following photos and hence there is no lag time with the closing speed of the shutter. It has got a flash and has expandability with other lenses like 3x and 4x optical zoom. Some main features of this waterproof digital camera are 5.0 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom and auto-focus with a LCD display of two inches for viewing the photos. Olympus Stylus 770SW is referred as the toughest waterproof camera because it is not only waterproof but also freeze and crush proof. Among the waterproof cameras available in the market, this camera sounds like handling anything on the way without any damage. It has got 7.1 mega pixels and as a result gets great resolution and also has LCD display of 2.5 inches. Underwater, the camera is shockproof till 5 feet, can take up crushing force of 220 pounds and waterproof till 30 feet. It also has 30 shooting modes with movie sounds. Pentax Optio W20 is another waterproof digital camera that is preferred by many photographers because it provides them the needed features. A rubber-sealed seam is an important feature that can be immersed till 5 feet for a period of half an hour. It’s distinctive features are 7 mega pixels, macro lens, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 inches LCD screen, recording videos and underwater settings. The other popular waterproof digital cameras are Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000, Fuji Fine Pix A400 digital camera and Bonica Snapper-XP underwater digital camera.

Once a scuba diver has been to the Red Sea they will always want to go back again. Getting your equipment right on your first visit is not always easy unless you have some tips and advice before you go.

When you book a holiday in the Red Sea that involves staying on a boat for the whole week, you can expect to get around 20 dives in during the first 6 days, with the last day resting before your flight home. With up to four dives each day your scuba diving equipment takes a lot of wear. As a result it is sensible to thoroughly check all your gear before the trip. If your regulator is due for service make sure that it is done before you go.

Flights to Red Sea destinations for your diving trip will likely be with a package holiday company. These use charter flights and therefore you must check in advance how much luggage allowance you will be able to take and the cost of anything over and above this. For some reason most airlines do not treat scuba diving as kindly as golf or other sports and can be quite mean with their weight allocation.

Make sure that you take the biggest piece of hand luggage that is permissible as often a further 10 kilograms can be carried in this way. Delicate or valuable items such as your regulators, torch and instruments are better carried in your hand luggage and this relieves your hold baggage allowance quite considerably.

You need to consider what equipment to take very carefully given that the weight allowance can be a problem. Your diving suit is the most important item to get right.

The Red Sea provides fine warm water diving for much of the year, and many people wear only a 3mm short wet suit in the height of the summer. In the winter, from around November to March, many switch to a dry suit as the temperatures can drop below 20 degrees centigrade.

A popular time to visit the Red Sea is between Spring and Autumn and a good 5mm one piece wet suit could be used during this period. Everybody has different tolerances to cold and it is better to err on the warm side than to be too cold!

The chances are that you will get to dive at night on perhaps three or four occasions and a good torch will increase the pleasure of doing this. A torch is also needed as an emergency beacon for each diver by law. Instead of taking your heavy lantern a good back up torch with a spare between a buddy pair will be adequate in the clear waters of the Red Sea.

The rest of the equipment is pretty standard, but it pays to take light items wherever possible. A reel and delayed surface marker buoy is essential, but leave your heavy Kent stainless steel work of art at home and take a light plastic finger spool. Taking the spring clips off your fins and putting back the plastic ones can save you around 200 grams in baggage allowance!

Staying on a live-aboard is a very relaxed experience, so fortunately there is no need for any formal attire. Shorts, swimming trunks and a couple of tee shirts are all that are required. Take at least three pairs of swimming shorts as this means that you will always have a dry pair to put on after a dive. And remember – do not forget your sun tan lotion!