SCUBA stands for “Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.” The sport is so popular that there is an estimated one million people becoming certified scuba divers worldwide every year. The Scuba gear is designed to allow human beings to dive into deep waters with enough oxygen to breath. The scuba diving course requires specialized training. However, almost anyone who knows how to swim can take on the course and become a certified scuba diver.

Certification courses are offered by recognized associations such as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), the YMCA, and a few other groups. Legitimate scuba diving courses are offered through SCUBA shops, resorts, dive operators, YMCAs, colleges, and community centres.

In the beginning, you first must determine whether you are physically able to scuba dive. Even if you know how to swim, scuba diving can be tiring, so your swimming skills should be fairly strong. If you are overweight, tire easily or have diabetes, a heart condition or any other predisposition to drowning, talk to your doctor before scuba diving.

Some people have problems getting used to breathing through their mouths instead of their noses. This problem can be easily fixed through practice with a snorkel or regulator in “safe” environments like a pool or bathtub. A harder problem to overcome is equalizing the pressure in your ears as you descend lower and lower into the water–that is, being able to “pop” your ears, like on a plane. As you go deeper in the ocean, pressure builds, and it is crucial to your physical being that you be able to pop your ears. Some people find this easier than others. Some can just swallow, yawn or hold their noses and blow gently. Others like to yawn and wiggle their jaws from side to side. Whatever the method, it sometimes takes a pretty long time to kick in. If you are having trouble equalizing, don’t go any deeper. Tell your buddy (more on him below) to hold up, and make sure you pop your ears, because the alternative can be ruptured eardrums.

Classroom training explains the basic physics of diving (which helps divers understand the skills they will be learning and the function of each piece of gear). It also covers the all-important rules of calculating how long it is safe to stay underwater at different depths, the science of diving illnesses such as the bends and nitrogen narcosis, first aid, and concepts that will be practiced in the pool and open water parts of the course.

The fun part of the course is the open water section. Students practice assembling scuba gear, doing a preliminary pre-dive safety check, donning gear, then entering the water using techniques such as the backward roll and the giant stride. Students then check their buoyancy and descend under the supervision of a diving instructor. Skills such as sharing air, clearing masks, clearing a regulator, controlling buoyancy, and using a compass are practiced during the dive, and the rest of the time is spent diving – getting used to the experience of being and breathing underwater.

Scuba education from Scuba Schools International (SSI) is the best way to start your scuba diver adventure. Why? Our training programs are designed with one goal in mind: for you to have serious fun when you dive! And the only way to have a great time diving is to become truly comfortable with the skills and the equipment you’ll use.

If you love to go scuba diving but you’re tired of diving in the usual places, then you might want to go for something more adventurous. Deep sea diving. Deep sea diving is considered to be the best form of scuba diving there is. Whether you are a recreational diver or you want to start a career in scuba diving, deep sea diving can be a challenging branch of exploring the underwater world. Like scuba diving, you will be using some of the standard equipments, such as regulators, scuba tanks, lead weights, BCD, wetsuit or dry suit, fins, mask, and others. However, you have to remember that there are quite a lot more equipments and special skills that you will need to master in order to become a deep sea diver or what is often called a technical diver in the recreational diving world. In professional diving, deep sea diving is often referred to as commercial diving. If you love diving so much and you want to make a living out of it, one of the best career choices is by being a commercial diver. But, before you don your scuba diving gears and apply as a commercial diver, you have to consider that commercial diving is a different type of diving. There are high tech equipments involved and you will also need to use special tools. Commercial diving is often used in underwater construction and underwater salvage operations to name two. Here, you will have to handle hazardous materials and operate special tools to get the job done. For example, there will be times where you will need to attach high explosives underwater to blow off sunken ships that can be hazardous to other ships, and you will also deal with underwater welding for underwater construction. Cleaning the hulls of ships is also part of the job as a commercial diver. In oil rigs, you will be required to fix problems with the oil rig underwater, or you will also be required to construct or weld pipelines. Because of the dangers of commercial diving, you will need to go to a special commercial diving school first. Here, you will be taught how to handle special equipments used in commercial diving. Also, you will be taught about underwater pressure, as well as the different gears used in commercial diving, such as the full face mask, the helmet, lead boots and others. Commercial diving is very different from recreational diving. In the school, deep sea diving is often the subject. Here, you will also be taught about the different types of air mixes, particularly the trimix, that is used for breathing underwater. Also, you will also tackle diving medicine subjects, such as how to treat decompression sickness and nitrogen narcosis. Although there are dangers in commercial diving, accidents here are rare. This just proves that commercial divers are well-trained to get the job done. In commercial diving, there is basically no room for error. This is why commercial divers train very hard for their profession. If you want to become a deep sea diver, then becoming a commercial diver is the right career choice for you. Here, you will not only be able to earn a lot of money, but you will also have a job that is full of excitement and adventure.

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.