You’ve heard about Scuba Diving, probably have friend or two who have gone diving before or you just seen divers on TV and thought you would like to give it a try, but you’re unsure about how to go about it.

SCUBA which stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus is a very popular recreational sport which does however require a specialized training to get started. The requirements to complete undertake training are very basic, like you need to be in good health, not have any ear, sinus or heart conditions, you should be able to swim, feel comfortable in water and so forth. Close to 1 million people take up and become certified Scuba divers each year around the world.

Here are 3 steps to help getting you to take that first plunge underwater. Once under and before you know it you’ll be hooked and just wanted to keep diving.

STEP 1: Talk to a Diver
A good way to know what you’re getting into is talking to someone who has been diving before. It’s better if you can find a dive instructor or a dive master to talk to, but even some one with a little dive experience should be able to help you out. Use them as a guide to help decide if that’s what you want to experience and if it’s right for you. You usually will be met by the diver gushing about the joys and experiences he/she has had on numerous dives and what makes it the best activity they have tried. But before getting completely roped in, ask about any concerns you have, maybe about sharks, jelly fish, risks, a worry about panicking or any other concerns you may have. Also, remember to ask them the organization they were certified by and how their course was.

STEP 2: Research Certification Courses
There are a number of international organizations and associations that specialize in Scuba training and certification of divers. Local dive shops, resorts, dive operators, YMCAs, colleges, and community centers, where you can sign up for a course are often affiliated with such associations such as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques/The World Underwater Federation), SSI (Scuba Schools International) and a few other groups. However, in the United States, PADI and NAUI are the two biggest certification agencies as well as the most recognizable.Their sites provide plenty of information about certification courses close to you.

Each of these agencies have different philosophies and methods of training. They sometimes use different dive tables,offer the course for different prices, lengths and class sizes.It’s not easy or right to say one is better than the other as they are all very well reputed and specialized training agencies for Scuba Diving.

You are essentially looking to sign up for the Open Water/ SCUBA diver course which is the first level of diver certification, your ticket to an exciting adventure in the underwater world.

STEP 3: Signing up with a Good Dive Center & Instructor
What’s more important than the agency is that the dive center’s instructor you choose is well qualified and that they have not only experience but the ability to teach that knowledge correctly to you. He is your teacher and essentially the translator of the agency he represents, teaching with their material and pre-requisites.

Ask that the dive center show you their license to teach diving, this usually means the dive instructor’s C-card which should be valid and not expired at the time. Ask about class size and length that is offered by the dive center. Smaller classes mean more time spent with individual students, which is better for learning and leads to safer diving. The instructor-student ratio should ideally be no more than 1:4. Also, the length of the training ideally should be a minimum 4-5 days. While there are weekend classes or 3 day crash courses offered at cheaper price, ask yourself if you will you be able to absorb all there is to learn in such a short time and how many practice sessions can they cram into such a short span of time?

Choose a dive center and course that offers you a good number of practice dive time and pool or training sessions as well as classroom sessions. The key to diving is practice and if they aren’t putting you in the water enough and just focusing on theoretical knowledge it’s not a good choice to go with them. Don’t forget to get information on the study material they provide with the course, text books, log book, c- card (on certification), dive tables and so on. Also, inquire about the dive equipment you may be expected to have (usually just the dive mask, snorkel and fins) and what scuba equipment they would provide as part of the course or with a rental charge and boat fees.

1-2-3 and you are on your way to becoming a Scuba diver!
Once you’ve got these 3 steps sorted and follow them through, you’ll be a certified Scuba Diver in no time and I bet top dollar that you’ll be looking to do your next level of training soon, or planning your next vacation as a dive trip!

*Above images by Dan Hershman, Ed Bierman, highlander411, frerieke & * Lisa * on flickr