As a certified diver, whether you are looking to take up diving professionally or just for recreation we’d always recommend you train atleast up to a Rescue Diver level. Rescue diving courses and training are not designed only for someone looking at rescue diving or scuba diving as a career, but for all those who want to know what to do in the event of problems underwater and to just expand your knowledge and experience for stress free diving.

We’ve always advocated that even though you always dive with a dive buddy, in any emergency your most dependable rescuer is you (Read:You’re Your Own Best Dive Buddy). A Rescue course by any of the scuba certification agencies is one of the best ways of being a better scuba diver for both yourself and your dive buddy. The rescue training, which teaches you to anticipate and manage risks as well as responding to any basic in-water problems and diving emergencies is a challenging and demanding course. However, ask anyone who is rescue diver certified and they’ll tell you it is the single most rewarding and useful certification they’ve taken since open water. It’s the ultimate boost in confidence in the water, a a must when diving.

So what do you need to be a Rescue diver?
It goes without saying that you need to be a certified diver to even consider the scuba rescue course however, more than just an open water diver certification you need to complete your advanced diver course  with 20 or more logged dives. Some scuba certification agencies like PADI and NAUI have a pre-requisite of being trained and current with first aid and CPR while some others like CMAS offers the CMAS 2 star certification which is an advanced plus rescue diver level course without the need for separate first aid and CPR training.

Other than that, it’s important that you are very comfortable with all the scuba skills taught to you in previous training which may be needed in this course. It helps if you can remain calm, composed while being quick thinking and react efficiently in a controlled manner.

What you learn in Rescue Diver training-

• Self-rescue techniques
• Learn to spot potential problems and managing stress in other divers.
• Emergency management
• Scuba Equipment Function
• Common Equipment Problems
• Release Function and Problems
• Panicked diver response
• Rescuing the Responsive Diver Underwater
• Rescue Exits with the Responsive Diver
• Rescuing the Responsive Diver at the Surface
• Rescuing the Unresponsive Diver Underwater
• Rescuing the Unresponsive Diver at the Surface
• Missing diver procedures
• First aid procedures for pressure related accidents

Scuba Diving Equipment Requirements for Rescue Diver:
During the course of the training you use all your basic scuba gear – (Scuba mask, Fins, Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), Weight-belt and Regulator) including a dive computer, mostly provided by the dive shop conducting the course included in the price. Other than the normal gear, a Dive Knife and Signaling Device are needed during the training.

Rescue diver training usually takes 3 days and includes theoretical study from a manual provided as well as practical exercises in the form of dive accident scenarios performed in either confined waters (swimming pools) or sometimes shallow open water. Rescue diver is the last of the recreational course and the next level in diving is more for professional pursuits. We definitely feel that Rescue level is a must for all divers as it’s always better to Be Prepared but Hope for the Best!

*Photo Credits: photos by Daniel, Daniel Kwok, SWBatzer and Travis S. on flickr

Stubborn ears are among the top reason divers pull the plug on a dive. Sounds easy to do but we all have good and bad days and even the best of divers can have trouble popping their ears on a dive. But with a few of these tricks and advanced techniques, we hope that on a bad day you won’t have to end a dive because of ear woes.

Valsalva
The most common way to equalize taught to you before your first dive is known as the Valsalva maneuver. The Valsalva method teaches you to pinch your nose so that no air can pass through your nostrils, and then gently “blow” your nose. This action forces air into your inner ear space, equalizing the pressure within to the outside pressure often with an audible popping or clicking sound.

Toynbee
The Toynbee technique of clearing your ears is to simply pinch your nose and swallow at the same time. This tenses the muscles in the throat and soft palate to pull the tubes open, while your tongue compresses air against them.

Frenzel
Holding your nose, forcefully press your tongue against the back of your throat while making a “K” or “ng” sound. What this technique does is, contracts the throat muscles to open the tubes while compressing air against them with the tongue.

Voluntary tubal opening
Try yawning with your mouth closed by contracting the muscles in the back of the roof of your mouth and throat while pushing your jaw forward and down. Tensing and stretching the muscles pulls the eustachian tubes open.

Lowry
This method is a combination of Valsalva and Toynbee and a little tricky, especially with a regulator in your mouth. Pinch your nose and then blow against your closed nose while swallowing at the same time. It’s good way to ensure the tubes open up and stay open.

If your ears are particularly stubborn, while trying the equalizing methods tilt your head from side to side or look up towards the surface. It helps stretch the folds surrounding the eustachian tubes making it easier to open them.

Read our 10 Tips to Equalize Your Ears When Scuba Diving

*Photo Credits: photos by torbenator and Acid Zebra on flickr

The Buddy Pre-Dive Safety check is an important safety check that should be performed by every diver no matter what level of diving proficiency. This check is performed by a Scuba Diver with his/her buddy before descending on a dive as a final inspection of the dive equipment before diving.  The Pre-Dive safety check ensures that your equipment is working, and also familiarizes yourself with your buddies equipment should you need to assist or receive assistance from him. Most Scuba diving accidents and incidents are said to be preventable by the diver simply having properly conducted a pre-dive safety check. Despite the warnings, most divers seldom perform this crucial scuba gear check before a dive, and rush to descend. Especially with your scuba equipment being set-up by someone else, a diver should always inspect his own gear and perform a buddy check before descent.

PADI’s “BWRAF” acronym is highly popular with divers, and is an easy to remember pre-dive check. BWRAF stands for

B – BCD & Buoyancy, Check your buddies Buoyancy Compensator, check the low pressure inflator hose is connected correctly and do a quick puff to ensure the inflator button doesn’t stick. Also deflate the BCD to ensure it deflates correctly. If you are performing the check in the water, also check your own buoyancy to ensure you are weighted correctly.

W – Weights/Weight Belt : Check that your buddies weight belt is on properly with the loose end tied correctly and tucked in a manner that will allow for quick release. Make sure you are familiar with the type of weight belt or integrated weights being used by your dive buddy and you know how to release them should you need to.

R – Releases: Check that your buddies BCD is strapped correctly and all belts are tightened. Also count the number of buckles/straps tugging at each one as you become

A – Air: Check that your buddy’s air is turned all the way on and half a turn back. Make him take a couple of breaths while you watch the pressure gauge for fluctuations in the needle, or simply purge the regulator while watching the needle. Check that the tank is full and check all air connectors for leaks. You should check your buddies alternate air source by taking a couple of breaths from it and ensuring that it is clipped on the BCD and visible.

F – Final OK: Final check is a cursory visual inspection, of fins, mask, snorkel and testing dive flashlights if necessary, take a compass bearing, and check your dive computer before giving the all Ok sign to your buddy to begin descent.

PADI uses a mnemonic to help divers remember the pre-dive check BWRAF, Begin With Review And Friend. However divers have come up with several different mnemonics to help them remember, here are some of the common and not so common funny ones:

• Beans With Rice And Fish
• Bruce Willis Ruins All Films
• Breathing Water Really Ain’t Fun
• Big White Rabbits Are Fluffy
• Because We Really Are Friends
• Blonde Women Really Are Fun
• Burgers With Relish And Fries
• Bunnies Will Run Away Fast
• Bangkok Women Really Are Fellas

* photo credits: photos by Barnaby_S , Robert Scales

If you want to try Scuba diving and are looking to take up the Sport, getting an Open Water Certification is one of the the first steps to doing so as we’ve previously mentioned in the post- “3 Steps to Becoming a Certified Scuba Diver “. There are a number of Scuba Certification Agencies that offer this basic course that teaches you scuba diving skills required to dive safely and independently without a dive professional.

Most scuba certification agencies differ in their teaching styles, courses and syllabus but they all more or less cover the same basic skills in the open water certification. Here’s what you learn to become an Open Water Diver-

Practical Skills and Training:

• Preparation and assembly of all your Scuba equipment and gear for a dive. Disassembly of equipment post-dive.
• Pre-Dive Buddy safety check. Making sure that you and your buddy’s equipment is in place and working properly before the dive.
• Hand signals used underwater to signal your dive buddy in case of an emergency. Other standard hand signals.
• Water entry methods – wading/shore entry, giant stride method, seated entry and back roll entry. (Read: Scuba Diving Water Entry Methods)
• Regulator clearing and recovery. Techniques to recover your regulator in the event that it is knocked out of your mouth.(Read: Scuba Regulator Recovery and Clearing techniques)
• Mask clearing. Learning to clear a partially/ fully flooded mask comfortably underwater. Completely removing and replacing your mask underwater while breathing.
• Use of Buddy’s alternate air source. Role play scenarios of being out of air, signaling to your buddy, securing their alternate air source and ascending safely with them.
• Buddy breathing. Sharing one air source between buddies to simulate an emergency situation and learning to ascend safely while buddy breathing.
• Buoyancy control. Learning how to hover and regulate your buoyancy underwater.
• BCD Oral Inflation. Practicing how to orally inflate your buoyancy compensator/ buoyancy control device in case the inflator is not functioning properly.
• Proper descent and ascent. Following safe descending and ascending methods.

Theoretical Knowledge:

• Scuba Gas Laws – Charles Law, Henry’s Law &  Boyle’s Law
• Reading Dive tables.
• Dive Planning. Calculating dive times and decompression stops.
• Risks of Scuba Diving
• Decompression Sickness
• Scuba diving safety

Some certification agencies may include some more advanced skills like underwater navigation and no mask swimming,  scuba unit removal and replacement and so on. But making sure you properly learn and practice the above skills in your open water course, you should be just fine underwater to confidently scuba dive with a buddy.

* Photo Credits: photos by Nemo’s great uncle, Philip Morton, frerieke, @kevinv033 on Flickr.

Even though Regulator recovery and clearing is one of the most basic things taught to a diver during his open water certification course, it is still a crucial skill that several  divers are reluctant to learn or practice after their certification courses.  Regulator mouthpieces get knocked out of divers’ mouths all the time, and can easily get snagged on BCD’s. In our certification courses we learn to recover our scuba regulators while kneeling on a steady platform such as the sea bed or the bottom of a swimming pool, which is why it is important to practice recovery where you may not be able to steady yourself.

The important things to remember while recovering your regulator is :

Don’t Panic – calmly try and locate your regulator mouthpiece using the practiced methods

Exhale continuously when you lose your second stage, to prevent lung over expansion injuries. Avoid holding your breath.

Sweep Method
The sweep method is the most commonly used technique to recover a second stage regulator. It involves  the diver leaning towards the right to let gravity move the second stage away from you and then stretching out your right hand in front of you and  making a sweeping arc,  back and right towards the bottom of your scuba tank so that the regulator hose should now be in front of you, and then bringing your arm forward catching the rouge regulator.  You then bring the regulator to your mouth purging the piece first before resuming normal breathing. The whole process takes less than a few seconds and can be repeated a couple of time if you are unsuccessful at first. Always remember to continuously breathe out through the process to prevent your lungs from over expansion, should you be unconsciously ascending while looking for your dive regulator.

Over-The-Shoulder Reach Technique
The Over-the-shoulder reach technique is one of the more effective techniques for lost scuba regulator recovery. Lean towards the right turning your neck to the right while reaching  back with your right hand until you feel the first stage of your regulator while at the same time lifting the bottom of your tank with your left hand so you can see the first stage. Then following the hose from the first stage with your right hands thumb and forefinger bring it forward so you can find the second stage and retrieve it. Many find this technique a little tricky and prefer the sweep method, however with a little bit of practice, the over-the-shoulder retrieval is more reliable.

Secondary Regulator
What if you cannot retrieve your regulator using both the sweep method or over the shoulder reach? Don’t panic, use your spare secondary regulator that should be clipped onto the front of your BCD, unclip it and begin breathing normally. Then calmly try to locate your main second stage once again.

Get your Buddy to Assist
Sometimes it helps to signal your buddy to help you spot your missing regulator, as it could be snagged in your BCD belts.  Use your spare regulator while your dive buddy assists you with retrieval. Some divers comfortable with removing their BCD’s while maintaining buoyancy, do so to free their tangled hoses. Always remember to have your buddy standing by to perform buddy breathing if you ever attempt to try this.

Clearing
Clearing your regulator is as simple as exhaling sharply into it. All the water will be expelled from the regulators exhaust valve. The other method to clear your mouthpiece is to use the purge valve. A quick two bursts of the purge valve immediately before putting it into your mouth should remove any water or debris from the chamber.  Or alternately depress the purge valve while it is in your mouth blocking the mouth piece with your tongue to prevent the burst of air into your mouth. Be careful to release the purge valve once you resume inhaling to prevent over filling of the lungs.

Scuba Divers should practice all of these methods in a controlled environment on a regular basis, so that they remain calm when the situation may occur. Use the method you are most comfortable with using and ensure you practice more than just one.

A question that gets asked a lot by beginner and intermediate divers alike is, what is the best way to enter the water from a dive boat or platform? The truth is, that there is no one good method, and the method one should choose is usually determined by a combination of the type of platform you are diving from, the what you’re most comfortable using, and the safest  way determined by the conditions.

There are four basic types of water entry procedure for Scuba Divers that we will cover today: wading/shore entry, giant stride method, seated entry and back roll entry.

Wading Entry Method

The wading entry procedure is performed from a beach or the shore. It involves wading out to your dive site by walking backwards while shuffling your feet to avoid stepping on sharp rocks and to scare away bottom dwelling creatures like rays. While it may sound like an easy method of entry, wading through the surf backward while wearing heavy scuba diving equipment is no easy feat. Divers should wade with their BCD’s partially inflated and regular in their mouths and wade till the water gets around waist high after which one can swim. Avoid using the shore wading entry when conditions are rough, and surface is muddy, or you could end up losing a fin.

The Giant-Stride Entry Method

One of the more common methods of entering the water, and also one of the easiest methods is the giant-stride entry. Most commonly used while diving off a dive boat, but can also be used to step off a pier or jetty where the water is deep enough. The giant stride entry method can be used while diving into deep water or where the platform is steady. This method involves getting your scuba gear on in the boat itself, and standing on the edge of the dive platform will the ball of your fins on the edge. Then holding your mask and regulator with the heel of your palm on the regulator and fingers holding your mask in place, step off the platform with a giant stride forward. Once in the water bring your legs together to return to the surface, recheck your gear and signal the boat that you’re OK and your buddy to begin decent. The giant-stride method of entry is best used where all divers assemble at the surface of the water before descending together all at once. When currents are strong or surface conditions poor, this entry method should not be used.

Seated Entry Method

The controlled seated entry method is best used where the water is too shallow for a giant stride off the boat or where your boat/platform is low to the surface of the water or the platform is unsteady. Seated entry involves kitting up in the dive boat itself and while seated at the edge of the boat/platform, using your hands on each side of you, lifting yourself up and outward with your hands and lowering yourself into the water. This method of entry is great when you are diving near shallow reefs, where jumping in could cause the diver injury. Care should be taken while pushing yourself off the boat that your clear both yourself and your tanks from hitting the side of the dive boat.

Back Roll Method

The back roll or rear roll is the preferred method for entering the water from a small boat as fully kitted divers standing up in a small craft could easily upset the balance of the boat. To execute the back roll, the divers should be fully outfitted and seated at the edge of the gunwale of the boat facing inwards with his tank facing the water. Then with the chin tucked in and one hand holding the mask and regulator in place, the diver rolls backward moving through a full somersault into the water. While this method looks difficult, it is quite easy to perform and great for immediate descents with a group of divers off a small craft.

Apart from the four basic water entry methods shown above, there are several other such as feet first step off, while diving off high platforms, or donning the BCD once in the water, ladder entry etc. which are essentially variations of the basic entry methods. Once again the method you chose should always consider safety first, and the situation/platform you diving from. Over time water entry method selection becomes almost automatic to a diver.

* photos by: maplebed, Orang Asli, jeshua.nace, Barnaby_S

Henry’s Law

William Henry was an English physician and chemist who in 1803 proposed what is now called Henry’s law, which states that “At a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas dissolved in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid. “

The Law essentially has two parts; one states that as pressure increases, solubility of gasses in liquids increases. The Second part states that as temperature increases, solubility of gasses in liquids decreases.

In simplistic terms:

• Under more pressure, a greater quantity of gas can be absorbed by a liquid
• Secondly, the cooler the liquid, more gas can be absorbed by it, as a liquid warms up, the gas escapes from it.

Mathematically the Law is expressed as:

P=KC     Where

P = the partial pressure of the gas

C = Concentration of the gas

K= Henry’s Law Constant

When trying to understand Henry’s Law, it helps to draw parallels to a bottle of Soda. Before the bottle is opened, its contents are under pressure, which causes the carbon dioxide in it to be soluble in the soda. As soon as you open the cap, you release the pressure causing the carbon dioxide gas to lose its solubility and escape in the form of bubbles or fizz.

In the same manner, as a diver descends, nitrogen inhaled has nowhere to escape and under pressure gets soluble in the bloodstream, muscles and tissues. This is no problem, until the diver begins his ascent.  As a diver ascends, the pressure is released and like the soda bottle, the nitrogen in the body tries to escape and may form bubbles if the diver ascends too quickly causing DCS or Decompression Sickness also known as the bends. This is the reason why divers ascend gradually, to allow the nitrogen to dissipate rather than form bubbles.

Henry’s Law also explains the reasons why divers are asked to not to take hot baths after a dive, or asked to abstain from doing strenuous activities or exercise. Based on the second portion of Henry’s Law, the increase in temperature caused by the exercise or hot bath may cause the nitrogen to become less soluble and increase the off-gassing possibly cause DCS or Decompression Sickness.

In the same manner, while diving in colder water, the on-gassing/absorption of nitrogen is greater, which should be taken into consideration, as it will allow the diver shorter dive times, and shallower dives.

Also Read: An Introduction to Scuba Gas Laws – Part 1 : Boyle’s Law
An Introduction to Scuba Gas Laws – Part 2: Charles’ Law

Photos Gaetan Lee, azteca90

In order to successfully complete any Scuba Diving training, a student receives what is called a C-Card or a Certification Card. This card acts like a license to dive and all dive shops are required to  ask to see this card before renting out any dive gear and equipment. As a sport recreational scuba diving doesn’t have any one centralized certifying or regulatory agency, but is mostly self regulated. There are, however, several large diving organizations that train and certify divers and dive instructors and have become recognized certification agencies of the sport the world over, which most dive outlets and dive shops consider proof of proper scuba training.

These agencies work by training and certifying instructors in their syllabus and teaching methods, and then allowing those instructors to certify individual divers. In addition to providing all levels of diver training, the agencies also regulate the sport as a whole and represent diving professionals such as dive masters, dive instructors and dive operators. They widely participate in researching dive medicine, promoting marine conservation as well as marketing diving as a sport.

At a beginner level, the certification agency doesn’t play too much of an importance as the courses they offer as more or less similar courses and any main agency will be recognized by dive operators anywhere in the world. Right up to the professional level training the agencies recognize each others qualifications for recreational diving. However, when it comes to diving professionally they may not recognize each others qualifications.

When you first start off diving, you need to consider the instructors experience and the dive center offering up the course rather than letting the agency dictate your choice.

Here are the most recognized Scuba Certification agencies around the world today. Of these, PADI and NAUI are the most prevalent in the United States.

PADI- Professional Association of Diving Instructors
Based in the United States and by far by the biggest and most recognized dive certification agency in the world, PADI was started in 1966 to improve the training into a variety of different courses rather than just the one single universal course. prevalent at the time. PADI courses are very performance based dive programs. The introductory level emphasizes practical knowledge, safety and motor skills along with the foundations of diving physics, physiology and chemistry.

PADI centers are the most widely spread out across the world and you can find one in almost any dive destination. More beginner divers are certified by PADI than all other agencies combined. It has certified approximately 70% of divers in the United States and approximately 55% of divers worldwide.They are very active in promoting the sport and also in marine conservation through their Project AWARE operation.
Website: www.padi.com

NAUI- National Association of Underwater Instructors
Again a United States based agency, NAUI started in 1959 is the oldest recreational scuba certification agency. NAUI is a non-profit association which was started for the promotion of dive safety through education. Its diver courses are very similar to that conducted by PADI and SSI and it enjoys a status of being the second largest scuba certification agency after PADI.

NAUI boasts of a no. of celebrities and industry pioneers certified by them like Kevin Costner, Tiger Woods (NAUI divemaster member), Cameron Diaz, Jacques-Yves Cousteau (inventor of the aqualung) and many more. Many of whom have popularized the activity for NAUI. As of 1997 NAUI published standards for teaching technical diving as well.
Websites: www.naui.org

BSAC- British Sub Aqua Club
Founded in 1953 and based in the United Kingdom, BSAC is the largest dive club in the world. With over 50,000 members it has being recognized as the official governing body of recreational diving in the United Kingdom. BSAC operates through 1600 local independent dive clubs and over 400 diving schools world wide. Given that UK waters are relatively cold and have restricted visibility, BSAC training emphasis on rescue training very early in the programme.
Website: www.bsac.com

CMAS- Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques/ The World Underwater Federation
CMAS is the international umbrella organization for diver training organizations. Founded in 1958, CMAS is based in France. The organization offers the international framework for diver and instructor qualifications and members of the CMAS Council are representatives of the other recognized dive agencies.

The training philosophy of CMAS members originates from professional or military diving backgrounds and tends to reflect the full range of European and world diving standards.The difference in the philosophy for diving between CMAS and US-originated dive education is very distinct as their ideology is entirely about quality education over profit, which accounts for its courses being taught worldwide in more dive schools than dive shops.
Website: www.cmas2000.org

SSI- Scuba Schools International
With 35 Regional Centers and Area Offices around the globe, the 1970 established SSI is based in the United States. It has well over 2,200 authorized dealers and supports Dive Businesses and Dive Resorts. A major difference between SSI and other diver education organizations like PADI, NAUI, CMAS and others is that SSI is a Retail based organization, intended to ensure the quality of training worldwide.
Website: www.divessi.com

Other Agencies
IDEA- The International Diving Educators Association (www.idea-scubadiving.com)
ACUC- The American Canadian Underwater Certifications (www.acuc.es)
PDIC- The Professional Diving Instructors Corporation ( www.pdic-intl.com)
SDI/TDI- The Scuba Divers International/Technical Divers International (www.tdisdi.com)

To Shop for Scuba Diving Equipment and Gear visit LeisurePro.com – The Diver’s Emporium

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

In the previous post we looked at 5 Scuba Diving Misconceptions that Beginners or those unfamiliar with the sport may have. But it isn’t just people with little knowledge of Diving that have been following or believing in Scuba myths so as to speak.  I once overheard a seasoned diver once tell a newbie interested in taking up diving that all the good stuff was deep. It became the newbie’s mission to  dive deep without caution.  Lot’s of divers still have misconceptions and are unwittingly a part of some of these scuba myths that can be potentially harmful. Here’s the truth to some more of these diving myths-

*Photo by star5112 on flickr

1) Dive cylinders contain oxygen
Contrary to popular belief dive cylinders contain the same air we breathe above water and in the same compositions. The air filled in a Scuba tank is compressed air and not pure oxygen. It contains the same proportions, i.e 78% Nitrogen, 20% oxygen and the remaining other gases. The fact that divers are absorbing the same amount of Nitrogen as when they are on land, but the gas has nowhere to escape while underwater is what can lead to decompression sickness (nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood stream) if one spends a considerable amount of time under. This is the case for regular recreational scuba diving, however, there are specialty courses and types of diving which use a special mix of Nitrogen and Oxygen and re-breathers use one cylinder which does contain oxygen but this again is used in a blend.

2) Dive classes are intimidating and difficult
Scuba classes are neither intimidating nor difficult. They start with the basics about the equipment you use and it focuses on getting the person comfortable underwater. Minimal theory and more practical exercises are conducted in calm, shallow waters or swimming pools and you are always accompanied by the instructor who will guide you through the step by step process. If you aren’t to sure if it’s something you want to give a try many resorts even offer one-day, introductory scuba experiences that enables first-timers to sample scuba diving first-hand without making a commitment of time or money.

3) If you make a mistake underwater, you’ll probably die
Even though we’re not in our natural environment and caution and safety is of utmost importance, dive training and safety practices prepare you for almost any scenario or difficulty you may face. Modern technology and advance equipment pretty much provide divers a solution or backup if anything should go wrong. The more a person dives the more comfortable and confident they get underwater and as always taught, if one adheres to the standard safety rules and procedures, they’d find this myth more and more ridiculous.

4) You have to dive deep to see the good stuff
This is one of the most common mistakes of many new divers. there’s always a fascination to dive deeper as the belief doing rounds is that there’s better stuff to see. Hogwash! The most prolific sea life and stunning corals are usually within 50 feet of the surface. The truth is the deeper you go, the less light, which not only keeps coral, plankton and fish which live on this from flourishing but we also see colors muted and not as rich and vibrant as shallow stuff.

Apart from not as much to see in terms of deeper dives, you get a much shorter bottom time to look around and enjoy, not to mention the stress of decompression times lurking in the back of your head can put quite the damper on the dive. Most underwater photographers prefer depth of around 20-30 feet. With the exception of wrecks and walls most recreational diving rarely exceeds 100 feet. Deep dives are not all what people make them out to be. People brag about it more from the thrill of doing something risky rather than a true experience or the dive site itself.

5) If I use a dive computer, I won’t get decompression sickness.
It’s important to remember that dive computers are just that- computers! While a properly functioning and correctly used dive computer is perhaps a diver’s best friend, they are not infallible either. Being overly dependent on any one thing when you dive is never good. A wrong settings, incorrect times or challenging environmental conditions can affect the readings of a dive computer. Between 70 percent and 75 percent of the divers injured in 2002 were using computers as their means of dive planning.This is not to indicated that dive computers are to blame, but to build awareness there is no guarantee that using one will save you from decompression sickness. With or without a dive computer it is the diver’s alertness and consciousness about depth, time and ascent rate which is crucial in keeping the bends away.

Also Read: Myth Buster: 5 Beginner Scuba Diving Misconceptions Dispelled

*Photos by frerieke, divemasterking2000 on flickr