So how do we get started?
Well that pretty much depends on you and what you want to get out of it, and of course, where you live. If you’re not sure that you want to complete a full certification course there are also various options for “try diving”. This is great for a taster opportunity and in many cases if you decide to continue it will not cost you any more, since the “taster dive” will then form part of the course. This is only true however if you proceed immediately with scuba diving lessons.
Who do you trust to take you into the underwater realm?
One of the first questions may be which organisation to learn with. As with everything there are many choices and unsurprisingly the basics are pretty much the same. If you type “scuba diving organisations” into google you will get complete list from Wikipedia. I am a PADI instructor and have never been tempted to change my affiliation. They are by far the largest and most widely distributed organisation. They are also the most expensive in terms of learning and certification materials, which means that if a dive centre offers you training endorsed by a different organisation, this will usually be cheaper for them. That said the most important element is the people who are training you.
How do you want to do it?
Unless you live by the sea in one of the warmer places in the world you will probably want to think about going abroad. Learning to dive in an inland lake with low visibility and cold water (anything less than 25° is cold) is probably the last option I would recommend. Also choosing a “referral course” (where you complete swimming pool and theory lessons with your local dive shop and the open water dives with someone else) would not be high up on my list. It is far better that a single instructor takes responsibility for you from beginning to end. If you want to get certified with a local dive shop it would be advisable to wait until they organise a trip and then go the full distance with them.
Which is the right Dive Centre?
If you decide to go it alone do a little bit of research on where you are going. Remember that to begin with you are likely to be a little bit “wobbly” and far more concerned with yourself than what is going on around you. I have conducted beginner courses on the Maldives where a manta ray cruises past and nobody sees it because they are not attuned to the environment yet. Weigh up the costs and be honest about your own “seaworthiness” – it may take a little bit of time to get used to, and until then it really doesn’t matter what is swimming around you. So unless you’ve got bags of time and buckets of money save it until you can enjoy it more. Make sure that for your first sessions there is a proper swimming pool or a really calm lagoon. Waves and current can make the initial experience much more difficult, particularly if the instructor is in a hurry. Also you don’t want speedboats and jetskis buzzing over your head so ask the right questions and if this “bothers” anybody then it is not the right place. As before the most important aspect is that you feel good about the people you are going to spend a few days of your life with.
Still not Sure? Suck it and see.
Don’t forget you always have the option of a try dive ( It will rarely be cheaper for you to book a course in advance – in fact often exactly the opposite is true). A PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience -(see next section) will give you the opportunity not only to see how you perform but also what conditions you’ll be learning under; how amiable and experienced your dive instructor is and what the equipment is like. Don’t worry about courses being sold out – just go somewhere else – you will get more personal service. Busy is more an indication of location than quality, so shop around, and try to avoid the situation where “the equipment may be old, but the teachers are brand new!”
If you would like any further advice we will be more than happy to help. Good hunting !