Scuba diving is both an exhilarating and relaxing sport. It gives you an insider’s glimpse into the underwater world which covers 70% of our planet. Having said that it’s not for everyone. Read on to see if you are ready to dive in to scuba diving.

While diving does not necessarily require you to be in good shape, it helps. Carrying a scuba tank on your back while wearing diving equipment is no easy feat so having some cardio fitness will make this less gruelling. Basic swimming skills are also required and to complete your Open Water Certification, you will have to pass a swimming test - fortunately you can swim as slowly as you like, as long as you can swim 183 m (200 yards) and tread water for a few minutes. Diving has some inherent risks so before signing up for a scuba diving course check with your doctor. People with heart and lung conditions or high blood pressure need to take extra precautions or may not be able to dive. Pregnant women are also not permitted to dive. If you panic easily in stressful situations, you may also want to discuss this with your doctor since if you panic underwater, the knee jerk reaction is to get to the surface as quickly as possible and a quick ascent without the required safety stops can be lethal.

All divers must take a diving course.  The PADI Open Water Diver course is the most popular and usually takes a few days and involves doing a few dives to prove that you’ve mastered the necessary skills.   Although only the Open Water Diving course is required, the Advanced Diving and Rescue Diving course are highly recommended as they will make you feel more comfortable in the water and further enhance your skills.  If you plan to get into speciality types of diving such as cave, dry suit or ice diving, further diving courses are required.  You will also need to further practise your skills by diving, ideally in different conditions, i.e. a drift dive, diving in a strong current, night diving, etc.   This will help round out your diving skills and provide you with more dive sites and diving holidays to choose from.    Diving courses can be taken at either your local diving club or when you arrive at your scuba diving location.

Diving is not a cheap sport.  On average, 2 dives/day is approximately $100 - $150 U.S. dollars, depending on where you go.  Diving equipment can usually be rented, but if you choose to buy it you’re looking at an initial investment of around $2000 U.S. dollars.   If you don’t live anywhere near water, there is also the cost of getting to your dive site.  Don’t think this is only a hobby for rich people, I know avid divers who live on macaroni and cheese throughout the year so that they can afford to go diving.  That’s how much they love it! 

There are also more budget friendly options available.  Lake or river diving with your local scuba diving club is an option and your transportation expenses will be minimal.  The Bay Islands in Honduras is a spectacular scuba diving location and is cheap as far as diving goes.  We spent less than $350 for 10 dives including all diving equipment.  Accommodation and food there are also cheap.  The Red Sea is another budget friendly diving holiday where you can often find a good deal.    Pick up one of the scuba diving magazines which also provide information on budget friendly scuba diving locations.  You can also save on diving equipment by buying used diving equipment.  There are usually postings for used diving equipment at your local scuba diving club.

If you just show up at a dive site and expect outstanding diving you will most likely be sorely disappointed. Dive sites are not a one size fits all. What makes a great dive site really depends on what you’re interested in. I.e. do you like coral reefs, sharks, protected dive sites with no current, night dives, lake dives, etc? The best way to find out what makes a great scuba diving location for you is to try different types of diving and do your research. Try a few dives with your local diving club to different scuba diving locations that they’re visiting. Read scuba diving magazines and see which places you find most attractive. There are also a few good interactive scuba diving forums which provide excellent information. By doing your research beforehand you will increase your chances of experiencing great diving.

Can’t find anyone to go scuba diving with? No problem, there are several options. First join your local diving club. Most diving clubs arrange dives at local dive sites and usually a few diving holidays a year to more exotic locales. Diving clubs are a great way to meet other divers. You can also sign up for a live aboard diving holiday. You pair up with someone on board who also doesn’t have a diving buddy and because everyone is on the boat all the time, it’s a great way to really get to know your fellow divers.

I’ve done three diving holidays by live aboard and have met fantastic people. Four of us actually reunited the following year on another diving holiday. You can also go on a diving holiday and do shore dives. The diving club will either find you a buddy or the Dive Master will be your buddy.

Warning!  Diving is highly addictive. I now plan vacations around diving holidays. Divers in general are an interesting group of people and not only will you get a glimpse into what really lies below the ocean’s surface which is awe-inspiring, but you are also likely to meet life-long friends. Based on your answers to these questions you should now have a better idea if you are ready to dive in. Hope to see you underwater one day!