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Scuba Diving Basics- Getting Off On The Right Fin
The sport of Diving can be an incredibly rewarding one. The feeling of weightlessly "flying" through the water is like no other on earth! However, it can also be challenging physically, dangerous, and expensive. Here at the Niche-Expert's Pro, we aim to get you started right, with reviews of the best gear, training, and links to the most exciting vacation tours and trips around.
The first step you need to take is to get certified by PADI. PADI stands for "Professional Association of Diving Instructors. There are some other certification organizations around, but PADI is the "Big Dog", and is the only one you really need to be concerned with as a recreational diver. They will teach you all the safety rules, best practices, and hot tricks to have you doing Guinness world record diving in no time ;-)
A quick yellow pages search in your local phone book will probably yield several local schools for you to choose from. The initial requirements are that you take a class given by a certified diving instructor, and make a certain number of dives, including an "open-water" (as opposed to pool dives) certification dive. Your instructor will give you all the details when you sign up. The cost for this class and your PADI certificate ranges from 200-300$ and includes all the equipment you need to make your dives. You can also get either fully certified, or "mini" certified at many dive resorts around the world. A mini, or "resort" certification will allow you strictly to dive at that resort with an instructor present while a full certification allows all the normal privileges and requires a full class and safety training, etc.
Initial equipment you need is minimal. Most schools will provide you with everything you need to get through the class, but if you are serious about pursuing
this we recommend that you at least purchase your own mask, snorkel, and fins to get you started. These items are highly personal, and you wouldn't want to use someone else's snorkel, would you? Ecchh! After you are certified, you can rent all the other gear you need at most any resort or hotel that offers diving around the world, so there is really no need to go all-out and buy a lot of gear unless you really get into the sport and start taking dive trips on your own or through clubs. For a complete run-down on the gear you should have, see our gear review links.
So, as you see, there isn't much to getting started with diving. The class is relatively inexpensive, considering the fun you are going to have and the technical nature of the instruction, and as you have to make actual "open water" dives to certify, you will actually BE a diver when you complete your diving class! Believe me, there is no feeling like diving in the world, and as a fully PADI certified diver you can be assured that you are using the safest and most advanced diving techniques known to man. Now go blow some bubbles!
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