Did you know that the word SCUBA is an acronym? It stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. While this is an accurate name for the equipment, it makes scuba diving sound far less exciting than it is.
Scuba diving allows you to see parts of the world that so few get to see. It allows you to learn an important skill, step out of your comfort zone, and keep fit.
But learning how to scuba dive isn’t easy. And if you’ve never scuba-dived before, you might not know how or where to start your open water adventures.
Lucky for you, this scuba diving for beginners guide will give you all the scuba diving tips you need to begin!
Benefits of Scuba Diving
Scuba diving can be an expensive and time-consuming hobby. Why wouldn’t you choose similar, safer hobbies like swimming or snorkeling instead?
Because there are so many benefits of scuba diving! Here are a few of them:
- Increases your fitness levels
- Improves concentration
- Helps to relieve stress
- Can improve your mental well-being
- Learn life-saving skills
- Connects you with nature
- Meet scuba diving friends
And it’s also okay to like an activity because you like it. But if you needed more reasons to start learning how to scuba dive, you’ve got them.
Learning How to Scuba Dive
You need to have a decent level of physical fitness to dive. If you have a chronic condition, you should get a letter from your physician before you start diving. And it should go without saying but you should know how to swim before you learn how to scuba dive.
Start with a half-day taster session if you’ve never scuba-dived before. These taster sessions will start in a swimming pool with an option to scuba dive in the sea at the end.
Then, if you’re still serious about scuba diving, you will need to take an Open Water Diving certification. This will allow you to dive anywhere in the world.
PADI and SSI are the most popular and reputable companies leading scuba diving courses in various dive shops worldwide. These courses take four to seven days to complete and they include pool dives, classroom learning, and open water dives. The cost of this course varies from country to country but expect to pay around $500 – $750.
Explore the Different Types of Diving
After you’ve completed the Open Water Diving certification, you can take advanced dive courses. These courses allow you to specialize in certain types of diving, including:
- Night diving
- Diving against debris
- Rescue diving
- Underwater photography
- Deepwater diving
- Shipwreck diving
- Cavern diving
- Freediving
There are tons of other advanced courses and types of scuba diving. Check your local dive shops to see what advanced courses they offer.
You don’t need an advanced certification for some types of scuba diving, like underwater photography. But it’s better to get one for more dangerous types of diving, like freediving.
Buy or Rent Scuba Diving Gear
When you are learning how to scuba dive, you will be able to rent your scuba gear from a dive shop. This is a list of the scuba diving equipment you will need:
- Dive mask and snorkel
- Wetsuit or drysuit
- Scuba gloves
- Scuba socks
- Fins
- Scuba tank
- Tank regulator
- Depth gauge
- Pressure gauge
- Compass
- Dive watch
Unless you are an expert scuba diver, it’s safer to hire your tank and equipment from a dive store. The staff will perform safety checks and will know more about the local waters than you if you are new to the area.
But it does make sense to invest in your own wetsuit, drysuit, and mask. It will feel more comfortable to dive in gear that fits you well.
Always ensure that the thickness of your wetsuit or drysuit is appropriate for the temperature of the water you will be diving in. If the temperature is over 75°F then you can wear a 3mm thick wetsuit. But if it’s below 50°F, you should wear an 8mm thick drysuit.
Best Places to Scuba Dive Worldwide
If you’re wondering where to scuba dive, the easy answer is that you can scuba anywhere where there’s water. But some places are more ideal than others. For beginner divers, you should choose somewhere that has warm, calm waters and lots of exciting things to see underwater.
Here are some of the best scuba diving countries that have these qualities:
- Australia
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Belize
- Egypt
- Canary Islands
- Mexico
Australia spoils scuba divers with its array of coral reefs, clear turquoise waters, and shipwrecks. Check out https://scubaworld.com.au/dive-sites/hmas-brisbane-dive for more info.
Koh Tao is Thailand’s most popular diving island. Not only because it has dozens of dive schools but because of its cool coral formations and wildlife. You’ll be able to spot green turtles, sea snakes, and so many more types of sea life.
But if you’d prefer to go scuba diving on the other side of the pacific ocean, check out Mexico or Belize. Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula has cenotes which are freshwater caverns you can dive in. And Belize’s Blue Hole is on most scuba divers’ bucket lists as being one of the most incredible places to dive in the world.
The Mediterranean sea is also an attractive diving spot. Egypt has some of the calmest waters and The Canary Islands are perfect for fans of rays. Bull rays, manta rays, butterfly rays; it has them all!
Ready to Dive Into the World of Scuba?
Learning how to scuba dive can be expensive, time-consuming, and even dangerous. But anyone who has ever gone scuba diving will tell you that it’s worth it. And now you know all the information that beginner divers need to know, it’s time to get out there and book your first taster session today.
If you want to travel to the best place to scuba dive, you will need to save and plan for those trips. Lucky for you, our website has tons of travel articles to help you out!
