Diving is a very safe and popular sport. Especially in the warm tropical waters you can see amazing underwater life. Perhaps you have already done snorkeling and would like to see something more. In such a situation, the decision to start diving is an obvious consequence. How to start diving? Who can dive? Is diving safe? We will try to answer these questions in this study. Welcome!

Diving is a very pleasant sport and basically quite simple. However, some knowledge and skills are necessary to dive safely. It should be remembered that in the seemingly calm water, there may be water currents or sudden changes in depth. To know how to behave safely underwater, you need to undergo a diving course.

You must familiarize yourself with the basics of diving physics on every dive course. The most important thing is for you to understand how pressure changes with depth.

You need to know the properties of the gases with which you dive and familiarize yourself with the structure of the respiratory and circulatory systems at a level that allows you to understand the mechanism of diving injuries. Getting to know the diving history will be a nice addition to the whole course.

See what the program of the basic diving course looks like: PADI Open Water Diver – what do you need to know?

How to start diving?

Only trained individuals who have obtained a diving certificate may dive. There are many training organizations, most of them honor the certificates of other organizations.

There are diving levels and specializations in diving. Diving levels are the basic way to acquire further qualifications, specializations develop our skills already in certain directions, for example night diving, diving on wrecks or diving in a dry suit.

Diving degrees, depending on the organization, may be called very differently, however the basic division is:

1. Open Water Diver – from this level we begin, we learn the basic knowledge necessary to dive safely and basic diving skills. You will learn what mask, snorkel and fins are and how to use it. The basic level should teach us to dive safely to a depth of 18m.
2. Advanced Open Water Diver – this is the next step in training. In this course you will gain additional experience to be able to dive even deeper – up to 30m. You will also acquire new skills like underwater navigation. Thanks to this training you will know how to use the compass underwater and guide the way. It’s really a very useful course.
3. Rescue Diver – in my opinion this is the most important and best course. Earlier you learned how to operate your diving equipment and how to dive safely. In this course, you will learn to help other divers and respond to emergencies. Surely every partner will appreciate that you have a lifeguard diver degree.
4. The next steps may differ due to the diving organization. In PADI, after a course, a lifeguard diver, two paths open. You can become a professional diver, which is associated with the Divemaster course, or you can become a recreational diver and get the Master Scuba Diver degree.

Remember that diving cannot be learned by yourself. You always have to do it under the guidance of an experienced instructor who will explain all the rules to you. Diving organization itself is not the most important thing, but it is worth paying attention to whether it is known in the world.

What are the diving organizations?

There are many organizations training in diving, I will mention only a few:

• PADI – Professional Association Diving Instructor – an organization founded in the United States was founded in 1967 by John Crowin and Ralph Ericson, who today act as the deputy and president of this organization. Training in the PADI system is carried out according to the same standards around the world.
• SSI – Scuba Schools International. The organization was founded in 1970 by Robert Clark. SSI’s headquarters are in Fort Collins, Colorado. SSI offers recreational diver training programs from basic courses to instructor degrees.
• CMAS – (Confederation Mondiale desActivites Subaquatiques) the organization was established on January 9-11, 1959 in Monaco. On these days there was a meeting of representatives of diving organizations from many countries. An international federation called CMAS was created at the meeting. The first president was the Frenchman, commander J.Y. Cousteau.
• IANTD – founded in 1991 as IAND (International Association of Nitrox Divers) renamed in 1994 to IANTD (International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers) was the first organization that introduced Nitrox and later Trimix to sport diving.

Who can dive?

Persons participating in diving classes should meet the basic health requirements. All healthy people will meet these requirements. Remember that recreational diving is not reserved for the chosen ones. This is a sport for everyone. One of the criteria is also the ability to swim (200 meters at any time and in any style).

Of course, some ailments exclude diving. These include conditions such as mental illness, epilepsy and hypertension. Before each dive course you will fill out a medical form and if you answer all questions negatively you can dive. If you are not sure of your condition, it is good to visit a doctor and ask for an opinion.

E-learning in diving education

You can learn the theoretical part at any time. Thanks to the materials prepared by PADI, it is possible to learn theory remotely using E-learning. This solution is becoming more and more popular and makes learning easier.

If you have additional questions, the instructor will be happy to answer. Of course, after completing the theoretical part, you must complete the practical part with the instructor. This part is classes in the pool and diving in open waters.

Is diving safe?

Diving is considered a very safe sport, provided that you comply with safety rules and do not exceed your limits. Of course, as in any other sport, there are some hazards and to avoid them one should follow the rules.

For these reasons, it is worth taking a diving course with a reputable and experienced instructor. You can read more about diving safety here: Is diving safe? We will solve all your doubts!

Collect diving souvenirs.

Remember that you are a guest underwater and do not touch or take anything. However, it is good to collect souvenirs from each dive. Photos and entries in your journal can be such a souvenir. In the “loogbook” you enter your dives, partner, place and other data.

The partner should sign and the dive center may add its stamp. It will be a great souvenir and proof of your experience. It’s worth collecting!

How to start diving – summary

As you can see, diving is a great sport where you can learn a lot. You can also meet great people and make new friends. Diving is never boring because it is never the same. There are also many development opportunities and you will certainly find something for yourself.

If you are not sure if a diving course is for you then come to our center and talk to the instructor. You can also try a test dive, which you will do with the instructor and see what the underwater world looks like.