The PADI course is one way to become a certified diver. It is important to learn the basics of diving and safety rules. Today I will tell you about the PADI course and how to get your first diving license. If you are considering a PADI open water diver course, this is a must-read.
The PADI scuba diving course is a way to enter the world of diving and gain knowledge and skills and an international diver’s license. The course really isn’t difficult and is available to anyone from 10 years old to 100 years old. If you are still having doubts about taking a diving course, let me clear your concerns. Let’s get started!
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The PADI Course for beginners
Diving is a great recreational activity for everyone, actually regardless of age. Diving is very safe, as long as you follow the rules and limits. To know what these diving rules are, you need to take a diving course. And the PADI Course is one such way to gain knowledge and a diver’s license.
On a diving course you will learn the basics of the physics that govern diving and how to operate the equipment. But don’t worry, because it really isn’t difficult at all, as evidenced by the fact that even children take part in PADI courses. The entire PADI Open Water diving course is divided into 3 parts, each of which is interrelated and will introduce you to the world of diving step by step. Let’s see what parts of the course await you when you decide to take the PADI scuba diving course.
PADI course – theoretical part
Your diving course will begin with the theoretical part, where you will learn the necessary basics of diving in a simple and fun way. Unlike in the past, where everything had to be learned from books, today we have the PADI e-learning package, which allows us to learn at home in a very simple and intuitive way. And, most importantly, such learning is not boring and there are really a lot of interesting elements, graphics and videos. You will see that it will be pure fun.
PADI Course – practical classes in the pool
The next stage of the PADI course will be practical classes in the pool, where you will learn how to operate the diving equipment, mount it, use the dive regulator and perform many cool exercises. This will probably be your first contact with diving equipment and you will see from the first moment how great it all is. If you will have any questions, your instructor will be happy to answer them.
During the pool class you will do a dozen different exercises that will show you how to operate the diving equipment and how to deal with various problems. You’ll see that it’s all really simple, and it will only get better with practice. You will perform some of these exercises again in the ocean during your first open water dives. All exercises in the PADI course are designed to teach you how to dive safely and how to simply be a good diver.
PADI Course – let’s jump into the ocean
After completing the theoretical part of the PADI course and pool activities, it will be time for what we have been waiting for all along. Diving in the ocean! As part of the diving course, a minimum of four dives must be completed in open water. This is usually split into two dive days and you will do two dives on each of these days.
As I mentioned earlier, during the dives you will do some exercises that you already know from the pool session. There will also be some additional tasks to perform on the surface. The purpose of these dives is, of course, to teach you the entire procedure for a safe dive and ascent, but also the goal is to practice handling the equipment and maintaining perfect buoyancy. However, I guarantee that it will all be nothing short of a great adventure.
Completing your scuba diving course
After completing all three parts of the diving course, the instructor will fill out the necessary documents and you will receive your PADI license. This license means that you have all the skills at the basic level of diving and can safely perform dives to a depth of 18m.
The license will be issued to you and will include your photo and diver number. This will allow any dive center to confirm your skills and level of training. Thanks to this license you can dive anywhere in the world, as long as, of course, your credentials allow you to do so.
How to choose a good dive center?
As you can see, the PADI scuba diving course is not at all complicated, and you too can easily take it. Provided, of course, that you do not have serious health contraindications, which, unfortunately, may exclude you from this type of activity. However, in any other case, I am more than sure that you will complete the course and get your dream diver’s license.
However, we need to raise a point that seems important to me. Personally, I am a diving instructor with many years of experience and have trained hundreds of divers at all levels. I love my job and introducing new people to the world of diving. But, it must be made clear that diving is also a business and a way to make money. And this is perfectly fine. The problem arises when the desire to make money outweighs the desire to teach, resulting in looking for shortcuts.
A cheaper diving course has to come from something.
We run a dive center in Costa Rica, and from the beginning my goal was quality, not quantity. I know how much work and effort it takes to give my students quality training. And any of my students will confirm that I always repeat the same line at the beginning of each course. “On your license, there is also my name. And I don’t want to be ashamed of it.”
Are we able to take shortcuts? Do less, do it faster and do it lamely? Of course we can, and every diving instructor knows it. But no one at our diving center cares about “producing certificates.” From the very beginning we knew and understood that we are not building a factory of cheap certificates. We are building a LEGEND. And you can be a part of it.
I’m already a diver and what’s next?
Diving is a never-ending adventure and there is always something to discover and learn. If you’ve already completed the PADI course and obtained your first license, now it’s time to think about the next level. The next course can be is the advanced diving course. In this course you’ll learn more elements and skills necessary for cool diving.
There’s really a lot to discover in diving, and which way you go is up to you. Maybe you’ll be interested in night diving, or wreck diving, or something else. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk to a good diving instructor about what to invest your time in and what diving niches to start exploring. Perhaps you will be the next person to set a world record in diving?
PADI Course – let’s recap
For many years I could not convince myself to dive for many reasons. Scuba diving is expensive, requires a lot of equipment and long trips. However, when I tried it, I knew right away that this is what I wanted. After the first plunge, I knew that this was what I wanted to do in life and dedicate myself to it. Many years have passed since those moments, but nothing has changed in this regard. And my whole adventure and life change started with a PADI course, exactly the same course you can take too. So what else are you waiting for?
