| ople dream of scuba diving on their exotic vacations, | | | | work, and open water dive skills. You will learn to dive |
| but are afraid that if they learn to dive, they will end up | | | | through handbooks and videos, not just underwater, |
| wasting a lot of their vacation time and money on one | | | | but many of these materials can be studied at home |
| activity. The truth is, there are diving courses and | | | | to maximize the amount of time students spend in the |
| schools all over the world, and it is possible to begin | | | | water. |
| your learn to dive course in your native country and to | | | | Some schools place restrictions on whom they will |
| complete it while you are on vacation. Or better yet, | | | | accept for their learn to dive programs. Most places |
| you can learn to dive before you go on vacation and | | | | have a minimum age, but this is rather young, usually |
| earn a diving passport that will enable you to scuba | | | | around twelve. For those who have medical conditions, |
| dive anywhere in the world. So before you go on | | | | such as diabetes or asthma, their might be certain |
| vacation, look into your options carefully if you want to | | | | restrictions, unless a doctor approves the course for |
| learn to dive. | | | | the patient. Some schools will require you to take a |
| When you learn to dive, you will be taught basic | | | | medical exam, and others will allow anyone to begin |
| mechanics in a swimming pool. This might seem | | | | the course if they seem to be in good general health. |
| simplistic, but even the best swimmers need to learn | | | | Many scuba dive schools offer refresher courses; |
| special techniques for movement when they learn to | | | | anyone who wants to learn to dive and to continue |
| dive, since mechanics are not the same as those used | | | | diving as a hobby will need to take a refresher course |
| with regular swimming, especially since divers have | | | | if they do not perform a dive every six months; diving |
| equipment to deal with as well. The beginning course | | | | passports expire if too much time has passed |
| also teaches the prospective diver equipment use and | | | | between dives. Some students who learn to dive at |
| maintenance. This is the most intimidating aspect for | | | | certain schools will want to continue and take more |
| those who want to learn to dive, but once you get the | | | | advanced courses, such as open water and ocean |
| understand how to handle your equipment, you can | | | | diving. Some will want to quit their dull 9 to 5 grind and |
| begin to dive with confidence. | | | | become full-time scuba diving instructors. It is a great |
| Of course, safety is an important component of your | | | | job for those who like to be in the water and to travel |
| course as you learn to dive, and the buddy system is | | | | to exotic places. However, given the safety |
| essential, even for seasoned divers. Other concepts | | | | considerations, certification for scuba dive instructors is |
| taught in beginning and intermediate courses include: | | | | usually quite rigorous, and many would rather simply |
| Buddy diving | | | | learn to dive than to contemplate a career in scuba |
| Human life support | | | | diving. |
| Gases under pressure | | | | Whether you want to learn to dive or need to take a |
| Ocean diving | | | | refresher course, it is not difficult to find a course |
| Rescue skills | | | | available within a reasonable distance. Soon after you |
| Most beginning courses will teach you dive theory, | | | | learn to dive, you will want to try out your skills on an |
| which might include some classroom as well as pool | | | | exotic vacation in the tropics or elsewhere. |