| With most vacation spots offering scuba diving today, | | | | have to go on supervised dives in open water. |
| scuba diving is today growing into a popular pastime | | | | Your laminated license and log book |
| for many people. This is why scuba certification | | | | If you are comfortable with open water dives, and the |
| schools are today much more easily accessible than | | | | instructors are sure you are competent enough at |
| past years. | | | | scuba diving, you will receive your scuba diving |
| Today, it is mandatory for scuba divers to attend a | | | | certificate. With your certificate, you are given a |
| scuba diving course for scuba certification. In this | | | | laminated license and a log book. |
| course, they are usually taught basic information about | | | | The license permits you to buy scuba equipment while |
| diving like diving physics, working, understanding and the | | | | you use the logbook to prove that you have sufficient |
| use of compressed air in the body, understanding of air | | | | dive experience to dive charter operators. If you |
| consumption and how to plan repetitive dives. | | | | haven't logged any dives in two years, most charter |
| It is not sufficient for the candidate to only learn all this. | | | | and tour operators insist you take a refresher course. |
| To become a certified scuba diver, they also have to | | | | Basically, it's better to talk to the scuba diving instructor |
| prove that they know how to use all this information | | | | before signing up for a course so that you can take a |
| and how to properly and safely use scuba diving | | | | look at the equipment and facilities you will be using. If |
| equipment. | | | | possible, get recommendations from previous students |
| Visit local dive shops | | | | of the course. |
| The best place you can turn to for information about | | | | Check its refund policy |
| these and other certification courses are the local dive | | | | Ensure that the instructors of the course are licensed |
| shops. Take a look at the prerequisites of the different | | | | from recognized organizations. Find out if the course |
| courses, and of course compare its rates and terms | | | | offers any refund before you pay for it. This is |
| before you finally choose the right course. You will find | | | | because though most organizations may not give you |
| that scuba certification courses range between a few | | | | a refund in the middle of the program, they let you |
| hundred to a few thousand dollars; so choose | | | | complete the course later on, under a different |
| according to your requirements and budget. | | | | instructor. |
| A typical scuba certification course starts with a few | | | | No matter what your budget or requirements are, it is |
| weeks of lecture and textbook study for you to | | | | important that you get a scuba certification before |
| understand the basics and fundamentals of scuba | | | | pursuing the sport. This is because scuba diving is a |
| diving. The next step in the course would be to go on | | | | dangerous sport that can lead to serious injury and |
| a few training dives in swimming pools. Once you are | | | | possible death if you don't have the right training and |
| comfortable taking dives in the swimming pool, you will | | | | know how to use the right equipment. |