| We are always told we should learn sports when we | | | | certified - 1st weekend for classroom and theory, 2nd |
| are young, when our bodies are more resilient to the | | | | weekend for pool sessions and a 3rd weekend for |
| bruises and bumps which can be afflicted on us when | | | | the actual open water tests. Put aside your ego and |
| we learn a new sport. This is true to a certain | | | | just bear with it, it'll be worth it in the end.Having said |
| extent.Take for example, my experience learning wind | | | | that, that's not to say that there are no good and kind |
| surfing. I learnt the sport when I was 26. If I were to | | | | scuba diving instructors around. I was fortunate to |
| learn this sport now at age 42, chances are I would | | | | receive dive instruction from PC, a very kind and |
| not go far and would probably give up after 1 or 2 | | | | patient man, without whom my dive learning |
| tries. Learning wind surfing was like battling with all the | | | | experience would not be as smooth and |
| forces at the same time! We're talking about trying to | | | | enjoyable.Relatively Good Health |
| balance on choppy waves on a slippery wet board, at | | | | It's not necessary to be in peak fitness before you |
| the same time maneuvering a sail which weighs more | | | | can take up scuba diving. However, you would need |
| than you in the correct direction that you want to go.In | | | | some strength to be able to walk with full scuba diving |
| the process, I contributed blood and flesh from cuts on | | | | gear strapped on you. Once you enter the waters |
| barnacles and bruises from hitting the surf board more | | | | with all your gear, you are almost weightless. But it's |
| than once before falling into the waters.But there is a | | | | the few steps you have to make to get into the boat |
| huge difference with scuba diving. YOU ARE NEVER | | | | or to cross the beach into the water that may be a |
| TOO OLD TO LEARN SCUBA DIVING. I can never | | | | challenge for a person who is not used to carrying |
| say this enough. I learnt scuba diving when I was 38. | | | | heavy loads on them.Having said that, some scuba |
| Now I'm not saying that 38 is a ripe old age but still, the | | | | diving resorts have fantastic dive staff who can help |
| body does feel somewhat less strong and less | | | | to overcome this by carrying the tanks and gear to |
| resilient. Added to that, as we get older, we also seem | | | | the boat for you to suit up inside the boat. And of |
| to have more fears. Perhaps we feel we have more | | | | course if you are on a live-a-board (live, eat, dive, sleep, |
| to lose if something should happen to us.I say middle | | | | on board a boat throughout the dive trip), then this may |
| age and beyond should never be a factor in learning | | | | not be relevant.Time and Money |
| scuba diving BUT you do need to have these:1) an | | | | This is probably the 2 most deciding factors of |
| intense love for the sea | | | | whether someone continues to enjoy scuba diving |
| 2) a willingness to learn from someone younger than | | | | after passing the Open Water tests. Getting certified |
| you | | | | through a scuba diving course is very fast, just 3 |
| 3) relatively good health and lastly but very important | | | | weekends basically. And not too expensive, probably |
| 4) time and moneyNow I'm assuming that you are | | | | about $300 to $400, including an out-of-the country |
| thinking of learning scuba diving because you want to | | | | dive trip for the open water tests. But unless you live |
| make this a sport that you can enjoy every other | | | | near a scuba diving area, you are most likely going to |
| weekend if time and money permits and not just | | | | have to travel a distance or even out of the country |
| learning for education's sake.An Intense Love for the | | | | to do a good dive.Now just think how much each trip is |
| Sea | | | | going to cost you and multiply that by how many times |
| To enjoy a scuba diving trip, you will have to love the | | | | you would love to do scuba diving in a year. When you |
| sea and I mean really really love it with all its wonderful | | | | do the sums, it can be staggering. So you cut down |
| creatures large and small. You will know what I mean | | | | the number of dives you want to do in a year, and |
| on your first ever scuba diving trip after you have | | | | then calculate and cut down some more.In our scuba |
| cleared your Open Water tests.It is unlikely that your | | | | diving class, my husband and I were the only ones |
| scuba diving buddies on your first dive trip will be the | | | | who continued to dive after the class was over. Even |
| same classmates in your scuba diving course. | | | | then, we did not manage to do the number of dives |
| Because of time and money constraints, you will find | | | | we would really have loved to do in a year. That's |
| that you may be the only one keen enough to join a | | | | how it finally ends up that we are doing an average of |
| scuba diving trip soon after your certification.More | | | | 1 dive a year. This more or less ensures that we will |
| often than not, your dive buddies will be a dive-crazy | | | | always be diving as a "scuba diving newbie" (hence |
| bunch who will do at least 4 dives a day plus another | | | | the blog's name). A scuba diver gets "rusty" when the |
| at night. This means that on a scuba diving trip, most | | | | interval is too long between each dive trip. Ideally, we |
| times you will not do anything but dive, talk about the | | | | should dive at least once each quarter.I have not even |
| sea creatures and encounters of each dive, before | | | | gone on to calculate the other "investments" to |
| suiting up for the next dive. For someone who only | | | | personalise your gear such as your own BC |
| wants to do one dive a day and then go shopping, he | | | | (buoyancy control), your own octopus (breathing |
| she may be disappointed as many great scuba diving | | | | appartus) and your wet suit.Having said all this, I still |
| spots have few of these shopping and entertainment | | | | believe it's never too old to learn and enjoy scuba |
| facilities.In case you are already getting stressed just | | | | diving. Even with our limited dives since we were |
| thinking about this, don't be. Every scuba diving newbie | | | | certified and diving as scuba diving newbies, we enjoy |
| goes through this. Just have an attitude of a newbie, | | | | each and every one of our dive trips. Find the right |
| be humble and you will find that the seasoned divers | | | | people to dive with, find a fantastic dive spot that suits |
| are more than willing to share tips and may even help | | | | your preferences (whether macro, to check out small |
| you to gear up before a dive.A Willingness to Learn | | | | sea creatures, or see bigger fish) and nearby spa |
| from Someone Younger than You | | | | facilities to sooth your body aches after a dive - it's a |
| Your scuba diving instructor is likely to be someone | | | | wonderful combination that will almost always ensure a |
| much younger than you. Some dive instructors have | | | | great scuba diving experience!A scuba diving newbie |
| an attitude and are cocky so you may have to live | | | | can still enjoy happy diving! |
| with it for at least 3 weekends before you become | | | | |