SCUBA Training:

This guide is not intended to teach you how to dive.  If you are interested in SCUBA diving you should seek proper training from a dive shop recognized by a major diving organization.  Diving is a dangerous sport, and you should not do it without proper training.  With proper training you'll be able to enjoy your dives and be able to deal with any dangerous situations you may encounter.

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Choosing a dive shop and dive instructor

Types of training

Choosing a dive agency and dive instructor

One of the most important steps in learning to SCUBA dive is choosing a dive shop and instructor.  There are a variety of dive agencies you can choose from, including organization such as NAUI, PADI and SSI.  Some divers will tell you that one dive agency is better or worse then another.  This may or may not be true, however the dive shop and instructor you pick is FAR MORE IMPORTANT then is the certification agency.  In our crew we have both PADI and NAUI certified divers, and we are all happy with our training.

The first step in picking a dive school/shop is checking your local telephone book.  You should be able to find most of your local dive shops under the "SCUBA" and/or "Diving" sections.  Most major cities should have several dive shops, even those that are far away from the ocean.  For example, our city is over 1200km (800miles) from the ocean yet we have four or five shops in town.  Many university and colleges will also have dive training programs.  Generally speaking the dive training offered by universities and colleges is of very high quality, although it may be more expensive then most dive shops.  Phone around and talk to the shops.  Ask about their training program, including how may classes and outdoor dives you have to do.  The exact answers to these questions aren't important.  What is important is the way they answer the questions.  Did the person on the phone sound knowledgeable?  Did they take the time to answer your questions properly?   Did they answer questions in a way that you understood the answers?  You'll want to pick a dive shop who's employees make you feel comfortable and who spend the time required to answer your questions.  A dive shop that doesn't take the time to explain things properly to you on the phone probably won't explain things properly in a class.  A dive shop who's employees will take the time to explain things to you on the phone will probably be a good choice for  lessons.

Next check out the facilitates at the dive shops you are interested in.  If a dive shop is using a closet for a class room or a bathtub for a pool they probably aren't the best choice for training.  Generally speaking you'll want to pick a shop that has a dedicated room for instruction and a 15' deep pool.  A specialized classroom will ensure that your classes occur in a comfortable and quiet environment.  A 15' deep pool will allow you to master many skills that require deeper water.  While you are at the dive shop talk to some of the other customers.  Ask them if they would recommend the shop for training and what other shops they would recommend you check out.  Ask if the shop has a one-night intro to SCUBA.  If they do you may wish to check it out. 

Once you've chosen a shop you need to pick an instructor.  This may not always be an option, as some shops may have only one instructor.  If a dive shop has several instructors try to talk to them.  Pick one which makes you feel comfortable and who answers your questions well.

Types of Training

There are a variety of training course available to divers.  Some, such as the basic course, are essential to divers.  Some, such as altitude diving or cold water diving, may be required to dive in your area.  Other types of dive training (deep diving, decompression diving, dive photography, navigation, dry suit diving, night diving, etc.) are optional but can add a lot to your dive experience.

Essential Training:

There are a few types of training that could be considered essential.  You introductory course is essential - it will teach you all of the basics required to dive safely.  Basic training allows you to dive to 60' in depth, and only in relatively safe area's.  You should also consider diving first aid and rescue diving as essential, as they will allow you to deal with a broader range of emergencies.  Depending on where you dive other training may be required to dive safely.  For example most, of our local diving is done in the mountains, so we need additional training to teach us how to dive at altitude and in cold water.  If you live in a region where most of the diving has strong currents you may need additional training to learn how to deal with currents.  Talk to local divers and your instructors to see if they recommend you take other courses in order to dive in your area.

Advanced Training:

Most dive shops will offer an advanced training course.  These courses will expand your skill base and give you a few more instructor-monitored dives.  Most advanced courses will teach deep diving and navigation skills, as well as one or two other specialties.  It is a good idea to seek out advanced training as it will teach you important skills that will allow you to seek more challenging dives. 

Dive Master/Dive Instructor Training:

Want to teach the next generation of divers?  Of maybe you want to perfect your skills.  If this is you, you may want to consider dive master or dive instructor training.  Even if you aren't interested in becoming an instructor this training can be useful as it allows you to perfect your skills, and will teach you a broad range of skills.

"Specialty" Training:

Most dive agencies offer a variety of specialty courses.  Some of these are highly specialized skills (decompression diving, wreak diving, cave diving), whereas others are more generalized (navigation).  Some of these training courses may be necessary if your area of diving has unusual conditions (i.e. you dive in locations above sea level, or in cold water), whereas you may just take some out of interest (photography).  If you wish to develop a new diving skill you should consider a specially course.  Want to take underwater photos?  Take the dive photography course.  Want to dive below 60'?  Take deep diving.  Want to know what the heck it is that your looking at?  Take a fish identification course.  Today there is a large number of specialty courses to choose from, so you should be able to find some that interest you.