Q: What’s involved in learning to scuba dive?
A: Learning to scuba dive is an incredible
adventure! With PADI as your training organization, your
path to breathing underwater is accomplished in three
exciting phases:
1. Knowledge Development
Learn the lingo. During the first phase of your PADI
Open Water Diver scuba certification, you develop an
understanding of the basic principles of scuba diving. You
learn things like how pressure affects your body, how to
choose the best scuba gear and what to consider when
planning dives. You briefly review what you have
studied in the five knowledge sections with your instructor
and take a short quiz to be sure you’re getting it. At the
end of the course, you’ll take a longer quiz that makes sure
you have all the key concepts and ideas down. You and your
instructor will review anything that you don’t quite get
until it’s clear.
2. Confined Water Dives – Scuba Skills
Training
This is what it’s all about – diving. You develop basic
scuba skills by scuba diving in a pool or body of water with
pool-like conditions. Here you’ll learn everything from
setting up your scuba gear to how to easily get water out of
your scuba mask without surfacing. You’ll also practice some
emergency skills, like sharing air or replacing your scuba
mask. Plus, you may play some games, make new friends and
have a great time.
There are pool (confined water) dives, with each building
upon the previous. Over the course of these dives, you
attain the skills you need to dive in open water.
3. Open Water Dives—Locally or on Vacation
After your confined water dives, you and the new friends
you’ve made continue learning during four open water dives
with your PADI Instructor at a dive site. This is where you
fully experience the underwater adventure – at the beginner
level, of course. You may make these dives near your home or
at a more exotic destination while on a scuba
vacation.
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Q: How long does it take to get certified?
A: The PADI Open Water Diver course
is incredibly flexible and performance based, which means
that we can offer a wide variety of schedules, paced
according to how fast you progress. It’s possible to
complete your confined and open water dives in as few as
three or four days
Since our interest is in you learning to scuba dive
safely, well informed and with confidence, we have a
relaxed, comfortable and efficient regular set schedule
done over
2 weekends. The first being the class and pool
sessions starting Friday nights. Friday 6p-9p Saturday
9a-4p Sunday 9a-4p The second weekend is at the chosen
dive location based on time of year and condition.
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Q: How much does it cost
to take scuba lessons?
A: Compared with getting started in other
popular adventure sports and outdoor activities, learning to
scuba dive isn’t expensive. For example, you can expect to
pay about the same as you would for:
- a full day of surfing lessons
- a weekend of rock climbing lessons
- a weekend of kayaking lessons
- a weekend of fly-fishing lessons
- about three hours of private golf lessons
- about three hours of private water skiing lessons
- one amazing night out at the pub!
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Q: What scuba gear do I need to learn to scuba
dive?
A: Choosing and using your scuba gear is part of
the fun of diving. The staff at Island Divers will help you
find the right gear. Each piece of scuba equipment performs
a different function so that collectively, it adapts you to
the underwater world.
When you start learning to scuba dive, as a minimum, you
want your own
- scuba mask
- snorkel
- scuba fins
- booties
These have a personal fit, and we will help you choose
ones that have the fit and features best suited to you.
As part of the enrollment fee for your PADI Open Water
Diver course, we provide for the pool session:
- dive regulator
- scuba BC
- gauges and compass
- scuba tank
- scuba wetsuit
- weight system and weights
We do have a discount student rental rate when doing the
open water divers; however, this fee will be waived if your
personal gear was purchased at Island Divers.. It’s
recommended that you invest in your own scuba equipment when
you start your course because:
- you’re more comfortable using scuba gear fitted for
you
- you’re more comfortable learning to scuba dive using
gear you’ve chosen
- scuba divers who own their own scuba diving
equipment find it more convenient to go diving
- having your own scuba diving gear is part of the fun
of diving
The kind of gear you will need depends on the conditions
where you dive and the skill level you want to achieve.
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Q: How do I know what’s the best scuba gear?
A: The question is, what is the
best gear for you. The professionals at Island Divers are trained to help you find scuba gear that best
matches your preferences, fit and budget. We can get you set with the right stuff,
plus provide service and support for years of enjoyable
and dependable use.
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Q: What’s required to take scuba lessons?
A: If you have an appetite for excitement
and adventure, odds are you can become an avid PADI scuba
diver. You'll also want to keep in mind these requirements:
Minimum
Age:
- 10 years old
- Students younger than 15 years, who successfully
complete the course qualify for the PADI Junior Open Water
Diver certification, which they may upgrade to PADI Open
Water Diver certification upon reaching 15.
Medical Statement: For safety, all students
complete a brief scuba
medical questionnaire that asks about medical conditions
that could be a problem while diving. If none of these
apply, you sign the form and you’re ready to start. If any
of these apply to you, as a safety precaution your physician
must assess the condition as it relates to diving and sign a
medical form that confirms that you’re fit to dive.
Download the scuba
medical questionnaire.
Water skills: Before completing the PADI
Open Water Diver course, your instructor will have you
demonstrate basic water skills by having you:
- swim 200 yards (or 300 yards in mask,
fins and snorkel). There is no time limit for this, and
you may use any swimming strokes you want.
- float and tread water for 10 minutes, again using any
methods that you want.
About Physical Challenges: Any
individual who can meet the performance requirements of the
course qualifies for certification. There are many adaptive
techniques that allow individuals with physical challenges
to meet these requirements. Individuals with paraplegia,
amputations and other challenges commonly earn the PADI Open
Water Diver certification. Even individuals with more
significant physical challenges participate in diving.
Learning Materials : Unless you choose
PADI eLearning, you’ll need and use the following
training materials during the PADI Open Water Diver course,
and for your review and reference after the course:
- The PADI Open Water Diver Manual
- PADI Open Water Diver Video on DVD or the PADI Open
Water Diver Multimedia (combines manual and video for
computer based learning).
- You will also need your PADI Log book and Recreational
Dive Planner (Table or eRDPml).
We set you up with these as part of the course
enrollment process at Island Divers.
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Q:
Where can I scuba dive?
A: You can dive practically anywhere
there’s water – from a swimming pool to the ocean and all
points in between, including quarries, lakes, rivers and
springs. Where you can scuba dive is determined by your:
- experience level
- site accessibility
- conditions
- interests
For example, if you’ve just finished your PADI
Open Water Diver course, you probably won’t be diving
under the Antarctic ice on your next dive. But, don’t limit
your thinking to the warm, clear water you see in travel
magazines. Some of the best diving is closer than you think.
The only truly important thing about where you dive is
that you have the scuba
diving training and experience appropriate for diving
there, and that you have a dive buddy to go with you. The
staff at Island Divers can help you organize great local diving
or a dive vacation. Visit us today to get started.
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Q: My ears hurt when I go to the bottom of a
swimming pool or when I dive down snorkeling. Will that keep
me from becoming a scuba diver?
A:
No, assuming you have no irregularities in your
ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of
water pressure pressing in on your ears. Fortunately, our
bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our
ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no
difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you'll
probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water
pressure while diving.
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Q: Does a history of ear troubles, diabetes,
asthma, allergies or smoking preclude someone from diving?
A: Not necessarily. Any condition that
affects the ears, sinuses, respiratory function or heart
function or may alter consciousness is a concern, but only a
physician can assess a person’s individual risk. Physicians
can consult with the Divers
Alert Network (DAN) as necessary when assessing a scuba
candidate. Download the
scuba medical questionnaire to take to your physician.
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Q: What are the most common injuries or
sicknesses associated with diving?
A: Sun burn and seasickness, both of which
are preventable with over the counter preventatives. The
most common injuries caused by marine life are scrapes and
stings, most of which can be avoided by wearing an exposure
suit, staying off the bottom and watching where you put your
hands and feet.
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Q: What about sharks?
A: If you’re lucky, you get to see a shark.
Although incidents with sharks occur, they are very, very
rare and with respect to diving, primarily involve spear
fishing or feeding sharks, both of which trigger feeding
behavior. Most of the time, if you see a shark it’s passing
through and a relatively rare sight to enjoy. We are
fortunate here at Island Divers that the owner and course
director, Lee Gano, was a shark research diver for many
years and teaches his personally written PADI Distinctive
Specialty - Shark Studies.
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Q: Do
women have any special concerns regarding diving?
A: Aside from pregnancy, no. Because physiologists
know little about the effects of diving on the fetus, the
recommendation
is that women avoid diving while pregnant or
trying to become pregnant. Menstruation is not normally a
concern.
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.Q: How deep do you go?
A: With the necessary training and experience, the
limit for recreational scuba diving is 130 feet.
Beginning scuba divers stay shallower than about 60
feet. Although these are the limits, some of the most
popular diving is no deeper than 40 feet where the
water’s warmer and the colors are brighter.
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Q: What happens if I use up all my air?
A: That’s not likely because you have a
gauge that tells you how much air you have at all times.
This way, you can return to the surface with a safety
reserve remaining. But to answer the question, if you run
out of air, your buddy has a spare mouthpiece that allows
you to share a single air supply while swimming to the
surface. There are also other options you’ll learn in
your scuba diving training
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Q: What
if I feel claustrophobic?
A: People find the “weightlessness” of
scuba diving to be quite freeing. Modern scuba
masks are available in translucent models, which you may
prefer if a mask makes you feel closed in. During your scuba
diving training, your instructor gives you plenty of time
and coaching to become comfortable with each stage of
learning. Your scuba instructor works with you at your own
pace to ensure you master each skill necessary to become a
capable scuba diver who dives regularly.
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Island Divers
1731 W University Dr.
• Denton, Texas 76201
• 940-383-3483
islanddiverstx@aol.com
