Anyone know anything about scuba diving?

Question

I am interested in starting scuba diving. I am in good health, however a little afraid. I expect to only do shallow dives (10m or so). Are these kind of depths dangerous? Also, I have suffered mild panic attacks in the past. Should I do it?

Answer 1

I'm a PADI professional and have made well over 100 dives.  Diving is as danerous as a person makes it.  Get training from a qalified agency and know your limits is the best advice.  I used to get claustophobic under water with a snorkel.  Diving is similiar, yet very different.  To compare snorkeling to diving, think of riding a bike with training wheels to riding a 10 speed.  Is it risker?  Yes, if you act reckless.  But knowing the possible danger would you want to go back to the training wheels?

Answer 2

First, try a resort dive or a beach dive where you will go into the water with an instructor and experience the basics of diving with the instructor's assistance.  Depending on where you are, you may actually get to 5 or 10 meters depth.

You will know at once whether you will be psychologically comfortable diving.

!0 meters is almost always perfectly safe, and there are many wonderful things to see.  Go ahead unless you have claustrophobia problems, and take an Open Water course.

It's lots of fun.  Have a great dive!

Answer 3

I dunno, should you? The best and cheapest way to find out is to contact a local PADI affiliated dive shop and sign up for what's called Discover Scuba. It's basically a mini course that will help you decide if you want to get an Open Water certification that will let you dive anywhere in the world with a few restrictions. Here's the kicker. It's FREE! Yup, all of it, including the use of the gear and the air in the tank.

You don't have to pony out 300 bucks to eventually find out that scuba isn't for you. If you don't like it or have other issues then the only thing wasted is a few hours of an afternoon in a pool.

They will give you some basic instruction and then off you go in a swimming pool under the direct supervision of an instructor for 30 minutes or so. If you're going to have a panic attack, it'll likely happen the second your head goes under when you kneel in the shallow end. If that happens, you simply stand up. End of story and quite safe with no money invested. Some people just can't do it, no shame there. My ex wife shot out of the pool like a polaris missile on steroids when she gave it a shot. No danger , just in her mind, she's  claustrophobic and couldn't overcome it. She had no idea she was a "closet claustrophobe" until then.

As to the safety of diving. It IS quite safe but it's only as safe as the diver makes it. We call it manageable risk. If you do something stupid, expect to pay the consequences. The gear and the training are pretty fool proof and as long as you stick to your level of training and keep your gear in good shape there's no reason to worry. After all, we're all good car drivers until we decide to go 200 MPH on a busy street, in a car with a flat, chased by the cops. Something not good, is bound to happen and chances are it will involve you.

A 10 M dive is just as safe or as deadly as one to 5 M or one to 30M.

There's another advantage to giving the Discover Scuba a try. If you decide you like it, and then go on to do your Open Water course locally, then when you go on vacation there's no fuss, no muss. Get off the plane and get diving, no messing around wasting vacation time learning at one of the resort courses (which doesn't give you an accredited Open Water cert anyway unless they specifically tell you it's an Open Water course) and then being shepherded around a local reef or wreck. You're already a diver and part of a club of some pretty special people.

Answer 4

Being apprehensive about entering a hostile environment is normal.  I also had a few jitters about it but was excited as well.

Yes, 10m can be dangerous.  One of the primary errors committed by divers is holding the breath while ascending.  The air you will breath at 10m is equal to the water pressure there, about 1 atmosphere, and will expand as you ascend.  If you do not expel air, your lungs may burst.

I suggest you get a book, the library may have one, on Scuba and browse it.  You can also find much information on the web.  You will feel better with a little more understanding about the sport.

You cannot, at least in the U.S., just go out and start scuba diving.  Few shops will fill a tank unless you have an "air" card, a card that certifies you as a diver.  Most shops will not even sell you the equipment unless you have the card.

There are at many organizations which certify courses for qualification:  Professional Association Diving Instructors (PADI) is one, National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is another.  Check the URLs.

Find several places nearby that provide lessons; you are going to have to take a course to get the air card.  Pick the one which appeals to you and register.  You will have fun.

My deepest dive was off Key West, Florida to 125 feet, about 40m.  The water was crystal clear; I watched the anchor go all the way to the bottom.  I only had a steel 72 so couldn't stay on the bottom very long but what a thrill!

Answer 5

My son and I watched my oldest take a course up here in Wisconsin. He is now open water certified! We will be taking this course together since during the training it is important to have a "scuba buddy". It runs around $300 for the course, but of course you get only loaner equipment. The new equipment after the course will run $1000 for tanks, vest, wet suit, fins, mask, and snorkel. However, they do have days during the year that everyone brings in their used stuff for sale and you might get away with a semi used vest for $300. Definately do it! If I were in Australia I would be your scuba buddy! I can't wait to take the course! IM or e-mail me for any other info. We just watched him complete the course and it is still fresh in our minds!