IS LEARNING TO DIVE EASY? Learning to dive is not hard, but like learning any new skill, there are procedures and techniques that must be mastered. Your course will comprise classroom and pool sessions, and what you learn in both will progress in parallel. You will learn the "why" and "how" in class, and put what you've learned into practice in the water. You'll conclude your training with several open water dives. In effect, these dives are your final exam. Under your instructor's supervision, you'll put all that you've learned into real world practice. At first it may seem there's too much to learn. But learning to dive can be a gratifying experience, so remember you're not going to learn it all at once. By devoting a little effort, you will become a safe and competent diver. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO DIVE? It depends, but generally speaking, you'll receive 20 to 30 hours of instruction. (Add some more time for the required open water dives.) Some dive courses meet twice a week for three weeks. Others take a couple of weekends and private lessons can provide an alternative way of learning at your own convenience. Both types of courses are available at Adventure Scuba in Conshohocken. Diving is a wonderful way to escape the cares of the day and relax. The learning process is also fun, so don't rush the experience. You'll meet people in class you'll like, and with whom you will want to share the adventure. Don't forget diving is a social sport too. The point is you can learn on your own schedule and at your own pace, but to be a safe diver, you've got to learn correctly. IS LEARNING TO DIVE EXPENSIVE? Not really. Expense is a relative term and actual costs will vary depending on where you live, what kind of course you're taking, and what kind of equipment you want to buy. Most dive center instructors will want you to have good quality fins, mask and snorkel. Buy good equipment  it will last for years. The dive center instructor can suggest what equipment you'll need for training and fill you in on the lesson's cost. Adventure Scuba books and other materials are included in the class cost as well as all rentals. All the costs can be found here. Compared with getting started in other popular adventure sports and outdoor activities learning to 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! Learning to dive is a great value when you consider that your NAUI Instructor is a highly trained and experienced professional. Invest in scuba diving lessons and learn something you’ll enjoy the rest of your life. From the first day, diving starts transforming your life with new experiences you share with friends and you can do it almost anywhere there is water. IS DIVING SAFE? Modern dive training uses methods and techniques that have been developed over decades to make sure the educational systems produce safe recreational divers. Because of this, scuba diving is one of the safer recreational activities in which you can participate. The equipment, training, and instructors all work together to make sure diving is as safe as possible, and diving's safety record show they've done their homework well. But you are part of the equation and diving is only as safe as the diver doing it. With proper training and good equipment, diving is a safe and enjoyable sport. Don't forget  driving in rush hour traffic is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY? In the unlikely event of a dive or medical emergency, students are in good hands. Every certified dive instructor is required to be current in CPR, first aid and oxygen provider techniques. Many instructors have had advanced training in dive medicine and know how to handle events in an emergency. Dive instructors carry first aid kits during open water dives and can conduct ship to shore communications if aboard a boat. New divers will learn several techniques for dealing with trouble. Most dive accidents are a result of diver error and can be avoided with calm, rational and conservative plans for diving. When at an open water site, every diver should know the telephone numbers for the nearest hospital, ambulance service, and the Diver's Alert Network (DAN). This organization provides a worldwide communications network to help divers and their doctors arrange medical consultation, transportation and treatment by using a central emergency telephone number. DAN's 24 hour, seven day a week emergency telephone number is (919) 684 8111; it can be called collect in an emergency. DAN also provides training in oxygen administration, and dive injury and evacuation insurance  all of which can be a big help in dealing with the intricacies of different diving emergencies. The University of Pennsylvania also specializes in dive injuries and has a hyperbaric chamber on site. SHOULD I OWN MY OWN EQUIPMENT? Many divers do, but some wait until basic certification training is completed before buying the majority of their equipment. Your dive center will guide you and as you begin to dive regularly, gain experience and become interested in some facet of diving  such as wreck diving or underwater photography  they'll continue to advise what equipment best suits your particular diving needs. Of course you'll need a mask, fins, and snorkel from the beginning, since these items are personal and are required for training. A few more reasons you might want your own gear are that you’re more comfortable learning to dive using gear you've chosen, you’re more comfortable using gear fitted for you, divers who own their own gear dive more and diving with your own gear is safer because you know when it's last service was and how well taken care of the gear is; after all it is life support equipment. HOW LONG WILL A TANK OF AIR LAST? It depends on the individual. Everyone has a different breathing rate, and the experience level of a diver influences his air consumption. It also depends on the depth. A diver uses twice the amount of air 33 feet deep than at the surface. Most beginning students are floored to know that a scuba tank is filled with only compressed, dry, filtered air. Too high a level of oxygen in the scuba tank could lead to diver problems, so for recreational diving, they are filled only with simple compressed air and tanks come in many different sizes so it varies. HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO DIVE? A student must be at least 15 years old to qualify for a full, adult certification card (C card). Youngsters between 12 - 14 can be certified as Junior Open Water divers, which means they must dive with a certified adult diver. There is no upper age limit. WHAT ABOUT SHARKS? They've been called nature's underwater garbage disposal, but from the sharks' perspective, there are a lot of smaller creatures that are easier to catch and consume, so humans don't look that appetizing. And besides, sometimes sharks are even hard to find, and when you do, they must be provoked before they'll bother divers. Sharks aren’t interested in divers. We’re too big and the bubbles deter them from investigating further. It is incredibly rare to hear anything about scuba divers having problems with sharks. HOW WELL DO I HAVE TO SWIM? Students have to know how to swim but there are no longer requirements. We stress to all beginning students that they should be comfortable in large bodies of water. ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT WILL KEEP ME FROM DIVING? Each student must complete a medical history form prior to training. This form informs instructors of a student's medical condition, and there are several items that would prohibit a diver of any age from participating in the activity. Some of the more serious conditions include: epilepsy, chronic ear infections, diabetes, active asthma, emphysema, heart disease, hemophilia, claustrophobia, depression, and addictive drug or alcohol abuse. There are other conditions which preclude scuba diving, and some temporary conditions that could delay dive training. These can be discussed with your instructor and general doctor. You can also request a medical form from the shop. WHAT IF I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY EARS IN THE POOL? Prospective divers often think that because their ears hurt while at the deep end of a pool, they can't dive. This is not necessarily true. It most often means that people suffering from this discomfort haven't learned how to equalize the pressure in their ears. Equalizing this pressure is an integral part of every dive, and it's one of the first things a student learns to do. If the new diver can't equalize this pressure, there may be a medical problem that may prevent, or delay, training and/or certification. WHERE CAN I DIVE? The short answer is, 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. Your experience level, site accessibility, conditions and your interests determine where you can dive. Some of the best diving is closer than you think, and more unusual than you think.  We have access to fantastic wreck diving in NJ where you can see historic shipwrecks and catch dinner. Another great site near by is Dutch Springs in Bethlehem. This is a quarry that filled with water and now has underwater wrecks to explore from helicopters to fire trucks. The only truly important thing about where you dive is that you have the training and experience appropriate for diving there. Adventure Scuba sets up trips to many beautiful tropical sites as well as chartering boats all summer for NJ Diving. You can even do your checkout dives on a vacation. You can discuss these options with your instructor or shop employee.   So if you think your ready? Check out our upcoming classes or try a free lesson in the pool. Just give the shop a call to set things up or if you have any other questions! 610.832.2570