learning to dive

[Centrek]

Hey all!!
I'm really interested in scuba and snorkeling...but i don't know where to start...I'd really like to learn about it and all. Where should i start looking? I think my mom used to dive, but that was a long time ago. I live in Indiana, so what would i have to do about the lack of water, or do they have you dive in lakes and what not, we have plenty of dirtly lakes around here. hehe...
I'm beginning my soph year in college in about a month, and during my Junior year, i think i'm going to study abroad for 1/2 a year, and Australia is really calling my name....so i'd really like to become a scuba diver before then so that i can dive all day and all night!! :)
all comments would be appreciated,
thanks!!!

[kanankeban]

Check this site... http://www.padi.com/english.asp I just made my open water 2 weeks ago in Maui Hawaii, it was a 3 day course with 4 dives...it was great, I should e going for the advanced open water in a couple of months, and after that I'll get the dive master certification after I complete 60 dives...

[Groucho]

Here's another source of info http://www.naui.org/index-side.html

Most YMCAs offer some sort of course that is affiliated with PADI or NAUI. That might be a good place to start.

Good luck - I'm sure you'll enjoy it (especially when you go south to the reefs!)

[oceanjunkie]

I got certified while studying abroad in Australia. If you dont really plan on diving before you go, you might as well do the course there. I did a 5 day course in Cairns. Day one was in a classroom, day 2 was in a pool, day 3, 4 and 5 were on a liveaboard. The liveaboard was awesome, the first few dives (forget how many) went towards certification, and then we were free to explore the GBR the rest of the dives.

The reason its good to do it there is because theres a lot of dive operators, so the prices are very low. Plus the US dollar goes a long way there. I think the certification (PADI) and liveaboard, including all equipment and food, cost like US$350-450. The place was called Pro Dive and they have a website, also check out Mike Ball, they are the best operator around there (or so I heard).

Australia is the place to be....go there!

[Centrek]

oh awesome!!
yea, my b-day is in a couple weeks and my parents were going to get my diving lessons, but i don't really think i'd be going until i went to Australia. I just didn't know if they'd let me dive there since i've never done it before. I'll be there for 4months or something, so 5 days wouldn't be a problem at all!! Did you ever dive before you went there and got certified? What exactly does this certification mean anyways? are you not allowed to dive if you aren't certified?? but what if you do dive w/o certification, will they just not rescue you? :)
thanks!!!
later
matt

[oceanjunkie]

First off, you should find out where you are going to study. I was in Sydney, so I traveled up to Cairns (in the north where the GBR is) and only had like 2 weeks there. I had to book in advance for the certification liveaboard, so I had the whole trip up to Cairns all scheduled out beforehand. That was good and bad.

I had never gone diving before that. The PADI certification is known everywhere. There are other certifications you could get (like NAUI), i just dont know much about them. If you want to go diving with a dive operator, you have to be certified with an organization that they honor, which is why its good to have a well known cert. PADI is very well known, but also costs the most money (Hence "Put Another Dollar In'). As long as you could go into a pool and not drown, pass a doctor's exam, and pay them money, you're good to go. You could go diving without getting certified by doing something called a 'hotel dive'. Basically, they give you a briefing on how the stuff works, and then you dive with a guide basically holding your hand. After a couple dives it would probably have paid to just get certified.

Now I moved to FLA. No operators down here will let you dive unless you are certified.

-JB

[RyanN]

Centrek,

I wouldn't even think about diving without professional instruction. The whole idea behind the courses are to provide you with a working knowledge of your dive equipment, provide solutions to possible dive problems/emergencies (ie: out of air emergency), minimize risks and hazards, and maximize the fun and bottom time. Not to scare you but this is a sport that can easily KILL you if you don't take it seriously and try to cut corners. Most reputable shops wont fill your cylinders or let you rent gear without a sea card (certification).

Have fun diving down under,

Ryan

[Centrek]

awesome!! thanks everyone!!
ryan: i wasn't thinkin about it, not in the least, i was just curious how they control and monitor who is certified and who isn't, and also what all the certification does for you.
i'm going to look into diving fairly soon. There is a dive shop pretty close to me, i just thought it was strange to have one in the middle of Farmland USA. I'll be sure to go and check it out, and also send some emails out to try to figure out how i can finagle getting away from class for 5 days down there :)
Thanks again guys, a big help!!
matt

[oceanjunkie]

Matt-

I forgot theres another option. You could take the classes now at your local dive shop, without doing your check out dives. Then when you get down to AUS you could complete your certification by doing your check out dives. That way you wouldnt have to sit in a classroom in AUS.

[billsreef]

From talking to divers from inland areas I've been amazed at how much diving is done in ponds, lakes and old quarries. Get your cert now and go ahead and do those check out dives at home. Now you'll be able to log some bottom time and practice those diving skills like buoncy control so that when you get to Australia you can concentrate on the reef life instead of newly skills. Nothing like practice to make a good diver, besides all the practice is fun :D

[Centrek]

well, i got quite a surprise tonight. We celebrated my b-day today, since i'll be at school when it really occurs on wednesday. I asked them for stuff for my aquarium, but they never asked me where to get the stuff i wanted, or exactly what i wanted, so i figured that they weren't going to get me that stuff, so i was clueless as to what they were going to get me. I opened one and it was a Padi information package with a course text book. I was still stumped, but i thought it was really cool. I didn't quite understand it, and i kept glancing back at it confused as i opened the other present, and my dad said, "you don't get it do you? You're scheduled to go in for your test on Friday! Then Sat-Sun you are diving in a pool. Then the next Sat-Sun you're diving in a quarry." That blew my mind!!! I'm gonna be a certified diver within 2 weeks!!! They also got me some fins, mask, and snorkel. I have a tank that i bought with my paintball package, it needs a surface check, but the hydro date is still good for a couple more years. I'm really excited!! I can't wait!
Wish me luck!!!

[oceanjunkie]

sweet dude
enjoy yourself!

[kanankeban]

Centrek,
Hey, Congrats...You'll enjoy it...Dive Safe...

[spinner]

hay guys im from australia and can say the diving hear is just the best you will have a great time diving when you finish your course and actually start to do alot of it

[Centrek]

Whelp, i'm done for now. I had to read the whole book 250pg this last week. Friday night i had a lecture over the first 2 chapters. Saturday morning I had a lecture over chapters 3-4, then we had a break and met at the pool for our introduction. We swam 300meters and then had to tread water for 10mins. It really wasn't bad at all!! It was so much fun putting on the scuba equipment!!! Today we went to the pool again for the rest of our confined water dive and then went back to the dive shop to take the Final. out of 50 i got 48. I knew all of the answers, but one of them i got wrong because i which sign the picture was supposed to be representing, Out of Air and Level Off were the two choices for me. I knew it was one of them, but just the way the drawing was, it was hard for me to tell which for sure, so i guessed the wrong one :( The other one was about the nitrogen narcosis, and having to ascend a bit to relieve yourself of it. And well, i had the right answer, but noticed that 3-4 questions back i had gotten my numbering off, so when i adjusted my answers, i made a mistake and marked the wrong one. So that really bummed me out, i know all 50, but made a couple mistakes which cost me 2 points. Oh well, i'll double check next time i guess.
I love diving, these 2 confined water dives were awesome!! Some of the most fun i've ever had! Next weekend we're going to a quarry for our 4 open water dives, 2 each day, Sat and Sun, and then after those, i guess i'll be an PADI Open Water Certified Diver!! :) Then the next week they're having the Advanced OW course, so i'm really thinking about jumping in on that too!! It's just soo much fun, can't get enough!!! My eyes ache from the Chlorine in the pool right now, but i want to go in more anyways :)
Thanks all for welcoming and encouraging me, i'm really excited to join you all in the scuba hobby.
Spinner: Where in AU are you from?? I think the College that i have to go to is Edith Cowan or something like that, near Perth. I dont' know how often i'll get to travel around AU, but i'm there for 4-5mo, so i should have enough time....or maybe after i do it there, that many months won't be enough afterall!! lol
wish me luck next week so i don't choke on too much water :)

[spinner]

hay centrek im actually in perth and there is some great diving here we do aolot of night diving and day diving you will get time to do quite abit of water time what months are you coming here to study

[Centrek]

ohh man, that's awesome!!!
i'm hoping to go on to get my AOW cert in about 2 weeks, they're holding a class, so if funds permit then, i'll be sure to do it!
as for the months i'll be coming, i'm not too sure. I emailed the guy that is in charge of the study abroad programs....i just tried to check my webmail from school, but it seems the server is down, figures.....anyways, i think it is from beginning of September - early December or late November. Course, it could also be offered January through July. I'm not 100%, but i'd bet its the first one.

[spinner]

centrek
anytime of the year hear you can get some sort of diving in it doesnt really matter if its raining your going to get wet anyway and we are going into our summer so the weather is getting better everyday if you want to send me an email and i can organise some dives for you