How Do You Become A Certified Scuba Diver?
TV shows like “Sea Hunt” and “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” gave American audiences their first taste of the beauty and excitement that lay beneath the seas. Then, as now, learning to scuba dive gave entry into that new world of adventure and discovery. The word scuba is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus and refers to the equipment which allows properly trained scuba divers to safely explore the underwater environment. At the heart of a scuba diver’s training is learning how this equipment works and the procedures and techniques for its safe use in a course of study that leads to certification. Scuba training is done by instructors who are themselves trained and certified to conduct courses for beginning divers by one of more than a dozen organizations known as training agencies*. With a couple of nonprofit exceptions, scuba training agencies are for-profit companies that design and publish training manuals and materials, promulgate training standar
• Qualify by age. You must be at least 12 years old to begin scuba diver training although those younger than 12 may be able to participate in restricted, junior diver, training programs sponsored by certain training agencies. • See if you’re fit for diving. Scuba diving is an active sport that requires a reasonable level of good health and physical fitness. Potential divers can help determine if they are fit for training and participation in the sport by reviewing a simple questionnaire that can be downloaded from the World Recreational Scuba Training Council web site (see below). The WRSTC guidelines will serve to familiarize you and, possibly your doctor, with the medical issues involved in scuba diving and help you to make an intelligent dicision. • Find someone to teach you. Locate a scuba instructor either through a referral from a friend or associate, an advertisement or through a local dive store. You should try to find one that is both well qualified (number of years diving an
