Outdoor Travel & Photography

DEEP FLOAT:

LEARNING TO DIVE

If you want to shoot underwater, you have to go underwater. To do that, you have to become a certified scuba diver.

Just call me Jacques, as in Cousteau. I'm now one with the water. I'm now an underwater god. I'm now a certified scuba diver.

Business and pleasure have often taken me to many seas and many islands. This has led to many great pictures on land, but I was unable to shoot anything below sea level. Thus, the desire to dive.

This desire culminated in earning my "C-card," the certification card for open water divers. The two largest certifying organizations are the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). A piece of plastic from them or another major certifying agency means you can rent or buy scuba equipment, obtain air for tanks, and participate in other exciting diving activities throughout the world. I never leave home without it (or my cameras).

The basics of scuba diving are surprisingly simple. Divers use specialized modern equipment that adapts to the aquatic environment. Scuba equipment provides a portable air supply that allows divers to spend an extended time underwater (from a few minutes to several hours, depending on factors like depth and breathing efficiency).

The tank is a high-pressure cylinder that stores plain old compressed air--never oxygen--that is released with a valve. This passes through a regulator to deliver a controlled amount of air when you inhale. A gauge lets you monitor the air supply.

The tank and regulator are typically held in place by a buoyancy control device (BCD), an expandable bladder that can be inflated or deflated to control a diver's buoyancy. The mask is the window to the underwater world, creating an air space which allows divers to see. A snorkel is attached to the mask and allows divers to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads. Fins allow you to move through the water with far less effort and far greater efficiency. A weight belt is also worn to allow you to sink.

The certification process is interesting and easy. It is divided into three parts, stretched over approximately thirty hours: classroom instruction (using a book and visual aids), pool practice, and open water instruction. The classroom and pool sessions generally take place at the same time, while the open water dives (at least four of them) serve as the final test. The entire process can be completed locally over many weeks or packed into a few days at scuba schools in exotic locations.

The only thing you need to jump right in is good health, desire, and a reasonable comfort level with water. The pool sessions even turn out to be fun, as you learn new skills and develop confidence in your abilities underwater.

The open water dives are when all basic scuba skills are reviewed and tested. After passing a final written exam, you, too, can become an underwater god.

There are three general ways of getting certified. Everything can be completed nearby through a local dive shop. Another method is to complete the classroom and pool sessions locally and then complete the open water dives on a warm-weather vacation. Or you can do everything at a vacation scuba school (I got certified on Grand Cayman).

I must admit to some sticker shock when I purchased the bare necessities for learning to dive, but the experiences and picture possibilities are well worth the price. Basic equipment will run $200 to $300, while a certification course should cost $150 to $400. Rental gear (including photographic equipment) is generally available.

Becoming a certified diver was a way to enjoy and shoot a part of this world that few get to experience. I got my C-card and so should you. It's the first step in getting super shots underwater.