PADI....

SCUBA DIVING:

Learning to Dive is Easy

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 and I think everyone else should join me.

If I can dive, anyone can dive. It's a simple sport to learn and something that can be pursued for life. Just dive right in.

Scuba diving is one of the fastest-growing outdoor sports in the world. Continuing interest in the understanding and preservation of outdoors resources has made many people want to learn to dive. Last year, more than a half million people became new certified scuba divers through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the largest certifying agency in the world. That makes more than 5 million PADI-certified divers worldwide.

"Scuba diving has become one of the most popular ways to enjoy the outdoors," John J. Cronin, Chief Executive Officer of PADI. "We are seeing incredible interest in learning to dive."

DIVING IN

My interest in the outdoors, sports, and the sea recently culminated in earning my "C-card" with PADI, the certification card for open water divers. A piece of plastic from them means you can rent or buy scuba equipment, obtain air for tanks, and participate in other exciting diving activities throughout the world. I'll never leave home without it.

The certification process is interesting and easy. It is divided into three parts and takes a total of about thirty hours: classroom (using a book and visual aids), pool (confined water), 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 over many weeks or packed into a few days at a sunny vacation scuba school.

The basics of scuba diving are surprisingly simple. In scuba (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), 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 which 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.

A mask is the window to the underwater world, creating an air space that allows divers to see. Fins allow you to move through the water with far less effort and far greater efficiency.

The classroom time demystifies much of the stuff that tends to scare people about diving. You learn that diving is far less risky than skiing and that sunburn, and not a shark, is usually the greatest danger facing divers.

By the end of our first class, everyone was ready to hit the pool. Breathing underwater for the first time is liberating and the first time in the pool is fun. By our second pool dive, we looked like the Cousteau family exploring the water for underwater treasure.

The open water dives are usually completed at a popular local dive site or at some exotic diving location, where all scuba skills are reviewed and tested. After passing a final written exam, you, too, can become an underwater god.

JUST DO IT

There are three general ways of getting certified. Everything can be completed locally through a dive shop. The second popular method is to do the classroom and pool sessions locally and then complete the open water part during a warm-weather vacation. The third option is to complete the entire certification process on vacation.

The expense of getting certified can range from $150 to about $400. The cost for the basic equipment is similar to getting outfitted for skiing. I think it's a bargain.

Getting certified has changed my life. It was a way to enjoy a part of the outdoors world that few get to experience. I got my C-card and so should you.

RESOURCES

The top certifying body is PADI. Contact PADI at 1251 East Dyer Rd., #100, Santa Ana, CA 92705, 714/540-7234.

Ask PADI or check the Yellow Pages for the dive shop nearest you. They can give you the schedule of upcoming certification classes or make recommendations for getting certified locally or at some sunny scuba diving destination.