Open Water Scuba Diver

Beginning Age All new scuba divers are held to the same standard.  Open water Scuba Diver Certifications start at 15 years of age.  Junior Open Water Divers are age 12 to 14 years.  A Junior open water diver may need a parent or guardian to be present during training.   A pre-course interview  with the parent […]

Depending on the location, fresh water or the ocean, you have the chance to interact with all those critters that live in the waters below or around us. You might not want to interact with a great white shark, but you certainly will want to spend time with a bluegill in a quarry back home

One risk that should be considered when making breath-hold excursions below the surface is what has often been termed “shallow water blackout.” A better term is “hyperventilation induced blackout.” This can occur when a diver takes several deep breaths in rapid succession or “hyperventilates” before submerging thinking that this will extend the time he can

Many snorkelers use a small personal floatation device called a snorkeling vest that can be inflated for personal flotation and safety. These vests come in many styles and provide some amount of flotation especially for those divers who are not totally comfortable in the water. The additional safety would be useful in water that has

Just before descending you should always put just a bit of pressure in your ears so you keep ahead of the ear-clearing effort. Failure to clear your ears when going more than a few feet underwater can result in damage to your ears. There are several methods. Holding your nose through the nose pocket in

Two basic methods of going from the surface to depth on a skin dive are head-first and feet-first. Many instructors have other names for these: Pike, Tuck, etc., but let’s keep it simple. Both of these involve putting a portion of the body above the water’s surface allowing the weight that is up in the

Fins help propel you through the water with ease and eliminate the need for using hands. While using fins, allow your hands to hang at your side or another comfortable position. Trying to use your hands as well as your fins is harder work and very inefficient. Learn to rely on your fins for your

Using a snorkel allows the diver to see below the surface while breathing air from the surface without having to raise the head for each breath. Most modern snorkels are designed to attach to the mask strap on the diver’s left side. Historically many instructors have taught to only mount the snorkel on the left

It is common for mask lens to fog. Before you use the new mask, the inside of the lens needs to be thoroughly cleaned. A small amount of regular toothpaste works well as a cleaning agent prior to use. Commercial mask cleaner solutions are available at your dive center. Prior to each use, you should