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We may dream about going to the beach, but many of us are guilty of gluing our booty to the couch and stalking other women living it up on Instagram. But instead of drooling over their adventure-filled feed, why not dive right into the fun by trying out scuba diving? Trade in your legs and channel your inner mermaid to become part of that world.
PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, breaks down scuba certification into three foolproof phases. Depending on your summer schedule, you may be able to score your certification as soon as three days. Join the aquatic #WomenThatDo and learn to scuba. There is even a Women’s Dive Day every July!
If you’re looking to dip into the summer fun, here are three steps to get your scuba on.
Okay, so you can’t jump in right away. Before you hit the water, grab your laptop and equip yourself with some scuba tips and trends. Learn the basics so you don’t look basic underwater for the first time. PADI has various programs to help you get certified as soon as possible! Visit their page to see what works for you.
If it will make you feel more comfortable, you can even go online to get the information about the skills you will need to learn in the classes. For instance, divers should know how to complete the pre-dive safety check to ensure that their equipment is properly assembled. They must also know how to properly descend into the water, ascend to the surface, clear their masks when needed and perform any emergency actions. While it is uncommon for divers to lose their regulator underwater, it is a possibility for which they need to prepare.
Time to try out those skills! After you ace your scuba course, put on your mask, snorkel and fins for your first confined water dive. According to PADI, this is when you develop basic scuba skills in a pool or confined body of water. Think of these as practice tests with an expert tutor. You will learn how to become familiar with your scuba gear and “become an underwater explorer.”
Some of the essential skills that you will learn include setting up your scuba gear, getting the water out of your mask, navigating underwater and other safety procedures. You’ll be amazed by how much you’ve grown after your first few practice sessions!
And if you need some motivation, here it is: Learn the 411 on scuba skills so you don’t have to call 911 out on the water — cell reception sucks away from shore.
Finally, your first official dive! Your scuba teacher will take you on field trips to the big, wide ocean to finish up that scuba degree. Open water dives dip your toes into the real-world scuba experience, kind of like an aquatic internship.
According to PADI, this is the time to explore the underwater world and “apply the skills you learned in confined water while enjoying what the local environment has to offer.”
After four successful dives, you’ll graduate scuba school with invisible flippers and summer plans. Have fun, Ariel.
