One of the fastest-growing forms of tourism is dive tourism. Some of the most secluded places in the world are harboring the greatest dive spots. People are increasingly traveling out of their way just to go diving somewhere special. You can travel to a lake in Palau and dive there to swim amongst endless jellyfish. You can travel to a deep ocean trench in Iceland to see the clearest waters available. There are incredible sights for scuba tourists to avail of around the world. If you are interested in taking up scuba diving, read on.
Scuba diving can appear a little intimidating at first. As someone who has a lot of hobbies already, I shudder at the idea of putting more equipment in my shed. Especially if I am putting more equipment in my shed for a hobby that I can’t do anywhere near my home. Scuba diving has always appealed to me but as I would need to travel great distances and have all this extra equipment, I have always avoided it, until recently.
When I was speaking to a friend who scuba dives recently, I shared my reservations. She told me how silly I was being. I was missing out on some of the most incredible beauty the world has to offer simply because I hadn’t done enough research. As someone who does research for a living, I was a little embarrassed.
For your first dive, things couldn’t be easier. You can go on holiday and most places will have packages available for those who have never dived before. It is worth looking into these packages before you go as if it is your first time you won’t be able to go as deep as independent experienced divers and if the reason you went to that country is to see an ancient shipwreck, you should be sure you are able to go deep enough without any experience. Once you have chosen a place for your first dive, just go and enjoy it. These companies will worry about everything for you, so you can relax.
After that first dive, you have some choices to make. If you loved it, which you will, then you need to get some scuba diving lessons. You need to get a license that allows you to scuba dive on your own. This will bring down the cost of diving greatly and allow you to really explore the bottom of the ocean. The good news is, you still don’t need to buy a lot of gear. Most people that are learning to dive will buy their own mask, own snorkel, and their own flippers for comfort and hygiene reasons. For your first lessons, this is all you will need. As the lessons progress you will need air tanks, inflatable vests, wetsuits, and more but these will be provided by your school and often provided by a local dive agency anywhere you visit. These won’t be purchases that you need to make for a very long time.
Now that we have removed the cost from the equation, the only thing left is physique. Scuba divers are often in incredible shape, but you don’t need to be. You should be able to swim before embarking on your scuba dive hobby but other than a general level of fitness is advised.
The most important thing when you decide to try scuba diving for the first time is not to panic. Most people get scared when they are underwater for longer than they have ever been before. It is a strange feeling. Yet as long as you don’t panic you are perfectly safe. The key is to breathe normally and enjoy the different side of life that you are lucky enough to witness.
