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What do you see down there?
The short answer is it depends on where you're diving. In the South Pacific Ocean, you see lots of bright colorful fish and coral. The same is true for the Caribbean and other warm water areas. In cold water areas, you see plenty of fish, but they aren't as colorful. At the same time, in cold water areas, you get to swim through beautiful kelp forests. There is also great freshwater diving in lakes, streams, rock quarries and springs. Each dive site has its own attractions. Even if you don't live close to the ocean, diving is great fun.
What's it like?
Diving is as close to being in space as you will ever get without going there.
- You are in a different world and have to learn special skills to get there.
- You will see things that are completely different from anything you've ever seen before.
Diving is exciting, thrilling, calming and relaxing all at the same time. It is a great chance to commune with nature and explore your own limits. When you're underwater, you feel weightless - you're in what's called microgravity - and you can imagine yourself flying like a superhero as you swim over the reef or down a rock quarry wall. There is nowhere else you can get that feeling.
Is it dark?
Water and the things in it absorb light. The deeper you go, the darker it gets. In some places, however, where the water is very clear, you won't notice any difference at 100 feet from what you could see at the surface. Places where the water isn't as clear, the water gets dark quicker. On the other hand, there is a lot to see at most dive locations shallower than 35 feet so there's very little reason to dive deep.
Is it cold?
Water transfers heat away from your body quicker than air, so you can get cold in relatively warm water. That's why divers wear wetsuits. Wetsuits and other thermal protection acts as an insulator to slow down that natural heat loss. If you are properly prepared for the dive, you won't get cold.
Diving's lonely isn't it?
Some people think that just because you can't talk to your buddy while you're underwater, it's lonely. Nothing could be further from the truth. Diving is a social sport. Half the fun is spent discussing what you saw on the boat or shore between dives. Divers love to talk about their sport. Also, you'll be surprised how much you can communicate with your dive buddy underwater with a few hand signals, by pointing and by scribbling a message on a dive slate.
Will I get eaten by a shark?
Sharks are relatively rare creatures. Your odds of even seeing one are low. The odds of you being attacked by one are incredibly small. A few sharks can pose a threat to humans, but generally, they know you're not food and really don't want anything to do with you. After gaining a little experience, most divers look forward to the opportunity to see a shark in the wild. If you do see one, slowly settle down to the bottom and watch the shark, or slowly swim back to the boat.
Is it dangerous?
There are some risks to diving. You need to prepare yourself to handle the emergencies that come up. That preparation, along with following responsible dive practices, will generally minimize your danger.
What do you need to dive?
There are several pieces of equipment you need to learn to dive. Most of it feels very awkward at first, especially out of the water. In general, you'll need a mask, a snorkel and dive fins. You'll also need a buoyancy compensation device, a regulator, a tank, a weight belt and exposure protection (wetsuit). Generally, your instructor will require to buy your own mask, snorkel and fins. This allows you to get the basic equipment you need for the class and make sure it fits you personally every time. There is nothing worse than having a mask that doesn't fit properly. Usually, your dive instructor will supply the rest of the equipment you need for the course; many include the rental of this equipment in the cost of certification. Once you've completed your course, you can continue to rent your dive equipment, but most divers begin investing in personal equipment. You'll be more comfortable wearing your own equipment each time you go diving.
How long does it take to learn?
The typical dive course takes four or five weeks. You'll have four or five classroom/pool training meetings (usually once a week) and then you'll have to make four dives for certification. Many dive instructors are exploring ways to make dive training more convenient for their student. They are offering compressed schedules and special class times. Check with your local instructor to see when they have classes and which ones are best for you.
How can I find an instructor?
DAN has a list of dive operations that support DAN and dive safety.
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