Do you feel like diving into the underwater world? Open Water Diver Certification is a keyhole on the new adventure dimension. The Open Water Diver certification is widely recognized as an introductory course for someone who wants to learn how to scuba dive with confidence. This inclusive guide will walk you through everything from requirements and what happens during the course to gear needed after the certification, making you fully prepared for your journey towards becoming an open water diver.
What Is An Open Water Certification?
Open water diver certification represents a path to explore and discover underwater life and scenery. It ranks globally as the most sought-after certification in scuba diving allowing divers to go down up to 60 feet (18 meters). The open water diver certification is acknowledged and respected by dive shops and operators worldwide, thus demonstrating your competence in diving safety.
This license instead opens doors among a vast network of marine enthusiasts willing to share their experiences. It’s not simply permission to embark but also, it’s an opportunity of joining lively society of sea travelers.
Moreover, obtaining this certificate will pave way for further learning about diving. It serves as a prerequisite for several advanced scuba courses that offer specialized diving adventures which are plenty around the globe. From wreck exploration, underwater photography or deep diving enticements, open water diver certification becomes crucial first step toward any of these interests.
Remarkably, this extensive qualification takes just 3 days! By combining classroom work, pool training exercises, and actual dives within open waters; you get all necessary knowledge base and master skills allowing quick navigating undersea depths without any hitch! This is an adventure investment guaranteeing unforgettable experiences throughout one’s lifetime below sea level.
Prerequisites
However, before one enrolls for this course there are several pre-requisites that must be met prior registration. These have been established so that physically fit individuals who are mentally ready can undertake this type of training.
Firstly, you must be at least ten years of age in order to participate in the Open Water Diver Course. This is so because scuba diving requires a degree of maturity and responsibility. It demands such things as your understanding and compliance to safety guidelines as well as your physical capabilities.
Secondly, you should be physically and mentally fit. This implies that if there are any health conditions that may hinder you from taking part in the sport of scuba diving then it would mean that such persons are not qualified to engage in the activity. A medical questionnaire has to be filled out by you and maybe even a visit to a doctor for a complete check-up before commencing with classes.
Thirdly, a person should be able to swim which does not imply being an Olympic swimmer although someone should feel comfortable swimming in deep waters. For instance, during the pool training section of this course students will have to prove their ability to swim underwater.
Finally, there is a written exam to clear. In order to be safe when diving, this test will cover the basic knowledge you must have. You need to prepare for it though it is not overly hard.
After meeting all these conditions, you can now take up Open Water Diver course. It teaches people everything they should know about diving safely and enjoying the wonders of underwater world.
What organizations offer this certification?
Some of the organizations that offer Open Water Diver certification are:
- Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
- Scuba Schools International (SSI)
- National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
- World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC)
- British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC)
- Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS)
- Global Underwater Explorers (GUE)
What to expect during the course
The Open Water Diver course takes just three days yet it’s designed as a comprehensive program that initially starts with a complete beginner and results into being certified as a diver. This period offers every detail that one requires about scuba diving from safety features as well as basics on how one should carry out a dive plan. Its components are classroom instruction, pool training and open water dives.
Classroom instruction:
During theoretical classes in the classroom section of the course you will acquire information required for your safe and skilled actions in water. All would be covered like dive planning equipment physiology physics. You will also learn using dive tables and computers.
Pool training:
In pool training session of this course, actualization of knowledge acquired in class takes place here. It involves things like setting up gear, entering water body and exiting swimming while wearing one’s scuba gears plus engaging in other normal diving acts apart from floating such as mask cleaning buoyancy control or regulator retrieval.
Open water dives:
Here you apply everything learnt before and get down to the open sea for diving. The trainer will be always there for you, but gradually you will learn to dive at greater depths and further from shore.
At the end, you are able to dive safely and with confidence up to a maximum depth of 18 meters (60 feet). You will receive certification by Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) that allows you to dive anywhere in the world.
Gear requirements
This section focuses on what equipment you must possess in order to qualify as an Open Water Diver. The main ones include wetsuit or drysuit, mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy compensator device (BCD), regulator and dive computer.
A wetsuit or drysuit keeps your body warm during diving activities. Based on whether it is cold or warm water area where one can undertake his/her dive determines type of suit that he/she should choose. Mask helps you see clearly under water. Snorkel enables one breathe only through his mouth while inside the water surface. Fins allow one to swim in water by using strong kicks.
A BCD is a vest which helps control buoyancy when underwater while diving. Regulator does regulate amount of air flowing from scuba tank into lungs of diver. Dive computer is what records how deep down one has gone, time spent at that level as well as remaining air pressures in a tank.
You may also want to purchase other items such as a dive light, dive knife, and dive bag. You will be able to see in the dark or murky waters if you use a diving torch. In case of emergency, a diver’s knife can be used for cutting fishing lines or ropes. Also, a diver uses a bag to keep their personal effects.
The cost of scuba diving gear may change due to different brands and quality of the equipment. A complete set of gears can require you to spend several hundred dollars. Nevertheless, it is important not forgetting that scuba diving is safe sporting activity that should be enjoyed at all times thus being worth ones investment.
Post-certification: What next?
After having successfully achieved your Open Water Diver certification, what should you do next? Here are some ideas:
Keep on diving so that you gain experience and improve your skills. Regular practice makes perfect in anything including diving. Try to dive at least once every month so as not only maintain your skill level but also improve on buoyancy control; navigation and other necessary skills for underwater mobility like using an Arab part (Kumar 1). You may also take continuing education courses like deep diving course-which enables one learn wreck-diving techniques among others.
Take specialty courses. There are various courses related to specific areas of interest in scuba diving where one has his or her heart set on.This includes search & rescue/ underwater photography/marine science/research courses etc. Students taking these specialty courses gain more knowledge about various aspects in the field hence enjoying more during dives.
Get involved in the diving community. The world of scuba divers offers many opportunities for engagement and networks with others who share your passion for the underwater realm. For example, there are local clubs where members meet frequently for outings besides doing voluntary work towards conserving water bodies meant specifically for divers. Therefore by joining such organizations one gets chance meet new people interested in snorkeling; the seasoned ones from whom you may acquire tips on how to survive under water and remain informed of all developments in the field.
Become a dive professional. If you have a strong passion for scuba diving, there are numerous career opportunities available such as becoming a dive instructor, divemaster or even owning your own dive shop. Becoming a diving professional is very fulfilling since you can share your experience with other individuals and earn an income.
Travel to new dive destinations. One of the best experiences about scuba diving is that it opens doors to travel amazing places around the world which one would not have visited otherwise. In different parts of this globe, there are numerous breathtaking sites that will blow your mind away under water.
Whether you are interested in exploring coral reefs, shipwrecks or underwater caves, there’s definitely a place for you to go and explore through diving.
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