As a couple who loves to travel and experience new adventures, scuba diving really seemed like a good fit for us. And it totally is! Now that we are scuba certified, we talk to lots of people who are so intrigued by our diving experiences but are hesitant to try it for themselves. We’ve also run into several people on dives who do “resort diving”, a more supervised type of dive for people who don’t have their scuba certification. So to all those people out there curious about scuba diving, we’ve put together the best reasons for getting your scuba certification to help you to decide if you want to pursue this next great adventure.
Learn Something New
There’s actually a lot to learn about diving. From physiology of your body, to the physics of buoyancy, the skills you learn when getting your scuba diving certification will teach you something new. Then, you’ll get to learn about the ecosystems of the places you go diving. We’ve learned so much about the animals of the underwater world. Like how coral grows, how shipwreck decay and how to call a shark to you. We’ve also learned about things we can do to protect the underwater ecosystems, like wearing reef safe sunscreen and watching out for invasive aquatic species.
Face Your Fears
When we talk to people about diving, we hear “isn’t it scary?” a lot. And sure there are some dives we’ve been scared on (like night dives in absolute blackness). However, the scuba diving part of the adventures we’ve been on have never been scary. And that’s because we were properly trained. So if you’re scared of the water, scared of the sharks in the water, or just scared to try something unfamiliar, I truly believe that your scuba certification will help you conquer those fears. Your scuba certification will give you the proper education and training to help you feel more comfortable in these underwater worlds.
Have an Adventure
Once you have your scuba certification and feel comfortable diving, it’s just plain fun! It’s such an adventure and there are so many different types of dives to do it will really add an extra dimension to any of your travel plans. We’d especially recommend getting certified for people (like us) who love going to warm water destinations but get bored sitting on the beach.
See Something Amazing
70% of the world is covered in water! That’s a lot of world you can’t explore… Unless you get your scuba certification! And there are so many types of scuba certifications that you can get to help you explore all types of amazing underwater habitats. Basic scuba certifications (like the open water PADI certification that we have) will let you explore habitats in shallow warm open water. However, you can also get certifications for diving into shipwrecks, for diving in cold water, and for diving into deeper depths. Whatever you want to see, there’s a scuba certification and a dive site for that!
Explore a Different World
As a travel blogger, we’re constantly asked, how many countries or states have we been to. However, no one ever asks us how many oceans, reefs or seas we’ve visited. And let me tell you, you can cross a political border and barely notice it. But when you jump into the water, you truly have entered a different world. And with the price of space travel being what it is and the fact that it looks pretty boring in space, I’d much rather go on a dive than visit a literal different world.
When you’re diving, not only are you seeing environments that are total different from what you’ll experience in the open air, but your body also experiences changes. When you’re diving, your buoyancy changes at different depths. As you get your scuba certification, you learn to control this buoyancy and you’ll experience the most amazing feeling of floating. It’s what I imagine being in outer space feels like.
See Amazing Animals
Pretty much everything on my bucket list has to do with seeing some amazing animal in their natural habitat. And once you have your scuba certification, those amazing animals you have access to really opens up. We’ve attracted a swarm of bass (accidentally), we’ve seen fish the size of cars, we’ve swam with sharks and we’ve spotted the elusive cuttlefish. All of which we couldn’t have experienced without our scuba certification.
Increase Your Body Awareness
During your scuba certification, you learn a lot about your body and how to control your body to influence your dive. You learn how to adjust your breathing in order to control your buoyancy. Also, you learn how your body feels different (and why) in salt water and fresh water. Then, you learn how to move in the water with minimal effort. You just learn so much about your body, that after several dives these skills will become natural to you. This self awareness is something that you carry with you even when you are not scuba diving.
Get Outdoors
Do you love to peace and quiet of nature? Then you’ll really love the peace and quiet of the underwater world. The gentle hum of the water in your ears and the rhythm of your own breathing is so relaxing and calm.
It’s a Good Value
Once you get your scuba certification, where will you actually be able to dive? Everywhere! We recommend getting PADI scuba certified as it seems to be the most widely accepted certification. However, what you learn underwater in one country translates perfectly to being underwater in another country. It also doesn’t expire! You’ll have it for life. Though if you haven’t been diving in more than a year, you should do a refresher course.
Be Part of A Community
People who scuba dive love to talk to other people who love to scuba dive. This diving community is a great way to make friends, trade travel tips and more! Dive shops will often organize dive tours and this is a great way to see something new while meeting new people. And we’re just stereotyping here – but the divers we’ve met around the world are amazing people who are so helpful and friendly.
So if we’ve convinced you of the majesty and wonder you’ll experience joining this community of scuba divers, check out our post on our recommendations for getting scuba certified here!
