Scuba Diving 101

Featured, Hobbies & Leisure, Sports & Recreation, Travel — By 88DB Knowledge on March 16, 2012 11:50 am

By Samantha David

So you’re keen on becoming a certified scuba diver? Good for you! You’ll be exploring a whole new world down below, much of which many of us know so little about. But before you take the plunge into your Open Water Diver (OWD) course, let’s clear some of those misconceptions and questions you might have.

I’m no Michael Phelps in the water, so I can’t dive.
Many think that one needs to be an expert swimmer in order to become a scuba diver. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the activity and increasingly, it’s becoming the reason why people don’t take up scuba diving in the first place.

The truth of the matter is, as long as you can get from Point A to Point B in the water (feet off the ground of course), you’re safe. The real purpose of the swimming test of your OWD course is to test and build your water confidence, not to see whose butterfly stroke is the best or who’s faster than Michael Phelps.

What about… *gulp*… sharks?
Most of us were once traumatised by the movie Jaws, but in all honesty not only are these majestic creatures highly misunderstood, they are also pretty darn hard to spot underwater!

Photo credit: Jonathan Lin

More often than not, they do not attack unless provoked and actually shy away from scuba divers. Some seasoned divers who’ve been diving for over 10 years have never ever seen a great white underwater before – and they count themselves unlucky – so what do you think your chances are?

Getting certified is a long and slow process and I don’t have the time.
You’d think so, but it is entirely possible to get certified within one week, two tops. Most OWD courses consist of one theory session as an introduction to scuba diving, one pool session to cover basic scuba skills and get you acquainted with gear and equipment, and one weekend trip to a nearby island for a taste of the real thing. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to be living anywhere near the sea you’d practically be learning how to dive in your own backyard – which makes it that much easier!

Will I be expected to dive insanely deep depths?
Straight up, the answer is “no”. You will not reach depths of more than 18 metres during your OWD course.

Photo credit: Jonathan Lin

I wear contacts and glasses, so can I still dive?
Yes, you can.

For those who wear contacts, just note that it may sting a little when salt water comes into contact with your eyes, especially when clearing your diving mask (a method of defogging). If unfortunately, your lens falls out at some point in time, decide if you want to carry on with the dive. If not, abort the dive and slowly ascend to the surface with your dive buddy in a calm manner. You should carry an extra pair of lenses and leave it on the dive boat so you can feel as good as new when you surface and get back on the boat.

If you wear glasses, you can consider getting a diving mask (commonly mis-termed “goggles”) with prescription lenses. Yes, you read right: you can specially customise the lens of your diving mask as you would with a pair of spectacles. Pretty nifty, huh?

Pfft! I’ll just dive without an official certification – who’s going to find out anyway?
The Dive Police may not exist, but know that the dangers of scuba diving are very real. Especially if you’re not familiar with the possible hazards and risks you face when you don’t follow the rules and go against safe diving practices. Also, dive centres will not allow you to dive if you don’t have a C-Card (stands for Certification Card) on hand.

Some of you may be familiar with the term “Discover Scuba” and may think that completing this course is enough to grant you allowance to dive the open sea, which brings me to my next point…

Photo credit: Jonathan Lin

What’s the difference between Discover Scuba and the OWD course?
Note that these two courses are completely different. Discover Scuba (or sometimes, Discovery Scuba) is somewhat like a trial and gives you a “sneak peek” of what to expect during your OWD course. The Discover Scuba programme can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days, and some certifying agencies consider this as partial completion of the OWD course. Enquire with your dive instructor to find out more as the terms, conditions and prerequisites can vary greatly from agency to agency.

Scuba diving seems expensive; I can’t afford to buy my own gear and equipment.
While it is true that diving is not exactly a cheap hobby, there’s always the option of gear and equipment rental for newbies, especially if you’ve yet to make the decision of taking the activity seriously. Take your time with the learning process. Go for more dive trips, and consider any purchase you make on gear and equipment afterwards to be an investment.

So, now that we’ve cleared most of your questions and misconceptions, fear and be confused no more! Take that giant stride into the mysterious deep blue; it’s the next best thing to being on the moon, and you won’t regret it.

The Need-to-Know Essentials

Average price range for an OWD course:
$500–$600; usually inclusive of transport fees (e.g. bus transfers, ferry transfers), accommodation, food, and dive equipment & gear rental

Some dive centres in Singapore:

Orpheus Dive
Gill Divers
Deep Blue Scuba
The Submersibles