I have been a diver for almost 20 years and a diving instructor for more than 5 years. Still, it amazes me to hear some of the myths about why people don’t want to dive. Some of the more common myths include: diving is too difficult; there is nowhere around here to go diving; scuba gear is too expensive; or my favorite is that diving is too extreme or dangerous.
Let’s start with the last one, diving is either too extreme for the common person or dangerous. First, we have to understand that being human has inherent risks that we cannot control (as a current commercial says, “It could be other humans”). Yes, diving does have some inherent risks. If you are properly trained and follow the safety protocols that are prescribed by almost all certifying agencies (ie PADI, NAUI, SSI), your chances of injury are dramatically reduced. We still believe that your instructor is the main influence factor for your future safety. IF they are bad, chances are your experience will be bad too (keep in mind that if you had a bad experience with an instructor, don’t stop diving, find another professional to dive with).
As far as being an extreme sport, I haven’t seen diving sponsored by Mountain Dew or advertised at X Games, so it can’t be that extreme! Humor aside, the reason scuba diving received the reputation of being an extreme sport was because the original scuba gear did not promote a feeling of being comfortable and confident in the water. I know this because I started diving with much of this equipment. Looking back, if I had to choose diving over another activity, I would have gone with the other activities. Those days that are long in the rearview mirror, scuba gear has lent itself to make you safer in the water, more comfortable in the water, and therefore safer in the water. Properly set up equipment will do wonders for your skills. That scuba gear takes away the extreme nature of diving.
So is the cost of your scuba gear too much? Remember what I just said, the right equipment does wonders for your ability to dive with confidence and comfort. That being said, if you’re looking to kit yourself out completely, a full kit of scuba gear; It could cost anywhere from $500 to holy chickpeas! Scuba gear should be considered lifesaving gear, so cheap isn’t always the answer here. What you plan to do with your diving adventures is what you should base your purchasing decisions on. Your dive locations are going to influence what you should buy more than the cost. This is where you need to trust a professional to guide you through your buying process. They should be knowledgeable and willing to listen to you about what you are looking to do with your diving, and then help you make the right equipment decisions.
Remember, you don’t have to buy everything at once. You can buy items here and there as money becomes available. Otherwise, you will rent the required equipment until you reach the point of purchase. No matter where you live, you’ll probably find a dive shop to help you make those decisions.
So if there are dive shops almost anywhere, does that mean you can dive almost anywhere? Because if you can. I’ll tell you a little known fact: the founders of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) were originally from the Chicago area. If they could find a way to go diving there, you can probably dive where you are too. You don’t have to live less than an hour from the Florida Keys or the Gulf of Mexico. Or, you don’t have to live less than an hour from the Catalina Islands in California. While those locations lend themselves to the scuba lifestyle, you can dive in the Great Lakes or even in lakes close to home. There are quarries spread across the country that dive shops use to certify people. Along with that, there are several lakes that also lend themselves to diving. I live in the Midwest, just outside of Chicago, in Northwest Indiana. Weather permitting, I can be diving wrecks within an hour or two of my home.
So if you want to know where the locals dive, go to the dive shop and find out where they dive. You are most likely within the local area. If they really want you to dive then they will offer trips to other places to dive. Doesn’t that sound easy enough?
So we haven’t talked about diving being too difficult yet. Refer to the previous conversation about equipment and perception. Diving just got easier. With any certifying body, we are asking what your current health status is. If there is any doubt, we have a doctor who will give you the go-ahead for your ability to dive. If they clear it, then we’re good to have fun and start exploring. There is a physical aspect to diving, of that there is no doubt. I try to reduce that stress as much as possible. On the other hand, there is also a mental aspect to diving. More people obsess over the mental side than the physical side.
Face it, when you get in the water, put the regulator in your mouth and slide under the waves, you take a step back on the evolutionary chain. Once you relax and realize that you have a full tank of air, everything becomes easier. We are going to have you do water skills to overcome common problems. While you may not like the skills, if you follow what the instructor teaches, that too becomes easier and more relaxing.
That’s why scuba equipment manufacturers have created equipment that makes us feel more comfortable and safer in the water. Proper instruction helps you understand common problems that can occur underwater and gives you techniques to correct those problems. Your instructor is also there to take away many of the physical stresses that will occur while diving. So how can this be too hard? Again, diving suffers from a perception of what it used to be, and not what it is today.
From someone who has been diving for years, we begin to see that diving, with the right instructors, is not too difficult. They will show us many places to dive and it really does not cost that much for our safety and comfort. Since we don’t see Mountain Dew advertising scuba diving, it really can’t be that extreme. Diving should be seen as a relaxing and enjoyable sport that almost everyone can enjoy.