FAQ - Learning to dive
Is it difficult?
No! Scuba diving is one of the easiest physical recreational activities to learn and doesn’t necessarily even have to involve a great deal of physical exertion. The skills you will be taught are designed to be achievable by almost everyone, whilst still keeping you safe and enabling you to enjoy the underwater world. More importantly everyone is taught to dive within their own limits.Do I have to be a good swimmer?
It may seem strange but you don’t need to be a strong swimmer or particularly athletic in order to scuba dive. You do need to be able to swim at least 200metres/600 feet and tread water for 10 minutes, and it helps if you are comfortable in the water although the scuba training is designed to build your confidence. Once you are underwater the emphasis is very much on taking a relaxed approach and enjoying the views!Is the equipment heavy or difficult to use?
Many people see the equipment used for scuba diving and think that it’s bulky, heavy or uncomfortable and complicated to use. On land it can be awkward, but learning to use scuba equipment is straightforward and once in the water the bulk disappears and you become virtually weightless.Are there age limits?
We have taught all ages from as young as ten to people in their seventies. Anyone with the physical ability to handle the equipment and the emotional maturity to comprehend the rules and take responsibility for his or her safety and that of his dive buddy, can scuba dive safely and enjoyable There is no upper age limit on learning to scuba dive.Minimum age restrictions do apply. For children aged eight and older we have teamed up with Le Mourier Swim School to offer a Seal Team programme, based on underwater pool adventures where kids learn scuba activities.
To be able to dive in the ocean, children must be 10 years old to be certified as “junior” divers. These divers may dive only under restricted conditions, such as limited depth and supervision by a scuba professional or certified adult diver. At 15, students receive the same certification as adult divers. For more information about junior courses please contact us.
How long does it take?
An Open Water course consists of a number of ‘academic’ sessions (mostly involving reading your manual at home), skills training sessions and training dives. We can be very flexible in how these are scheduled to fit in with your needs. The course can take an absolute minimum of three full days if you are pressed for time, or you can spread the sessions out over a few weeks, or even months, if you just want to take it easy!Do you run fixed classes? I work unusual or long hours, or don’t know if I can attend regular classes.
Although we do run classes at set times, we are also very flexible in arranging courses to suit your schedule. We can run training sessions during working days, in the evenings or at weekends. Academic sessions can be covered in our classroom or you can complete them online in the comfort of your own home. Diving sessions are only limited by the tides and weather.Is it expensive?
Like any sport it depends how far you wish to go and how much you want to spend! Initial expense will be the cost of the course itself, but after this the level of further training you want is entirely up to you. It is not necessary to buy lots of equipment to enjoy scuba diving. You can start out without any equipment at all as we supply everything you will need. After this you can hire equipment from us (or from any other dive centre in the world), build up your kit a little at a time (we’d recommend starting with mask, snorkel and fins), or take advantage of our discounts and buy a full ‘set’ of equipment in one go.Purchasing a set of scuba gear – BCD, regulator, exposure protection – is no more expensive then getting started in golf or skiing, although you may want to expand your equipment with items such as a dive computer, underwater camera and other accessories.
Does it hurt your ears?
Many people have experienced the sensation of pressure in their ears when swimming to the bottom of a swimming pool and think this is what scuba diving will feel like. In fact, the effect of water pressure on your ears is easily corrected by one of the techniques we will teach you. Unless you have had a medical problem with your ears (see below) ear pain will not be a problem.I have a medical condition – can I still learn to dive?
Certain conditions my preclude those of any age from diving either temporarily or permanently.Link to medical statement