Scuba: A Rewarding Experience If You're Prepared

By Jody Smith HERWriter

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prepare for a rewarding scuba experience

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Scuba takes some skill but it's a skill you can learn if you put your mind to it. Becoming a dedicated student of scuba diving can bring great rewards, giving you access to a part of the world not everyone will get to see.

You'll need to take a medical questionnaire to start out. It's vital that you be completely honest and detailed in your answers to the questionnaire.

Scuba diving can be a fantastic experience for the diver who is properly prepared. But this is not going to be the case if you don't take any physical issues you may have into consideration.

Physical problems that you may not notice on dry ground may become terrifyingly significant under pressure while underwater. Asthma or lung conditions like a collapsed lung can create a risky situation underwater.

Some allergies or diseases can be hazardous. Problems with your ears can become something more than a nuisance.

Scuba courses can be as short as one day, or can be a program leading to the earning of a scuba diving certificate. You don't have to be particularly experienced or skillful in the water in order to pass your scuba course.

It helps not to be timid or phobic though. Disabilities don't have to disqualify you from scuba diving.

You'll learn how to equalize the pressure in your ears, which will prevent pain. Pinching your nose and breathing gently out against your closed nostrils will help to equalize the pressure in your ears. You may feel a pop or a click and your ears may feel full.

It's important to equalize pressure to prevent an ear injury, like the rupture of an ear drum. Your instructor can teach you many techniques that will help to protect your ears.

Other aspects of pressure from being underwater will pop up. You will need to learn about things like bottom time, buoyancy and decompression sickness.

If you are buoyant, you are going to float. In scuba diving, positive buoyancy has to do with the tendency to float upwards or to stay afloat. Negative buoyancy has to do with sinking, or staying at the bottom.

Scuba diving isn't an activity that you can go into footloose and fancy free. You're going to need to buy or rent equipment for this adventure. Safety first is always smart in any undertaking.

You'll want to be thoroughly familiar with your equipment, and you should make a habit of checking your gear before each use. Know safe diving guidelines inside and out.

Sources:

Can I Scuba Dive? Prerequisites for Scuba Diving Such as Age and Health. About.com. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
http://scuba.about.com/od/scuba101/p/Can-I-Scuba-Dive-Prerequisites-For-...

Start Diving! About.com. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
http://scuba.about.com/od/scuba101/tp/Start-Diving.htm

Dive Theory. About.com. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
http://scuba.about.com/od/DiveTheory/tp/Dive-Theory.htm

Does Scuba Diving Hurt Your Ears? About.com. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
http://scuba.about.com/od/divemedicinesafety/p/Ear-Equalization-Why-And-...

Buoyancy Basics for Scuba Diving. About.com. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
http://scuba.about.com/od/scuba101/p/Buoyancy-For-Scuba-Divers.htm

Reviewed on May 8, 2012
by Maryann Gromisch, RN

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.