FAQS ABOUT LEARNING TO DIVE

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FAQS ABOUT LEARNING TO DIVE

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The full open water course costs £399. This price includes all the course materials, equipment use, certification costs, pool entrance and instruction. The only extras are transport costs to and from the dive sites and pool and also entrance to the dive sites which costs between 8 to 15 a day dependent on sites. This represents excellent value for money when you consider that the course takes 4 days to complete, costing just a £100 a day to become a fully certified diver.

The referral course costs £249. This allows you to complete the theory and pool work over a single weekend with the aim of finishing your open water dives abroad. This option is great for people with little time and/or who don’t want to spend any holiday time in a classroom. The cost of completing the dives will be dependent on where you go.

DO I HAVE TO BE YOUNG AND FIT?

You don’t have to be super fit to dive. All it takes is a reasonable level of fitness, the ability to swim (again not to a super standard) and the completion of a medical statement. Scuba diving is open to anyone from the ages of 10 and up!

WHY SHOULD I LEARN IN THE UK?

There are a number of advantages to learning in the UK:

1. Time is a major factor. By getting certified here you’ll maximise your holiday dive time. The referral course saves you 1 to 2 days of holiday that you’d otherwise spend in the classroom and swimming pool. Even the open water dives involve a fair number of skills that you’ll do with an instructor. By completing the full course you can go abroad and go directly to fun diving.

2. As a certified diver you are qualified to dive in conditions as good or better than the ones in which you learned. If you learn abroad in warm, tropical water you won’t be able to come back and jump in the med or the coast off the UK, but vice versa most divers find that warm water diving is easy after completing the course here. By learning in the UK you are giving yourself an excellent grounding in diving that will stand you in good stead for a wide range of conditions.

3. Fun! Diving in the UK can be an incredibly rewarding pass time. We have a huge number of fascinating wrecks all around the coast of the UK as well as coral, kelp gardens, lots of interesting sea life from crabs and lobsters to basking sharks and the opportunity to dive with seals. The clip below was taken by a friend of the club and shows just some of the amazing things that can be seen on the wreck of the James Egan Layne, a huge wreck just off the coast of Plymouth which is only 16-22m deep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpReU0_vk0

4. There has been a recent movement for more accountability in the origin of our food and particularly concern about fisheries. On many UK dive trips it’s sometimes possible to collect scallops and crabs which you can then take home and eat. What could be more sustainable and delicious!

IS IT POSSIBLE TO FAIL THE COURSE?

Put simply, no. The idea is that any areas that you have problems with are worked on until you’re OK. You progress at your own pace. Most of the time the weekend allocated to each part of the course is more than adequate to complete all the skills. We always ensure that you work in small groups and if you do need a bit of extra help to complete a particular skill we can allocate further sessions until you’re happy.

DOES THE CERTIFICATION EXPIRE?

No, the certification is valid for life. If you go for some time without diving then it’s possible to do a ‘scuba review’ or ‘refresher’ course which consists of a couple of hours in the pool going over the basic scuba skills. These courses are very popular prior to holidays.

MY EARS HURT WHEN I DIVE DOWN EITHER SNORKELLING OR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL. WILL THIS PREVENT ME FROM DIVING?
No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ears. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you'll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.

IS DIVING DANGEROUS?

Again, the simple answer is no. The equipment that you use is simple and hard wearing and the training that you receive gives you all the skills necessary to deal with any unlikely incident. By diving conservatively and sticking to the rules millions of people dive safely throughout the world every year. You’re more likely to get injured riding a bicycle or playing golf!