Finding a class near you may be difficult, but it’s well worth the trip if you’re serious about learning to scuba dive.
You cannot safely teach yourself to scuba dive. While part of your course may include self-paced eLearning, applying what you learn under the supervision of a professional instructor is the only way to ensure proper understanding.
Teaching yourself to scuba dive may be an attractive concept, but there are too many arguments against it to recommend. Keep reading as we explain why this is a bad idea and what your options are.
Can You Learn to Scuba Dive on Your Own?
You can learn the theory of scuba diving on your own, but the actual practice requires an instructor. A professional diver will make sure you understand everything you learned in theory and can apply it properly in an actual diving situation.
Scuba diving instructors exist to answer your questions and make sure you did not misunderstand anything in your coursework. They may correct certain processes and help you fit your skills properly to your dive.
Scuba diving is not a safe solo sport, and this starts in the learning process. One of the first and most important rules to learn is to not dive alone, and a scuba instructor will show you why this is not negotiable.
Is it Hard to Learn to Scuba Dive?
Learning to scuba dive is not hard, but it requires effort on your part. You must condition your mind and body to meet the demands of the dive, including:
- Understanding how diving affects your body and how to respond
- How to use scuba diving gear
- Communication underwater
- The hazards of scuba diving and how to respond
Part of learning to scuba dive involves ensuring your body is in proper condition, and this is something to consider when learning to scuba dive.
Mental Demands
There are plenty of things to know before you dive, much of which is not common knowledge. Scuba diving goes beyond swimming, and it even goes against what you’re used to when going underwater.
Learning to scuba dive demands you know how your body acts under water and how you respond to these changes.This involves the use of certain gear and following certain procedures.
Scuba divers also use specific methods of communication underwater, primarily hand signals, and they need to keep an eye out for certain concerns. Communication and quick, efficient responses keep you and your buddies safe, and they’re all a part of what you learn.
Physical Demands
Understanding the physical effects of scuba diving is only half the battle. You need a body capable of dealing with these changes.
Once you verify you have no health concerns that bar you from scuba diving, it’s a great idea to learn what exercises can help you get the most out of your dive. These usually include usual conditioning while focusing on cardiovascular health and low-impact activities.
Can You Scuba Dive if You Aren’t Certified?
Legally, you can scuba dive if you aren’t certified, but your opportunities are limited.
Most dive shops will not take anyone out to dive without at least basic certification. They cannot guarantee you have the knowledge and skills needed to dive safely, increasing their liability. The higher risk of injury to yourself or someone else on the dive is not worth the money you might pay.
Some places, such as resorts, offer a diluted diving experience. This usually includes a run down class before setting you up in a controlled diving environment. Unlike certification, the class only clears you for a short period of time, and you are far more limited in when and where you dive.
How Fast Can You Learn to Scuba Dive?
You can learn to scuba dive in a few hours of eLearning, but it’s better to spread the coursework out so you can absorb it. Scuba diving also requires a few days worth of practical application. Most people take about a month to complete both parts of the learning process.
This schedule applies to what you need to learn for basic dives, but higher expectations merit a longer timeline.
Which Certification is Right for You
Why You Should Never Dive Alone
Scuba diving is not an activity to pursue on your own. While learning to dive without assistance is important for safety reasons, you should always have a dive buddy.
Your dive buddy helps you out by verifying all your calculations and decisions. As long as you both know the basics, this decreases your chances of accident or injury while providing a built-in solution should an accident occur.
Checks and Balances
If you dive alone then you are the only person taking in information and making decisions. This may seem like a dream for some people, but it opens up too many doors to make minor mistakes.
A dive buddy ensures that you aren’t forgetting any details when making decisions, and they make sure you’re following the right procedures during your dive.
Having someone else in the water with you means you have another set of eyes watching out for trouble. They can scope out your diving environment while making sure you stay in proper health and vice versa.
In Case of Accident or Injury
Many injuries that can occur during a dive involve symptoms difficult to discern in your own body. A dive buddy is more likely to notice issues such as:
- Shivering
- Intoxication
- Hyperventilation
They can point out these early signs of injury to you, leading you to ascend before your condition can worsen. A dive buddy can also mean the difference between life and death if you lose consciousness for any reason, and they can provide important background information if you do not regain consciousness when you surface.
Diving with someone who knows how to recognize and respond to these threats reduces the potential of an accident or injury becoming lethal, and they can prevent your condition from worsening.
Scuba Diving is a Social Sport
Scuba diving is largely regarded as a social sport, and it’s much enjoyable with a buddy. While there are times that diving solo makes more sense, recreational diving benefits from a buddy you can talk to about your dive.
Having someone else on your dive also limits the chance you miss out on something amazing. They will signal you if they find something interesting that you may not have seen without someone to alert you.
What Scuba Certification Do I Need to Dive Alone?
If you want to dive alone, you need a solo diving certification such as PADI’s Self Reliant Solo Diver course or SDI’s Solo Diver Course.
These courses require you to be at least 18 years old and have completed an Advanced Open Water Diver course for certification. They also require a minimum of 100 logged dives.
Why Solo Certification is Recommended
Solo certification is important for understanding what to do if you end up relying on yourself during a dive. Professional divers may benefit from solo certification on another level, but having the skills you need to tackle issues on your own is a great backup plan.
Professionals such as scientists, spear fishers, and underwater photographers may benefit from diving without someone else nearby. Recreational divers get the information they need to respond to solo situations in case they are separated or the other diver is incapacitated.
It’s not intended as a path to autonomous recreational diving, but rather a valuable tool for any serious diver.
References
https://www.padi.com/courses/self-reliant-diver
https://www.tdisdi.com/sdi/get-certified/solo-diver-course/
https://www.alchemy.gr/post/351/this-is-why-you-should-never-freedive-alone