FAQ

Not really. Actual costs varies depending on what kind of course you’re taking, and what kind of equipment you want to buy.

Most dive center instructors will want you to have good-quality fins, mask and snorkel. Buy good equipment — it will last for life. We can suggest what equipment you’ll need for training and fill you in on the lesson’s cost. Before beginning your dive training, sit down with us, work out a schedule, and determine costs for everything. This way you’ll know the cost beforehand, and your new enthusiasm won’t be spoiled by an unplanned, unknown monetary surprise.

Yes, you can dive with contact lenses but if you don’t feel comfortable we encourage to get the prescription masks available in the dive center.

Many divers do, but some wait until basic certification training is completed before buying the majority of their equipment. We can guide you and as you begin to dive regularly, gain experience and become interested in diving, we will continue to advise what equipment best suits your particular diving needs. Of course you’ll need a mask, fins, and snorkel from the beginning, since these items are personal and often required for training.

How long a tank of compressed air will last depends on the individual. Everyone has a different breathing rate, and the experience level of a diver influences his air consumption. It also depends on the depth. The deeper the dive the more quickly the air is consumed. You’ll learn more about that in class.

Students have to know how to swim, and feel comfortable in the water, but expert swimming skills are not required. Typically, before starting a dive class students complete a short 200-yard swim and a 10-minute survival water tread to demonstrate basic swimming ability.

They’ve been called nature’s under-water garbage disposal, but from the sharks’ perspective, there are a lot of smaller creatures that are easier to catch and consume, so humans don’t look that appetizing. And besides, sometimes sharks are even hard to find, and when you do, they must be provoked before they’ll bother divers.

Each student must complete a medical history form prior to training. This form informs instructors of a student’s medical condition, and there are several items that would prohibit a diver of any age from participating in the activity.

DAN publishes a chart entitled FITNESS FOR DIVING that lists medical problems for divers. Some of the more serious conditions include: epilepsy, chronic ear infections, diabetes, active asthma, emphysema, heart disease, hemophilia, claustrophobia, depression, and addictive drug or alcohol abuse. There are other conditions which preclude scuba diving, and some temporary conditions that could delay dive training. For more information please refer to the Divers Alert Network, or speak to us.

The Padi Open Water certification is valid for life. After 6 months of not diving, you will be advised to do a refresher course, which includes a review of skills.

Prospective divers often think that because their ears hurt while at the deep end of a pool, they can’t dive. This is not necessarily true. It most often means that people suffering from this discomfort haven’t learned how to equalize the pressure in their ears. Equalizing this pressure is an integral part of every dive, and it’s one of the first things a student learns to do. If the new diver can’t equalize this pressure, there may be a medical problem that may prevent, or delay, training and/or certification.

At some diving locations the water is warm enough to wear a swimsuit. Other locations require special clothing which makes diving quite comfortable. Neoprene wet suits, in either one-or two-piece styles, trap water next to the body. The neoprene offers a good thermal barrier, and the body heats the thin layer of water between the skin and the suit to increase the insulating effect. Dry suits are rubber or neoprene suits worn with long underwear to keep the diver dry and warm. We will help you select the right type of exposure protection for the water conditions you’ll encounter.

Yes! Many female scuba divers may be worried about shark attacks, bleeding underwater, and other considerations when diving while menstruating, but may be hesitant to ask a male scuba instructor for advice. Rest assured, diving on your period is perfectly fine, but you might want to take a few precautions.

Thankfully, sharks are not going to smell your blood and come chasing after you if you dive while menstruating. Studies have been conducted to observe sharks’ attraction to human blood. Sharks appear curious, but not aggressive when human blood is in the water. In fact, sharks are most attracted to fish gastric juices (not even fish blood) which makes sense as a fish that is leaking gastric juices is definitely disabled and easy to attack.

Furthermore, a menstruating female loses only a few milliliters of blood a day. The majority of fluid loss due to menstruation is water and uterine lining cells. Most females will find that their period actually stops when they are submerged in water; the vaginal opening stays closed and the increase in ambient pressure helps to keep fluids from leaking out.