FAQ's

Q: “But isn’t learning to dive difficult”?
A: Here is a test to see if you’ve got what it takes: Fill your bathtub with water, pinch your nose, close your eyes and put your head under water.  Haven’t panicked?  You’ll do fine.  The fact is learning to dive is a lot easier than you may think.  All it takes is good overall health, a basic level of comfort around the water- and the desire to explore the water world.  Every year thousands of plain folks, from kids to senior citizens become certified.

Q: “What are the age requirements for enrolling in a Scuba Certification Course”?
A: You must be at least 10 years of age.  Students between the age of 10 and 15 receive a junior certification (can only dive with a certified adult) that can be upgraded to a regular certification after age 15.

Q: “I’ve never been a very strong swimmer, does that matter”?
A: Scuba certification requires only that you be reasonably proficient swimmer-able to swim about 200 yards and to float or tread water for 10 minutes.

Q: “I’ve heard that scuba diving is very expensive.  What about those of us on a budget”?
A: No problem.  The price of certification varies widely, but is rarely more than you would spend for dinner and a night on the town for two.  Although owning your own equipment is ideal, most dive centers rent it, allowing you to take your time investing in the sport.  Even the price of dive travel varies from the great diving in your neighborhood, to inexpensive Caribbean vacations to exotic getaways in far-flung corners of the globe.  Take your pick.

Q: “How long does it take to get certified”?
A: It depends.  Scuba instruction is built on mastery of classroom knowledge and water skills.  How long it takes to achieve that mastery depends on the individual.  Generally speaking, there will be 2 classroom sessions and 2 pool sessions.  We usually can get your training in only 2 weekends.  This saves you vacation time and offers more flexibility to get trained for busy work schedules.

Q: “Will I be required to purchase equipment”?
A: Dive centers vary in what gear they provide during training.  You will be most comfortable if you have your own mask, snorkel, and fins.  These are items that must be fitted to you personally with the help of a dive professional.  In most cases, the purchase of diving’s life support equipment-regulators, BC’s, dive computers-is best left until you have earned your certification and have a better idea of what diving is all about and what your individual needs might be.  We have a relationship with a dive shop in SC that offers equipment at hundreds of dollars less than you can purchase locally in NC.

Q: “What about the pool portion”?
A: This is where the fun begins: putting on the equipment and getting wet!  Few things in life compare to the thrill of your first breaths underwater on a scuba regulator.  The pool is also where you begin mastering basic skills: breathing from a regulator, safe descents and ascents procedures, proper buoyancy and so on.

Q: “How are the training dives different”?
A: In terms of skills, they aren’t.  The main difference is that now you are in open water.  It will probably be conducted in a landlocked area such as a lake, river, quarry or in coastal areas, like the ocean.  As in the pool, the purpose of the training dives is to allow your instructor to determine if you have mastered the skills you need to be a certified diver.

Q: “My ears hurt even when I swim to the bottom of a pool.  What happens when I dive even deeper”?
A: The pain you feel is called a “squeeze” and is caused by the pressure of water pushing against your eardrum.  One of the first things you learn in scuba class is a simple technique of equalizing –very similar to what you might do on an airplane.  When done properly, you won’t feel any pain in your ears.

Q: “I confess: one of the reasons I’ve never learned to dive is because I’m scared of SHARKS.  Is my fear justified”?
A: Many people have been made to fear sharks and other marine animals because of the false image given them by movies and television (i.e. JAWS etc).  Fact is most marine animals including the Shark, Octopus, Barracuda and Moray Eel-are very shy and passive around human.  None are more misunderstood than the Sharks.  Humans are not the natural prey of Sharks.  Almost all Shark attacks happen by accident to swimmers and surfers.  The Shark mistakes them splashing on the surface for a Sea Lion or Seal and takes a bite.  We taste pretty bad to them so that’s’ usually the end of it.  And unless you are swimming with Sea Lions off the California coast or spearfishing with in certain parts of Australia, you have virtually nothing to fear from Great White Sharks.  Many photographers spend weeks at a time and thousands of dollars trying to get close to them-some times with no luck.  In the Bahamas, dive operators have been conducting Shark Feeding dives for years without a single incident to guests.  Once you’ve knelt on the sandy bottom and felt Caribbean Reef Sharks cruising by your head, you realize they’re not a threat-they’re just a fish.

Q: “OK, so I am a victim of Hollywood propaganda about Sharks.  But I’ve still heard diving can be dangerous.  What if I run out of air”?
A: You are right to have question and concerns before beginning any new activity, especially one that involves the use of life-support equipment.  Your certification course is structured so that your questions are answered and you feel comfortable with your equipment, its proper function and what to do in the unlikely event that something doesn’t work as planned.  What about Running Out of Air? You are NO more likely to run out of air than you are to run out of gas while driving a car.  You will have a gauge that tells you exactly how much air you have left at all times.  Besides, during your training dives you’ll always be at a shallow depth.  Finally, s few statistics: recreational scuba diving has a lower incidence of injury than football, baseball, water-skiing, soccer, racquetball, tennis, swimming, and bowling.