How can i start diving the right way??

[DiveTrooper]

Am 20 years old, I never been to diving, but am a very good swimmer, i have been once to the redsea and i did some snorkeling, lately it was coming more in my mind to be a diver.
So i decided to look forward to start diving the right way, i need advices on what to do?, what to buy?......how to decide?

I will appreciate all the help you can give as i know nothing about diving and i found this forum and it looks bretty informative.

Thanks....

[DiveDevil1966]

Hi Dive Trooper

You are standing at the door of a lifetime of adventures. Diving is a fantastic sport and opens so many doors. It can be a lifelong hobby or even a career for many. The way to start, is to decide what training agency you are learning with. This might depend where you are living at the time. I am sure you have heard about PADI. PADI stands for the "Professional Association of Diving Instructors". World wide this is the biggest training agency and certifies the most divers as well as Professionals.
It is important that you choose the right diving centre. Have a look around and inform yourself on what is offered and what is the time scale of the program. This also depends whether you are completing the Open Water Diver Course at home or on holiday. In a Resort it might take between 4 and 5 days to complete the Open Water Diver Course. If you do it at home then it might take longer.
You can send me a private message and let me know where you live and I might be able to direct you to a good diving centre nearby. Or maybe you decide to do the lot on holiday.
Whatever way you are going for I am sure you will have a great time and enjoy the wonders of the fanatsic underwater world.

All the best

Dive Devil

[DiveTrooper]

Thanks DiveDevil for your reply, i live in london, but i was hoping to have more detailed advice on whether to buy the equipments or not and if yes, what to buy?.
Also is it nessesary to have a buddy with me or i can start alone?
Am going to the red sea next summer, shall i start the open water course at home, then do more courses there or i can do all there?
Am willing to enter the dive world extremely.

Thanks for helping.

[DiveDevil1966]

Hi Dive Trooper

No worries. I will be more specific. If you go to Egypt you can do everything there from start to the end. You can also start while you are in London. There is a school called LSD "London School of Diving". They have a good reputation. You could do a Open Water Course Referral. This means that you complete the theory and the confined water training in the UK and then complete the necessary 4 open water dives in Egypt. This will allow you to do more diving whilst on holiday rather than wasting your time learning dive theroy. You can also go and buy the open water diver manual and already start with your indepenedent study. This means you are working through the manual whilst in the UK and completing the required knowledge reviews at the end of each chapter in the manual. The manual consists of 5 chapters and therefore 5 Knowledge reviews. There is also a dive planner included, which is either the table version, the wheel or the E-RDP. I suggest to go for the E-RDP as it is good fun to learn this. This is required for the dive planning side of things. If you go for this oprion then let me know when you have the book and I will be able to give you a bit more study advice or assist you should you have any questions. This way you will complete all the training in Egypt.
I would wait with buying equipment. During your open water diver course you will have the opportunity to try various pieces of equipment. This will give you some idea what you like and what to look out for. I am also very sure that the instructor/dive centre will be happy to advice you on the equipment issues. Should you require any assistance on this I will be more than happy to help in this matter too. You do not need a buddy at all. Diving centers will provide you with this. This is the beauty when diving with a dive center as you dont have to worry about dive buddy's. They will take care of this.
If you have got the diving bug and would like to take this further then you can contact me any time and I will be happy to advice you where to go and what to do as this is what I do. I am teaching people to become dive professionals.
I hope this is a bit more helful. Just let me know if you require any further information.
DiveDevil

[DiveTrooper]

Thanks a lot for your informative replies, i will follow your advice, i hope i will do it the right way that will save time and money.

Thanks............

[DiveDevil1966]

No worries. I hope you will have a great time where ever you are learning to dive. Should you require any further assistance just let me know.

Take care and always safe diving

Dive Devil

[gigi]

Hi

The most important factor to consider when looking to do a dive course diving in safety. I know of a number of Cairns Dive Centres in Cairns, Queensland, Australia that do pride themselves on safety plus providing some of the best diving to be had on the Great Barrier Reef.

If you are ever in Cairns and want to dive let us know and we will give you some tips

Gaile

www.cairnsvisitorcentre.com

[chronicent]

I dont think its a good idea just to go and dive without any prior experience. some time it might be risky.
If you want to dive straight get help from someone who knows about the subject first

[BajaCharter.Com]

Congratulations on your excitment for diving. If you take a course at home then you will have more dive fun time on your trip. If you say you are a good swimmer and water person you should have no problems catching onto diving. There are some important basic safety rules to follow that you will need to take seriously the rest will come in time. New divers have problems with bouyancy, kicking, breathing and equalizing but these will all impove as your diving experience increases. Slow is better when diving don't try to swim or use your hands so watch your instructor in the water and try to mimic their style.

For equipment; yes wait and rent to see what works best for you. Your initial investment should not be for the most expensive or best as you will change as your experience level improves. A mid line of equipment is perfect for the beginner the cheaper lines are sometimes good only if someone you know recommends them. Your regular will be your most important purchase when you get ready to buy equipment so shop wisely.

[kingmaker]

Nice ideas for me to start this diving lessons..I also need to join a diving club.. Do you guys know any clubs or coaches as such?