Continuing Scuba Diving Education – Aquatic Adventures Alexandria Northern Virginia

Now that you are a Certified Open Water  Scuba Diver you naturally want to go diving and put that training to good use.  Believe it or not, the Open Water Scuba Course is just the beginning of your scuba diving education.  During the Open Water course you learn the basics of diving.  While the use of basic scuba diving equipment and the basic scuba diving skills is enough to get you started in your scuba diving there is a lot to learn beyond the basics.  For instance there are a host of different types of diving beyond the entry level that will add to your enjoyment of diving and the underwater world.

Most divers will take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course immediately after completing the Open Water course.  The Advanced Open Water Course picks up where the Open Water Course leaves off.  In the first course you are taught to dive to a depth of 60 feet.  This sounds deep but there are a lot of reefs, ship wrecks and sights to see that are deeper then 60 feet.  During the Advanced Open Water course you complete a deep dive and learn to dive to a recommended maximum depth of 100 feet.  In addition you complete an underwater navigation dive where you add to  the firs steps in navigating from the Open Water Course by using and Underwater Compass to navigate patterns while scuba diving.  Three more dives are included in the PADI Advanced Open Water Course.  These are usually dives in something that interests you like PADI underwater photography, wreck diving, multi-level diving

or even night diving.  The PADI Advanced Open Water Course can be completed in as little as one weekend and is well worth while.

One of the great things about the Advanced Open Water course is that it includes dives in several different types of diving.  These dives even count as the first dive of the corresponding Specialty Diver Course for these specialties, and divers who like this type of dive can go on to complete these Specialties and learn even more about them.  PADI Wreck Diving, where you learn to dive in and around ship wrecks, PADI Night Diving where you learn to dive at night when many nocturnal animals not seen during the day are out, and Underwater Photography, where you learn to safely take photographs of the sealife are among the more popular.  These can be done locally with the PADI Dive Center where you learned to dive.  Many of our former Open Water Dive Students will go on a Scuba Diving Vacation with us and complete several of these Scuba Diving Specialty courses while on vacation with us.

Divers who live or dive in cold water environments will benefit from taking the Dry Suit Diver course.  This allows you to dive in areas that might otherwise be too cold.  It also allows you to dive either earlier or later in the season when the weather and water is colder then normal.

Many great diving destinations like Cozumel offer great dives in areas with currents.  These dives are called Drift Diving since you follow the current instead of navigating back to your entry point.  This is a fun Specialty Dive Course and is often completed on Scuba vacation in these types of areas.

A fantastic course to take is the PADI Rescue Diver Course.  In this course you learn about the types of problems that can occur when diving.  By being aware of them you naturally take steps to prevent them from happening but should they occur you know what to do to minimize any problems.

The PADI Equipment Specialist course is a fantastic course even though it does not include any dives.  It focuses on the Scuba Diving Equipment that you use.  It shows you what features to look for in your Scuba Diving Equipment.  It will train you to get the most out of your equipment and even how to do field repairs and preventive maintenance.

A diver who has completed the PADI Rescue Diver Course plus any five PADI Specialty Diver Courses and has 50 or more logged dives can be certified as a PADI Master Scuba Diver.  This is a recreational diving certification that signifies that the diver has achieved experience in several different types of diving and is also prepared for emergencies.  It is a recreational certification not a professional certification or rating.

Those divers who are really hooked and want to get into diving in a deeper way (no pun intended) might want to look into the professional area of recreational diving.  Start with a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center.  At this type of  Dive Center you will be able to go beyond just recreational courses and add the professional level of courses designed to show you how to teach the recreational courses.  The first professional diver course to take is the PADI Divemaster Course.  This course reinforces dive theory and skills and teaches you to assist in teaching situations and to lead certified divers on their dives.  The Divemaster Course is followed by the PADI Assistant Instructor Course then the PADI Open Water Instructor Development Course or the IDC.  There are even courses designed to teach Scuba Instructors how to teach the Specialty Diver Courses we mentioned earlier.  The most popular of these is the Master Diver Trainer Prep Course where Scuba Instructors are taught to teach the Specialty Dive Courses by a PADI Course Director or Instructor Trainer.

What ever direction you decide is right for you it will offer many benefits.  Taking more Scuba Diving Courses will make you a more skilled diver.  It will increase your comfort level and your level of dive safety.  The more comfortable you are the more you will dive and that is the whole point.  To be an active and capable diver.

Scuba Dive Training at Aquatic Adventures – Alexandria Virginia

How do you become a Scuba Diver? The first step to becoming a Scuba Diver is to enroll is to enroll in a recognized course of scuba instruction.  The beginner or first course is the Open Water Course.  There are many worthwhile Scuba Agencies available.  Like anything else, it pays to shop around; some programs are better then others, or at least there are several differences among them.

The Professional Association of Dive Instructors or PADI, is the largest scuba-training agency in the world. Because PADI has the most complete and widely recognized diver training programs, you can be confident that at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, you are earning the most respected diver credentials available. The certification that you earn at our Award Winning PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center located in Alexandria, Virginia is even recommended for college credit.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is divided into two segments.  Part One is Academic and Confined Water Training, better known as your Class & Pool Sessions.  Here the new diver learns the basic principles and knowledge of safe diving practices which leads to safe and enjoyable diving.  The Open Water Course used to be several weeks long.  Now due to improvements in the student kit or PADI Open Water Manual and DVD’s that show the new diver what these new skills look like, much of the training can be conducted at home.  Once the student completes the reading and viewing of the video they then complete the Academics with their Scuba Instructor.  The Scuba Instructor will go over these materials and personalize them so that the diver understands just how it applies to them and what they can expect when they are actually on their Scuba Diving Vacation.  Many Scuba Agencies or Organizations offer this part on-line.  The material covered is the same but the student does not have a live Instructor with which to interact and to explain exactly what to expect in particular dive locations.   On Line Scuba Courses are also usually more expensive then regular courses.

The confined water part is usually completed in a swimming pool.  The major items of Scuba Equipment, (wetsuit, Scuba regulator, buoyancy control device or BCD and Scuba cylinder) are usually provided by the Dive Center running the class.  Personal items for each student (mask, snorkel, dive boots and fins) are usually purchased by the student from the Dive Center.   These items are used when ever diving and are a good investment.   It is in the pool that the new diver learns the actual skills that will be used while Scuba Diving.    While there are several skills needed to dive many of them are actually “What Ifs”  What if something goes wrong.  Here the student learns about potential problems and how to prevent them.  And just as important if one where to occur how to safely and calmly handle the situation.

The Academic and Confined Water sessions can be safely completed in as little as one weekend if the materials are read prior to class.  Programs that try and compress all of this in one day are to be avoided.  They do not provide the necessary repetition and practice necessary to become a safe and proficient diver.

Once the first part is completed the student is ready for the Part Two: The Open Water Dives.  The Open Water Dives consists of four dives done under the supervision of a Scuba Instructor.  Here the diver demonstrates that they can dive safely and understand the basic skills.  It is not uncommon for a Scuba Student to take the Class & Pool at a local Dive Center and then complete the second part or Open Water Dives while on a dive trip or Scuba vacation.  While diving in an exotic location is fun, completing your dives with the Scuba Instructor you had in the pool has several advantages.  The Instructor knows you and knows your what you know and what you might want additional practice with.  Diving locally has other advantages as well.  You will usually learn better and learn to be more skillful in a local lake then you would at a Caribbean resort.   Which ever method you choose once you successfully complete the dive you are then Certified as an Open Water Diver.

As an Open Water Diver you are trained to dive to a depth of 60 feet.  You are also trained to know and understand the basic Scuba equipment.  Because the Open Water course only covers the basics most divers are advised to continue their Scuba Diving Education with additional Scuba Courses.  The PADI Advanced Open Water Course is the next step.

Scuba Instructor Training at Aquatic Adventures, Alexandria, Northern Virginia

Having been a Scuba Instructor for over 25 years I have seen many very good Scuba Instructors and some who were not so good.  What sets them apart?  First and foremost it is attitude.  When a  Scuba Instructor that is truly interested in his/her students it will usually show.  It is the little things like the attention to detail and the extra time that the Instructor takes in personalizing the course materials for the student.  Everyone has to learn certain dive skills and a certain amount of what we call Dive Theory in order to learn to Scuba Dive.  Most of the skills and knowledge is universal and applies where ever you may Scuba Dive.  However, there are some differences depending on where you are diving and what time of the year.  A Scuba Instructor that takes the extra step will know when and where you plan to dive and will tailor your instruction to include this information.  This in turn makes the instruction that much more interesting and helpful.

How To Become a Scuba Instructor?
Most Scuba Instructors did not start out with the plan of becoming one.  It is usually something that just happens.  You have a desire to learn to Scuba Dive and so you take lessons.  The best place to learn is at a local Dive Center.  Once you start diving you soon realize how really special it is to Scuba Dive weightlessly in an aquatic realm full of creatures unlike those that you see every day.  You want to experience more so you take a Dive Vacation or two and enroll in some Continuing Scuba Education courses.  A some point you realize that you really like Scuba Diving and want to be able to do more of it and to become better at it.  You ask the Dive Center about helping with classes just so that you can get wet more often.  You find out that you need to be a Divemaster in order to assist with Scuba Classes and all of a sudden you are on the path to becoming a Scuba Instructor but you do not even know it yet.  At this point you figure this is great but this is as far as you will go.  Once you start the Divemaster Program and start assisting with classes you soon realize that there is so much more that you might want to be able to do.   Being a Divemaster is great but being an Instructor will be even better.  So now you plan on moving up.

The most interesting thing is that the PADI Divemaster Course takes several months to complete but the Instructor Courses are much shorter.  Now you start on your Assistant Instructor Course and Open Water Scuba Instructor course.  This is called the Instructor Development Course or IDC.    While in your Instructor Development Course you are taught by a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Course Director or Instructor Trainer.  The Course Director will teach you how to present the information to students and how to inspire students to be as excited about Scuba Diving as you are.  Once you complete your Instructor Development Course (IDC) you then sit for your Instructor Examinations or IE.  Now an Independent Examiner who is also a Course Director will watch you give sample teaching presentations in the pool and in the classroom  The Examiner will also watch you demonstrate your knowledge in Open Water.  Examinations on Dive Theory are given to show you have the necessary background knowledge and once you complete all that you are now an Open Water Scuba Instructor!

How to Inspire Your Scuba Students?
As a new Open Water Scuba Instructor you want to be the best Instructor that you can be.   The big question at this point is how do you do that?  Beside the obvious details like teaching conscientiously and taking time with your students the most common mistakes is not telling your students the importance of two  of the things you learned along the way.  One is that you purchased your own Scuba Equipment early on and it made it easier for you to get better at diving and since you already had your own equipment you went diving more often.  Thus you enjoyed it more.  Not to mention the fact that your own equipment is better then rental equipment and by having your own equipment it is much safer as well.  The second was that you took the time to take those important Continuing Education Scuba Courses.  This not only increased your diving skills but gave you a much better appreciation for the underwater realm and and greatly increased your enjoyment and safety.  The biggest mistake that new Instructors make is not passing this information on to your students.  Perhaps it is the fear of seeming too pushy, but you appreciated owning your own equipment and you found true benefit from Continuing Scuba Education courses you need to tell your students that!

Once You Are A Scuba Instructor – What Is Next?
Now that you are an Open Water Scuba Instructor you start by thinking you have gone as far as you can.   It does not take too long to realize that you can do so much more.   One of the great things about Scuba Diving is that there are so many different types of Scuba Diving.  There is Wreck Diving, Underwater Photography, Deep Diving and a whole host of courses.  Becoming a Specialty Instructor adds variety in your diving and also makes you a more knowledgeable Instructor and gives you several more ways to assist your students.  Once you are certified to teach five Scuba Specialty Diver Courses and have taught at least 25 divers you can become a PADI Master Diver Trainer, which is a higher Scuba Instructor Level.  One of the best ways of becoming a Specialty Instructor is to take the PADI Master Diver Trainer Prep Course from your Course Director.

When you were a Divemaster you soon realized how nice it would be to actually teach Scuba Diving instead of just assisting in the course, you may decide that teaching Scuba Instructors is a lot of fun and very satisfying as well.  You would then take the IDC Staff Instructor Course from your Course Director.  There you will learn how to assist other future Scuba Instructors how to achieve the life that you have achieved.  You will have gone full circle and accomplished more then you ever dreamed you would…

Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy in Alexandria Virginia is a PADI 5 Star Instructor DevelopmentC Dive Center in Northern Virginia

There are a whole host of Scuba Diving Certifications and there are also a significant number of Scuba Certifying Agencies.  What is the difference and which one is right for me?  These are just a few of the questions that I am asked on a regular basis.

First, in regard to Scuba Certifying Agencies, there are several of them.  Back in 1987 most of these agencies came together to form the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC).  Their first order of business was to standardize just what needed to be taught in order to provide divers with the necessary information and skills to Scuba Dive safely.  While all of these agencies now follow the same general format for teaching there still are some major differences.  Our Dive Center, Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy located in Alexandria, Northern Virginia follows the program set up by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI.  PADI is not only the world’s largest Scuba Certification Agency, but in my opinion they have, by far, the finest course materials (Scuba Books, Manuals and DVD’s) of any agency around.  These course materials make it easier for the new Scuba Diving Student to learn and retain the important information required to Scuba dive safely.  The beginner Scuba Certification is called the Open Water Certification.  This course which was once several weeks long can now be taught safely and conveniently in as little as two weekends due to these new course materials.

In the PADI Open Water Certification course the new diver learns the basic Scuba diving

skills and knowledge of dive theory to safely dive.  The Open Water Certified Diver is trained to dive to a depth of 60 feet.  The new diver also learns about the basic Scuba Diving Equipment that is used when diving.  While there are several different types of diving it is now the prevailing thought to learn the basics in the Open Water Course then to add to this by taking additional courses.  This makes the learning easier and less task loading.

The PADI Advanced Open Water Course is designed to immediately follow the Open Water Course.  In this course the diver learns to dive deeper then 60 feet.  Additional practice in the areas of Buoyancy, Underwater Navigation, Night Diving and Deep Diving are also covered.  There is even time to add a dive or two featuring other areas of Scuba Diving interest like Search & Recovery Diving, Multilevel Diving, Underwater Photography and so forth.

Once the Scuba Diving basics from Open Water and Advanced Open Water are mastered it is time to start on new underwater adventures.  The PADI Rescue Diver course teaches you about possible diving problems and emergencies.  First, by being aware of them you will take steps to prevent them.  Second, since you will have practiced what to do in these emergencies, you will be able to react without undue stress or nervousness.  The PADI Rescue Diver course is one where divers really start to feel comfortable and more confident in their diving abilities.
Once the PADI Rescue Diver certification is completed the diver then needs to decide whether to pursue individual areas of interest or whether or not they want to start the professional route of Divemaster or Instructor.    We will discuss becoming a PADI Professional at another time.

For many of us the next step is PADI Master Scuba Diver.  A Master Scuba Diver is a diver who has completed PADI Rescue Diver course, 5 different PADI Specialty Diver Courses and has also logged over 50 Scuba Dives.   This is a mark of accomplishment and shows that the diver who holds this rating has experience in different types of diving, well beyond the entry level certifications.

Some of the more popular PADI Specialty Diver Courses are PADI Wreck Diver and PADI Deep Diver.  Those divers who enjoy diving on shipwrecks find these two certifications helpful and lead nicely into the PADI Wreck Diver Course.  Enriched Air Nitrox is probably PADI’s most popular Specialty Diver Course.  This course allows the diver longer bottom times on their dives and thus more time to enjoy the sights.

While all of these courses can be completed locally, many of these are ideal for one of our Scuba Diving Trips that we run throughout the year.  Underwater Photography, PADI Boat Diver and PADI Drift Diver are examples of courses that work well while on vacation in someplace like the Caribbean.

At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy we offer all of these PADI Scuba Diving Courses.  We also offer several Scuba Diving Vacations and Trips to the Caribbean and elsewhere throughout the year.