Why You Should Learn to Scuba Dive in Northern Virginia

OK, you have decided to learn to scuba dive.  Great decision, it will be one of the most exciting things that you have ever done.  But now the question is where do you learn to scuba dive?  You can learn to dive locally, here in Northern Virginia.  You can learn to scuba dive while on vacation in the Caribbean or you can do the class and pool here and the open water dives while on vacation.  Which is the best for you?

Many of us decide to learn to scuba dive because we have a vacation scheduled at some exotic tropical location, and the thought of scuba diving there is irresistible.  Learning to scuba dive involves taking the Open Water Dive Course, which is the entry level full certification.  This course has two parts: the Class & Pool, where you really learn the skills and theory.  And the Open Water Dives, where you cement those skills and get to practice them in an actual diving environment.  This course is offered locally at your Dive Center in Northern Virginia, it is also offered at many resorts throughout the world.  Which to choose?

Take the Open Water Class & Pool Locally in Northern Virginia

Many prospective scuba divers decide to take the class and pool sessions locally and then complete the dives while on vacation.  This is a very viable option.  Taking the class & pool locally means that you do not waste valuable vacation time sitting in a classroom or practicing in the pool.  You do this at home well prior to your trip, at your local Dive Center in Northern Virginia.  In addition by completing the Open Water Course class and pool at home well prior to your vacation you have extra time to work on things should problems arise. like getting a cold or just needing extra practice time to perfect those skills.  Locally you are not rushed like you are while on a vacation with limited time available.  Your local PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center, like Aquatic Adventures has the PADI Open Water Course scheduled on a regular basis and can easily provide one that fits your busy schedule.   Taking your Scuba Classes  Northern Virginia also give you the advantage of selecting just the right Dive Center for you.  If you wait until you are on vacation you are limited to what is offered at your resort and the schedule may not fit your needs.

Lastly, and just as important when your start your Open Water Course locally you will select various items of personal scuba diving equipment, like your scuba mask, snorkel and scuba fins.  Selecting these at your local PADI Dive Center in Northern Virginia means that you have a far greater selection then at a dive resort and down the line should you need service your local PADI Dive Center can provide that for you.  Your resort is not readily accessible and cannot match the service of your local PADI Dive Center.

Once you finish your Open Water Class & Pool your local Dive Center will provide you with a Letter of Referral allowing you to complete your Open Water Dives at any PADI Dive Center or PADI Resort around the world within 12 months.

Take the entire Open Water Course in Northern Virginia

While taking the entire Open Water Course in Northern Virginia does not sound as exotic as learning to dive in the Caribbean there are many practical advantages to learning to dive in Northern Virginia.  We have already looked at the advantages of taking the Open Water Course class & pool locally now lets look at why we would want to complete the Open Water Course dives locally.

When you complete your Open Water Course dives while on vacation, granted the dive sites are often nicer but you are spending much of your vacation time doing skills rather then exploring the reef.  When you complete your Open Water Course dives locally your are already certified when you go on vacation and can spend all of your dive time exploring and enjoying the reefs.

A second advantage to taking your entire PADI Open Water Course in Northern Virginia is that when you do your dives you are completing them with the same Instructors that you had in the class & pool, so they know you and your strengths and weaknesses and you know them so you will be more comfortable during your dives.  In addition Scuba Diving in Northern Virginia involves using  scuba diving wetsuits and learning better buoyancy skills then in the warm water locations of the Caribbean.

Scuba Lessons in Northern Virginia

Scuba Lessons and Scuba Diving Training involve more then just learning to scuba dive.  Many scuba divers who are already certified will take Scuba Continuing Education Courses prior to their planned vacation.  A good example is the PADI Enriched Air – Nitrox course.  Diving with enriched air allows the diver longer bottom times – that is more time to enjoy exploring the reef.

Regardless of which option you choose the important thing is to get out and learn to scuba dive.  Then you are ready for your next great Aquatic Adventures.

TECHNICAL SCUBA DIVING INSTRUCTION IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Scuba Diving is a fun sport that is enjoyed by countless divers around the world.  That is why there are Dive Centers like Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy that offer Scuba Dive Training and Scuba Diving Equipment.

Scuba Diving attracts divers who want to see reefs and exotic tropical fish, divers who want to explore sunken shipwrecks, and divers who just like the feeling of weightlessness.   Recreational Scuba Diving has a depth limit of 130 feet and divers will always dive in buddy teams for safety and practicality.  In addition there are strict guidelines for how long a diver can stay down to prevent illness or injury.  If you learn to scuba dive in Northern Virginia or anywhere else for that matter involves learning these rules and obeying them.

In recent years some Scuba Divers have wanted to go deeper and stay longer.  This is a type of Scuba Diving that goes beyond the Recreational Diving Limits – this is what is known as Technical Diving.

DISCOVER TEC

When you participate in the Discover Tec course you will learn about technical diving equipment and procedures to see if they are right for you. In the pool you will actually use some of the equipment and experience some of the skills.  As an added bonus the Discover Tec experiences can also credit towards the Tec 40 Course.

TEC 40 COURSE

As recreational divers all of our dives are what is called no-decompression dives.  That means that we can go directly to the surface without having to stop on the way to off gas excess nitrogen. In the Tec 40 Course you learn how to do decompression dives where you use a dive computer or special tables to calculate how long you can stay and how much time you must spend at various depths to decompress or off gas. In the Tec 40 Course you learn to dive beyond 130 feet and you can complete up to 10 minutes of staged decompression time.  Diving in an overhead environment is also taught during this course.  The skills and dives learned in the Tec 40 Course count toward the requirements of the Tec 45 Course.

TEC 45 COURSE

The Tec 45 Course picks up where the Tec 40 Course ends.  You learn to dive to a maximum depth of 145 feet and how to follow that with repetitive dives.  You also learn how to Enriched Air or Nitrox or oxygen to assist in your decompression.  There is no time limit to the decompression times that you will use in this course.  In addition technical diving emergencies and how to respond to them is taught during this part of the program. Twin Cylinders and stage decompression bottles are used during this course.  These skills count toward the skill requirements for the Tec 50 Course.

TEC 50 COURSE

In the Tec 50 Course the diver will actually make dives to 165 feet and learn how to use decompression computer programs to create dive tables that are needed to complete these dives.  The diver also qualifies to complete technical dives independently without a technical diving Instructor.  Like the Tec 45 Course the diver will use twin cylinders and staged decompression bottles.

DSAT GAS BLENDER COURSE

The Gas Blender Course is a classroom only course to teach the technical diver how to mix the appropriate gases needed for enriched air and decompression diving.  The use of desk top computer programs to assist with calculating the proper mix is also taught.

SDI SOLO DIVER & PADI SELF RELIANT DIVER COURSE

As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, recreational divers always dive in buddy teams or pairs.  Two Scuba Certification Agencies, Scuba Diving International – SDI and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors – PADI have come out with courses teaching the diver to dive without a dive buddy.  The SDI Solo Diver Course and the PADI Self Reliant Diver Course are very similar.  Each of these courses, while recognizing that most divers should dive with a buddy train divers who want or must dive alone about the necessary skills and needed redundant Scuba Diving Equipment needed to dive alone.
LEARN TO SCUBA DIVE: TECHNICAL DIVING vs RECREATIONAL DIVING

Technical diving is not for everyone.  However if you are a recreational scuba diver and want to go beyond the limits of recreational diving, and are willing to invest in the additional Scuba Diving Equipment then Technical diving might be just what you are looking for.

LEARN TO SCUBA DIVE NORTHERN VIRGINIA – ADVANCED OPEN WATER COURSE

PADI Open Water Diver Course in Northern Virginia

Most of us think that once become a Certified Scuba Diver then our scuba diving training ends.  That it definitely not the case.  All beginning Scuba Divers start with the Open Water Scuba Course.  The PADI Open Water Diver Course is designed to teach the new diver to be, just the very basics.  Topics of learning include Scuba Diving Equipment, basic Scuba Skills, and the bio-mechanics involved in scuba diving.  The Open Water Course is designed to allow a Scuba Diver to dive safely but only in depths of 60 feet or less.

PADI Advanced Open Water Course in Northern Virginia

PADI Peak Performanc Buoyancy:

The PADI Advanced Open Water Course is designed to continue the Scuba Diver’s skills from where the Open Water Course leaves off.   In the PADI Advanced Open Water Course that we offer in Northern Virginia we include an introduction to five Scuba Diving Specialty Dives.  We start with a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive where the scuba diver learns the bio-mechanics of maintaining good buoyancy.  Emphasis is placed on proper weighting, the use of an efficient fin kick, streamlining your body, and overall scuba diving efficiency.

PADI Underwater Navigation:

The buoyancy dive is followed by an Underwater Navigation Dive.  On land we have maps and can follow a course because it used street names, mileage distances, and today even a GPS.  Underwater these are not available to us, consequently, the PADI Underwater Navigation Course teaches us how to measure distances underwater, how to navigate using an underwater compass, how to navigate using natural navigational landmarks and even the animal life underwater to lead our way.  This course goes a long way to making the scuba diver more comfortable in the water and less likely to get lost on a dive.  The Navigation dive requires the use of a compass, which is a very valuable piece of scuba diving equipment.

PADI Night Diver:

The third scuba dive in the PADI Advanced Open Water Course that we teach Scuba Divers in Northern Virginia is a Night Dive.  The PADI Night Diver is one of the most popular and useful specialty dives that PADI has to offer.  Many of the more interesting creatures that we wish to encounter when scuba diving are nocturnal.  Lobster,  moray eels, shrimp and the octopus may been seen during the day hiding in a hole but they are often out and touring the reef at night.  In addition to the many critters that may be seen at night the Night Diver certification also teaches better buddy team work due to the lower visibility at night.  Navigation skills and communication skills are also enhanced as a result of this course.  Scuba diving equipment used for night diving include a primary and back up dive light and a scuba regulator marker light.

PADI Deep Diver:

The fourth scuba dive that we complete during the PADI Advanced Open Water course is the Deep Dive from the Deep Diver Course.  During this dive we learn about the physiological differences in deeper diving such as shorter bottom times, more rapid air consumption, loss of color at depth and the added element of nitrogen narcosis.  This is a fun dive that adds to the divers experience level and builds confidence.  The need for specialized scuba equipment for Deep Diving, such as a balanced regulator for better breathing at depth is also covered.

PADI Specialty Diver:

The fifth and final dive of the Advanced Open Water Course is one that the student gets to select.  Some of the better options are a dive from the Wreck Diver Course, Multi Level Diver Course, Search & Recovery Diver Course or perhaps a dive from the Digital Underwater Photography Course.  All of these dives are fun and add quite a bit of knowledge and experience to the Advanced Open Water Diver.
Advanced Open Water Course Dives & Specialty Diver Course Dives:

In addition to all of the great advantages of taking the PADI Advanced Open Water Course, there is an added bonus.  The dives completed as part of the PADI Advanced Open Water Course count as the first dive of the respective PADI Specialty Diver Course should the diver decide to pursue one of these Specialty Diver Courses.  The most important feature of the PADI Advanced Open Water Course is that is greatly increases your experience and comfort while under the direct supervision of a PADI Instructor, making you ready for that next great Aquatic Adventure.

SCUBA DIVING LESSONS NORTHERN VIRGINIA – KEEPING CURRENT

When you were first certified as a Scuba Diver you received your Certification Card showing that you were indeed a Certified Scuba Diver!  If you look at your Scuba Certification Card you will notice that it has a date of issue but no expiration date.  That is because it is up to you as a Scuba Diver to keep your diving skills current.  It is expected that you will go Scuba Diving on a regular bases and thus keep your scuba diving skills current.  What happens if for one reason or another you do not go Scuba diving for a while?

Scuba Diving Courses Northern Virginia – Scuba Review Course or Scuba Refresher Course

If you have not been scuba diving it is a very good idea to retrain in some manner.  If you have not dived in several months or even a year or two there is a course designed to solve that very problem.  It is the PADI Scuba Review Course.   At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy in Alexandria Northern Virginia we offer the PADI Scuba Review Course every month year round.  This course consists of one night of classroom and one morning of confined water or pool.  During the Scuba Review Course at Aquatic Adventures we focus on reviewing what we had learned previously with an emphasis on those skills that you are likely to use on your upcoming Scuba Diving Trip or Scuba Vacation.

Some of the Scuba Diving Skills that we cover are Scuba Equipment assembly and dis-assembly, water entries and exits while on scuba, basic mask skills, a fair amount of emphasis on buoyancy skills, and a chance to swim around on scuba and just get comfortable.  The  classroom skills that we cover are changes in Scuba Diving since you last went scuba diving, a dive table review, current flying and diving rules, and reminders on the more important aspects of scuba diving safety.

How do I show that my Scuba Diving Certification Skills are up to date?

One of the things that you purchase when you first learn to scuba dive No Va or any place else for that matter is a Scuba Diving Log Book.   Your scuba diving log book is your scuba diving record.  You should make an entry in your log book every time you go scuba diving.   This not only shows how current your skills are but you will also record some important pieces of information like how much weight you use, what thickness weight suit you wore as well as interesting facts like what you saw and what you learned on that dive.

When you go on a scuba diving vacation the dive center at the resort may ask to see your scuba diving log book.  When ever you take a continuing education scuba course or a scuba review course the Scuba Instructor or Divemaster will make an entry in your Scuba Diving Log Book as proof of what you have accomplished.

If you decide to become  a Professional Scuba Diver like a PADI Scuba Instructor or a PADI Divemaster you will need to have a certain number of logged scuba dives to attest to your experience and your Scuba Diving Log Book will be needed for that as well.

The best way to keep current as a Scuba Diver is to simply go diving.  At Aquatic Adventures we offer Dive Trips to exotic diving destinations like the Caribbean throughout the year.  In the summer, we offer trips to Morehead City, N.C. to go wreck diving.  If you go on one or two of these trips a year you Scuba Diving Skills will always be up to date and you will be amazed at how good a scuba diver you become.  If it has been away take the PADI Scuba Review Course, and then join us for that next great Aquatic Adventure.

Booking My Scuba Diving Vacation Trip in No Va.

I live in Northern Virginia and have always wanted to learn to scuba dive.  Many years ago I took the plunge (no pun intended) and decided to learn to scuba dive in No Va.   Naturally I went to a Northern Virginia Dive Center to do so.  Almost  all of us learned to scuba dive so that we could go on exotic scuba diving vacations and explore the undersea world.  Now that we are certified there is no reason not to plan for that next great aquatic scuba diving vacation or trip.

Where do I want to dive on my Scuba Diving Vacation?

There are many locations that offer excellent Scuba diving vacations.  The most famous are the Cayman Islands, Bonaire and Cozumel in the Caribbean.  The Bahamas Islands also offer some very good diving. The Caribbean is not too far away and not overly expensive to get to.  The Sea of Cortez on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico is another great location that is easy to get to.  In the Pacific, Australia is probably the most well known but it is literally half way around the world.  Fiji is just a far away but is priced much more reasonably priced.  In the middle of the Pacific is Palau and Truk Lagoon, which offer incredibly sea life and some fantastic ship wrecks.  Off the coast of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands that offers excellent diving with some awesome large creatures like hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.  These are fantastic sounding dive trips so how do I decide which to take?

How do I decide which Scuba Diving Vacation Trip is right for me?

The different resort locations just listed all sound great.  How do I know which one I will like best?  The answer to that is pretty simple.  Find a local Dive Center that you know and trust that specializes in Scuba Dive Travel.  Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, located in the Alexandria area of Northern Virginia has been leading Scuba Diving Vacation Trips since the 1980′s, and is also a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center.  Aquatic Adventures is a specialist in Scuba Dive Travel and offers four to six group Dive Trips every year.  In addition Aquatic Adventures also offer individual Scuba Travel for those who are not available for one of their group trips.  When you speak with a Scuba Travel Specialist, like Aquatic Adventures they will take into consideration your scuba diving experience level, the type of diving you like to do, the amount of time that you have to spend on vacation and your travel budget.  They will help you select exactly what is best for you.

Why Book My Dive Travel With  A Dive Center Instead of a Travel Agent?

Travel Agents are very good for booking trips but a Dive Center is a better choice for Scuba Diving Vacations and Scuba Diving Trips.  The travel specialist at the Dive Center knows all about Scuba Diving and what places offer better scuba diving and what places offer the type of scuba diving that you would most enjoy.  The travel agent knows travel but they are not Scuba Specialists.  In addition the experienced Dive Center that specializes in Scuba Training and Scuba Travel will very often be able to save you money.  A good example is a Travel Agent will book you as a diver and will also book your training dives for you.  An experienced Travel Specialist Dive Center, like Aquatic Adventures, will know that the training dives include the boat fees so they will book you as a non diver for the days you are training so that you do not double pay for the boat.

What is the Best Time for a Scuba Diving Vacation?

The Caribbean has seasons just like the rest of the world.  The water in the Caribbean is up to 10 degrees colder in the winter then the summer.  The peak season for the Caribbean is winter when the rest of us are locked in with snow, sleet and cold weather.  A winter Scuba Diving Vacation is a nice escape.  In the summer the rates in the Caribbean are lower then the winter so many people like to take a summer Scuba Diving Vacation Trip.  The Spring and Fall is my favorite since there is a nice balance in the air and water temperature making it the most pleasant time of year to Scuba Dive.

What ever your choice my be you will have a great time.  When you are ready we are ready to help you plan that next great Aquatic Adventure.