Learn To Scuba Dive In Northern Virginia: Tips on Saving Air

One of the very first things that you notice about an experienced scuba diver is how much longer they can stay down on every dive compared to the other scuba divers.  This actually becomes a badge of accomplishment among scuba divers.  It often takes quite a bit of experience to accomplish this, but there are a few tricks to help get you started.

Be Neutrally Buoyant When Scuba Diving:

Most new scuba divers, and many not so new divers where way too much lead when scuba diving.  Being over weighted makes it easier to go down, but is more then off set by many other factors.  First, when over weighted you have to put more air in your Buoyancy Control Device at depth.  This in turn creates more drag and resistance making you work harder.  Working harder makes you use your air faster.  Secondly, the extra air in your BCD means that your body position on the dive is more diagonal then horizontal.  This also creates additional drag causing you to use even more air.

Stay More Shallow On Your Dives:

You learned when you were first certified as a scuba diver that the deeper you go the more air you use with each breath.  If you make shallower dives or stay a little bit more shallow then the group you will use less air then if you dove deeper.  This in turn will increase your bottom times on the dives.

Breath Slowly and Deeply During the Dive:

When you breath, you take in 21% oxygen with each breath and exhale about 16% oxygen.  You are using a small amount of the oxygen you breath in.  The most efficient way to breath when scuba diving is to breath slowly and deeply throughout the entire dive.  This forces you to use more of the oxygen in the air that you breath with each breath.   This slow and deep breathing actually helps increase your bottom times on the dive since you are using your air more efficiently.

Own and Maintain Your Equipment:

You personal scuba equipment is your mode of transportation through the underwater world.  When you own your own scuba equipment it should have been personally fitted to you when you  purchased it.  The sales person at the Dive Center also made sure that what you purchased was suited to you personally and the type of scuba diving that you do.  Having your own equipment means you will be used to your equipment and not have to work as hard as you do when using rental equipment.

By maintaining your equipment in peak condition it will perform better throughout the dive helping you conserve your energy and improve your air consumption.  A regulator that is out of tune or a regulator or BCD that has even a small leak with waste air during your dive, shortening your bottom time.   If you use rental equipment when you scuba dive you have no control over the care that the equipment is given, nor any guarantee that it even fits you properly.

Scuba Diving Equipment: Wear Appropriate Exposure Protection or Scuba Wetsuit:

Many scuba divers do not realize the role that a wetsuit or proper exposure protection plays in bottom times.  Your body burns oxygen to help maintain its warmth.  A diver who is cold will go through his or her air faster then a scuba diver who is not cold.  Newer or less experienced divers may not feel cold since they are working very hard due to poor body positioning or just plain poor dive technique.  An accomplished diver does not generate his or her own heat since they are very efficient when scuba diving.  On your next dive vacation look at the Divemaster on the Dive Boat.  You will notice that the Divemaster is wearing a full wetsuit, since he or she is very efficient in the water and also knows the value in appropriate exposure protection.

Practice Good Buoyancy Control:

Good buoyancy control is something that is learned over time.  A good way to get started with good buoyancy is to take the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty Dive Course.  This is a specialty that focuses on being properly weighted, having a streamlined body position in the water and having an efficient kick stroke.  During the Peak Performance Buoyancy Course you will also learn not to use your hands when diving.  Sculling or using your hands simple creates more drag and resistance in the water and causes you to use your air more rapidly.  The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course literally puts the icing on the cake, so to speak about what we talked about above.  Good buoyancy control also comes in handy in many types of scuba diving, such as underwater photography or wreck diving.

Take some time to practice these tips and you will be surprised at how quickly your scuba diving improves and your bottom times along with it.

Scuba Dive Travel in Northern Virginia: Dive Boat Etiquette

Scuba diving on a dive boat is a luxury.  It will get you to an out of the way dive site that you might not be able to reach otherwise.  The captain and crew work very hard to insure your comfort and safety.  A few common sense rules to follow will help make your trip all the better.

1 Always Arrive At The Boat On Time:
Dive boats are often in use multiple times each day.  It is important that they depart and return on time or the subsequent dives will not be on time.  Divers should arrive at the designated loading area a little prior to the announced boarding time.  You need to allow ample time to double check your gear and to allow for any additional paperwork that might be needed that day.  If you are late in arriving you may literally miss the boat!

2 Do Not Board The Boat Until Asked Aboard By The Crew:
Dive boats need to be properly prepared prior to their departure.  Fresh dive cylinders, snacks, first aid supplies and even emergency oxygen need to be loaded on board or checked prior to casing off.  The crew needs adequate time and space to get ready for the days activities.  If you board too early you simply get in the way or even prevent the crew from completing their assigned tasks.  As soon as the boat is ready you will be invited aboard.  Once on board you should quickly and neatly stow your equipment and double check everything prior to departure.

3 Listen To The Boat Safety Briefing:
At the beginning of any dive boat trip a member of the crew will give a boat safety briefing.  Listen carefully.  The safety briefing will include not only important safety instructions in the case of an emergency but some common sense tips on what will work best on the particular boat from which you are diving.  Pay attention and do not distract the attention of others by talking during the briefing. 

4 Stay In Your Allotted Area or Space:
Dive boats with a load of scuba divers and dive gear can be very crowded.  For your comfort and the comfort and safety of everyone on board you need to set up in a confined area and keep you equipment there as well.   Pack you gear in a folding mesh dive bag prior to boarding the boat.  Set your equipment up in your area and stow your bag and any extra gear in the area beneath your bench.  It is not only good manners to maintain you gear in your own space, but it will prevent possible equipment damage or even divers from tripping over your items.

5 Be Safe – Heavy objects on the deck and Cameras on the Camera Table:
Even while at the dock, Dive boats can roll when waves brush up against them.  Heavy objects like weight belts can fall off of benches.  Weight Belts and other heavy objects should be safely stowed where they cannot fall and damage other equipment or even worse a diver’s foot.

6 Set Up Your Gear – Check To Make Sure You Have Everything:
Once your dive gear is on board immediately set up your scuba unit.  Check your air then turn your air off and purge the line.  Secure your unit with the ropes or bungees that the boat has in place.  Make sure you have everything.  Once the boat departs it is too late to replace a forgotten item.

7  Use the Proper Buckets:
Most Dive Boats will have a bucket to rinse masks and a separate bucket to rinse cameras.  Some boats will even have a third bucket for other gear.  Never put your mask in the camera bucket.  The defog that you use on your mask can damage the chemical coating on the camera lenses.  If you need to rinse your mask and their is no mask bucket dip your hand in the camera bucket and scoop some water out to pour into your mask.  Once you rinse your mask do not pour the water back into the camera bucket.  Regulators and wetsuits should never be put in a mask or camera bucket either.

8 Keep The Dry Area Dry:
Many divers will bring a towel, camera and even a log book on board.  These items are usually stowed in a “dry area” of the boat.  Please make sure that you keep this area dry.  Do not place wet gear or towels in this area.  If the boat has an enclosed cabin area it is important not to enter that area while wearing a wetsuit.  Water in that area not only creates a safety hazard for slipping but can cause mildew and odor in what is the living area of the boat.

9 Enter & Exit The Water Properly:
When divers are lined up to enter the water be ready.  Have your equipment appropriately in place and be ready to go when it is your turn.  Use the entry technique recommended in the Dive Briefing.  When returning to the boat wait your turn to use the ladder.  Hold the trail line until it is your turn.  Never get onto the ladder when someone is still climbing out.  If they were to fall they could land on top of you.  When it is your turn quickly move to the ladder and follow the technique recommended in the dive briefing.  Once on board move yourself and your equipment out of the way to make room for the next diver.

10  Remember The Crew: Thank and Tip the Captain and Crew:
The boat crew goes out of their way to make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip.  Be sure to thank them.  It is also customary to tip the crew.  If the crew went above and beyond the call of duty in helping you either spot critters, take care of your gear or even help you in or out of the boat it is nice to thank them with an extra gratuity.  Like a waiter or waitress, tips are a major part of their income.

Scuba Diving from a boat offers several advantages in addition to just being fun.  The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, PADI, offers a scuba diving specialty course entitled Boat Diver.  This is a great course to take and will make you not only a better scuba diver but a more courteous one as well.  At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a PADI 5 Star Dive Center in Alexandria, Virginia the Boat Diver Specialty Course is offered on many of our Scuba Diving Vacation Trips.

Scuba Certification in Northern Virginia: Buoyancy Control Tips

Appropriate Buoyancy Control Device:
Proper buoyancy control starts with a properly fitted Buoyancy Control Device or BCD that is also appropriate for the type of scuba diving you are doing.  Scuba diving in cold areas requires a thicker wetsuit then scuba diving in warmer or tropical areas.  The extra thickness of the wetsuit means that the scuba diver has to wear more weight then a diver with a thinner wetsuit.  The extra weight means that the buoyancy control device needs to have more lift capacity then that of a warm water diver.  You can dive in warmer water with a cold water BCD but you may not be able to dive in cold water with a tropical weight BCD.

Maintain Proper Weighting:
Scuba divers wear lead weight to offset the natural positive buoyancy of the human body and pieces of scuba diving equipment like the diver’s wet suit.  If you do not wear enough weight you will not sink properly.  If you wear too much you will have to over inflate your buoyancy control device to offset the excess weight.  This will cause extra drag and resistance when diving making the diver work harder.  Working harder means wasted energy and that the diver will breath through his or her air supply at a much faster rate.  You can check to make sure that you have the correct amount of weight by floating on the surface in a face up position.  Let all of the air out of your BCD and inhale fully.  You should float at eye level.  When you exhale you should start to slowly sink into the water.  Remember that an aluminum scuba cylinder will become more buoyant as the air within it is used up.  For this reason a diver should add four pounds of weight to offset the excess buoyancy that will be present during the latter part of the dive.  Thus the scuba diver will be properly weighted at the end of the dive when doing a safety stop.

Maintain Proper Body Positioning and Stream Line When Diving:
The best position when scuba diving at depth is to be as horizontal as possible.  This means that the diver will have less drag and resistance and will not have to work as hard during the dive.  A proper fin kick will insure that energy is not wasted.  Keep your hands together and do not skull or use hand movements when scuba diving.  Hand movements merely create more drag and causes the diver to tire and to use air faster thus shortening your bottom time.  Streamlining also means having your equipment properly secured and pinned to your BCD.  This will prevent entanglements and insure that you are more streamlined.

Scuba Continuing Education-Practice Peak Performance Buoyancy
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI has a scuba diving course called Peak Performance Buoyancy.  It is designed to teach the scuba diver to wear appropriate equipment, practice good and safe diving techniques, be streamlined and wear the correct amount of weight when diving. These are the same suggestions that we just discussed above.  The Peak Performance Buoyancy course not only reaffirms these concepts but adds new insight like using breath control for minor adjustments instead of relying on your BCD inflator.  Those scuba divers who practice Peak Performance Buoyancy find that their air lasts longer meaning longer bottom times and that they not only enjoy the dives more but are less tired post diving as well.

Learn to Scuba Dive in Northern Virginia: Shore Diving

Last week we discussed the advantages of scuba diving from a dive boat.  This week we are going to look at scuba diving from shore.  There are many areas in Florida, along the coast line or the Caribbean that offer beach access to the ocean or sea.  Being able to simple wade into the water and scuba dive along the shoreline offers easy access to many dive areas that are often over looked.  Since the water along the beach often has waves and perhaps even some currents it pays to take a few extra steps when shore diving to insure your safety.

Scuba Diving Equipment for Shore Diving: Dive Flags & Floats:
Many dive locations require by law that any scuba diver display a dive flag and float when scuba diving.  This is to warn boats in the area to realize that scuba divers are in the vicinity, and that they should take precautions to prevent running over a diver who may be on the surface or diving just below the surface.  When entering the water from shore, the float and dive flag should be kept between the diver and the shoreline.  If the float where out in front of the diver, waves could throw the float at the divers which could cause injuries.

Back into the Waves:
When wading into the water if there are any waves, place yourself so that your back is against the waves.  When a wave strikes lean into it and the wave action will straighten you.  If you face the waves the pressure from the waves can dislodge your mask causing problems.  It is also easier to be knocked over if you face the waves rather then back into them.

Keep Your Scuba Regulator Ready:
Always have your regulator second stage in your hand.  Should you be knocked down by a wave you will be able to simply put it in your mouth.  Many divers will enter the water with their snorkel in their mouth.  That is fine but you still need to hold on to your regulator in case you trip or fall.  Also make sure that your alternate air source is securely fastened in case you need to reach for it.

Get into the Water Before Donning Your Scuba Fins:
Fins were not designed to walk in, and doing so can cause a diver to trip or stumble.  It is best to walk into the water until it is deep enough to support you and then don your fins.  Usually, between knee and waist deep is an ideal depth.

Be Deep Enough Prior to Diving:
Once you have donned your fins you may need to back a little deeper into the water prior to actually scuba diving.  Follow the rules we listed above and when you can drop down a few feet to be under the waves do so.  It is then far easier to swim out underwater from that point.

Stay Close to Your Dive Buddy:
Scuba divers should always dive in buddy teams.  Waves and undertow can often move divers around.  To maintain your safety, stay together so that you can assist each other if needed.

Be Extra Careful When Exiting a Shore Dive:
Coming back into shore can be challenging if the wave action has increased during your dive.  Often winds or even tides will cause wave action to increase making it very difficult to stand up and remove your fins.  If necessary simply body surface into shore.  If necessary you can crawl out on your hands and knees with the regulator in your mouth.  It does not look very graceful but is far better then being knocked over.

Know When Not To Dive:
If it is very wavy and if the surf seems to be rising it might be better to call the dive off.  Scuba diving is fun.  If the surf action makes it difficult, take a moment to think about your safety.  Some days it is just better to call it a day and try again when the conditions are better suited to scuba diving.  Also you may be an experienced scuba diver but you need to consider the skill level of the other divers.  If they are novices and the weather is creating more challenging conditions  you may want to reconsider for your buddy’s sake.  As we mentioned earlier, scuba diving is fun, if your buddy is over exerting and not enjoying the dive it might be better to dive later, when conditions are better suited to safe scuba diving.

Scuba Diving Courses in Northern Virginia: The Drift Diver Course

PADI, The Professional Association of Diving Instructors is the largest scuba certifying agency in the world.  They have a whole host of interesting and instructional scuba diving courses.  Once you become certified as an Open Water Diver, you can take a variety of Specialty Diver Courses that suit your individual interests.

The PADI Drift Diver Specialty course introduces you to a magic experience of soaring over the reef with little or no effort.  This course shows you how to enjoy rivers and ocean currents by “going with the flow,” staying with your dive partner, communicating with the dive boat and knowing where you are the entire time.  You simply glide along and enjoy the fun of flying underwater while the current does the work.

The PADI Drift Diver Course includes a classroom session and two open water dives.  This is a course that can be taught in an exotic location like Cozumel, Mexico or in a local river.  Anywhere there is a current to propel you through the water.  There is a student kit that includes a manual and instructional DVD.

During the PADI Drift Diver certification course, you learn:

• Planning, organization, procedures, techniques, problems and hazards of drift diving
• An introduction to drift diving equipment — floats, lines, reels
• Buoyancy-control, navigation and communication for drift diving
• Site selection and overview of aquatic currents – causes and effects
• Techniques for staying close to a buddy or together as a group

The PADI Drift Diver Specialty Diver Course is a fun course that will make your diving in currents more fun and enjoyable.  You will wonder why you did not start drift diving sooner.

Learn to Scuba Dive Safely: Pre-Dive Safety Procedures

Scuba Diving is a fun and safe sport.  Safety is dramatically increased, however, by following a few common sense safety procedures that are taught during the initial scuba diver training.

Dive Training – Pre-Dive Safety Checks: BWRAF

Every scuba diver should go through a routine Pre Dive Safety check with his or her dive buddy prior to the dive.  Even airline pilots do a flight check prior to taking off.   Similarly, scuba divers should follow the routine pre-dive check as well.  It consists of BWRAF and stands for Buoyancy Control Device, Weight System, Releases, Air and final OK.  The acronym “Begin With Review And Friend”  is taught in the beginner Open Water Course, and should faithfully be practiced prior to every scuba dive.

Scuba Diving Training: Listen to the Dive Briefing

Most of us have traveled on airplanes so frequently, that we often tend to tune out the pre-flight instructions from the flight attendants. Prior to all boat dives the Divemaster usually gives a dive briefing on the safety aspects and parameters of the dive such as depth and bottom time to be followed.  The Divemaster will also talk about any safety procedures to be followed as well as things of interest on the dive.  Since every scuba dive location is different, it is important to listen carefully to the briefing, you will be expected to follow these instructions, and that can often prevent problems.

Review and Discuss your Scuba Diving Hand Signals

Scuba divers speak to each other underwater by using hand signals.  You and your dive buddy should review these signals prior to the scuba dive.  That way you will both be on the same page so to speak, and that can prevent a host of problems that might arise due to a failure to communicate properly.

Review your Emergency Action Plan

Dive teams need to decide on just how to carry out the dive plan. Who will navigate and who will be responsible for other aspects of the dive.  Other dive procedures need to be discussed, such as how close the divers will be to each during the dive and what to do if they become separated.  This sounds very basic but by reviewing them prior to the scuba dive may make a major problem only a minor annoyance.

Scuba Diving Safety: Maintain Your Physical Fitness

Last but by no means not least, all scuba divers should maintain their physical fitness.  While scuba diving is not a cardiovascular sport, it does require some physical effort.  Being in reasonably good physical condition will help prevent or lessen the likelihood of over exertion.  It will also go a long way in insuring that the scuba diver has an enjoyable experience.

Maintain Your Scuba Diving Equipment

Scuba Diving Equipment, just like your automobile, needs periodic maintenance to run efficiently.  By having your scuba diving equipment serviced annually, you will prevent many of the possible problems that often occur due to worn or out of tune scuba equipment.  Regulators and Buoyancy Control Devices (BCD’s) should be serviced annually.

Maintain Your Scuba Fitness: Scuba Continuing Education

If you have not been diving in a while refresh your scuba diving skills.  Take a Scuba Review  Course to refresh those skills.  Consider taking a Scuba Continuing Education Course, like the Advanced Open Water or Rescue Diver Course.  The very best Scuba Divers are the one’s who scuba dive regularly and thereby keep their scuba skills sharp.

Scuba Diving is fun and exciting. By practicing these few safety rules and procedures you will make sure that the exciting part is not life threatening.

Scuba Diving Equipment in Northern Virginia: Weight Systems

All scuba divers use lead weights when scuba diving.  There are two basic types of weight systems: Weight Belt and Weight Integrated Buoyancy Control Device or BCD.

The Scuba Diving Weight Belt:

The oldest form of weight system is the weight belt.  The most common scuba diving weight belt is nylon with a plastic or metal buckle.  The belt is threaded through the weights and held in place with plastic or metal clips called weight keepers.  The biggest advantage of the weight belt is the ability to position the weights exactly where you want them for maximum maneuverability and balance.

A second type of Scuba Diving  Weight Belt is the pocketed weight belt.  This is a cloth or neoprene belt with pockets.  The weights, usually lead shot pouches, are placed in the various pockets.  This weight belt is more comfortable then the nylon weight belt.  Since the weights can only be placed where there is a pocket, this weight belt does not offer the same degree of positioning as the nylon weight belt does.

The Weight Integrated Buoyancy Control Device or BCD:

The Buoyancy Control Device or BCD is a required piece of Scuba Dive Equipment.  Many of the newer style Buoyancy Control Devices have weight pockets built into the BCD.   Weights integrated into the BCD are more comfortable to wear.  The weight pockets can be removed and handed up to your dive buddy when exiting the water.

However, you do not have the same degree of weight placement with a weight integrated BCD as the weight belt offers.  In addition when lifting the scuba unit it is heavier then the scuba unit with a separate weight belt.

Scuba Diving Training Tips:

Practice Dropping Weights:

Most scuba divers are trained during the initial certification course, the Open Water Course, using a weight belt since it is less expensive. During you initial Scuba Class Training you learn how to drop a weight belt in an emergency.  Scuba Divers who purchase Weight Integrated Buoyancy Control Devices should also practice how to release the weights in an emergency.  In addition they should practice securing the weight pockets so they do not accidentally release them.

Continuing Scuba Education:

A new weight integrated Buoyancy Control Device is a pleasure to dive with.  It is, however, some what different then the weight belt.  Scuba Divers using a new weight system should practice not only attaching and dropping weights but their buoyancy as well.  The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Course is an excellent way of learning how to properly and safely use new scuba diving equipment.

The single most important thing that you can do is to properly check your weighting and dive with only the correct amount of weight to obtain your maximum efficiency and safety when scuba diving.

Learn to Scuba Dive: The Scuba Review Course

You are a Certified Scuba Diver but you have not gone scuba diving for quite a while since your Scuba Diving Training?  You have a scuba diving vacation trip coming up but you are not sure of your scuba diving skills because it has been awhile since you last went scuba diving or your Dive Training course?  Then the PADI Scuba Review Course might be just what you are looking for.

At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center in Northern Virginia, we hear this quite often. As a result we offer the PADI Scuba Review Course every month, year round.  It is by far one of our more popular scuba diving courses.  With the PADI Scuba Review Course there is no need to retake your Open Water Certification Course.  The Scuba Review course is designed to refresh the scuba diving knowledge and scuba diving skills that you may have forgotten.

When you enroll in the PADI Scuba Review course you begin by reading the Scuba Review Tuneup Book.  With the help of this guidebook you go over the scuba knowledge you learned during your initial training.  Then, practice fundamental skills in a pool or a confined water area. You review:

• Safe diving practices
• Dive planning fundamentals
• Problem management
• Breathing air at depth
• Equipment assembly and breakdown
• Recreational diving and dive tables: basic knowledge
• Recreational diving and dive tables: dive planning
• Flying and diving rules

After you complete the knowledge assessment, you go through the Confined Water Skills Preview.  You review information about each skill, why it’s important, points to remember when performing the skill and a short video clip.  Completing this section just before practicing is a great way to refresh your knowledge of how each skill is performed.  The PADI Scuba Review course focuses on the practical skills that you will need to do while on that great upcoming scuba dive vacation.

The PADI Scuba Review course is also a great tune up prior to taking that PADI Specialty Diver course that you have been wanting to take.   The best part is that once you complete the PADI Scuba Review Course you are ready for that next great Aquatic Adventure!

Scuba Dive Travel – Bonaire

There are a few places whose name is synonymous with diving.  One of those is Bonaire.  Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a Dive Center in Northern Virginia that specializes in Dive Travel has run six scuba diving vacation trips to Bonaire in the past ten years and each one was an over whelming success.  Our next scuba diving trip there is from July 7 – 14, 2012, and promises to be a great mid-summer getaway.

Bonaire is known for its great reefs, crystal clear water, large schools of tropical fish, exotic critters like sea horses and frog fish, and perhaps the best shore diving of any destination in the Caribbean.  In addition to the beautiful beaches, the Dutch influence on the island makes Bonaire a most unusual destination and a fun place to visit.  Bonaire offers a unique combination of some of the best yet easiest diving in the Caribbean.  This is perfect location for individuals, couples and families.

he Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, our host hotel, overlooks a private white sand beach and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, and is surrounded by over 50 spectacular dive sites, all within a 15-minute boat ride.  This first-class resort, recently renovated, and boasts many amenities, including air conditioned rooms, two restaurants and three bars, a casino, two pools, spa, fitness center, sea kayaks, and a dive shop, and is located just three miles from the airport, and a five minute walk from town.

Our trip includes eight days and seven nights accommodations at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, six days of diving with five days of three boat dives daily, an additional day of one boat dive and one checkout dive, plus unlimited shore diving.  More than enough to satisfy even the most ardent diver.  An incredible breakfast buffet each morning will help you start each day.

Scuba Diving Training On Your Scuba Diving Trips

Taking the Scuba Diving Continuing Education Course while on you scuba diving vacation is very easy to do.  All or our trips are lead by an Instructor at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy.  This make completing that scuba course a snap to do.  Such Scuba Specialty Courses as Underwater Photography, Boat Diver, Fish Identification, Night Diver or even Underwater Navigation are perfect scuba courses to complete while on that great scuba diving vacation

Scuba Diving Vacations offer the opportunity to travel to other counties, see many unexplored areas or reefs, and just plain have fun.  Join us on our next 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.