As the everyday life of modern city dwellers gets increasingly stressful, weekend getaways have become more and more important. With adventure sports like scuba diving gaining immense popularity amongst young and old alike. There are many questions that arise in the mind of people when they hear the word scuba-diving so here are the top 9 myth busters that we created with the help of experts from the adventure company Wildervibe which is working proactively to serve the popularity needs that this sport is gaining in India and the world around:
1) Safety:
Most people consider Scuba Diving to be a dangerous sport with risk to life. Isolated incidents around the globe have created a fear in the minds of adventure tourers. However the truth remains that Scuba Diving is just as dangerous as taking an Airplane for commute to a different city or country. Contrary to popular belief the risk factor in this underwater sport is very little and abundant safety measures are available for a diver. Most scuba trips are available with professional guides and the concept of experience diving is 100% safe.
2) Swimming:
Though this sport is completely related to water, one does not need to know swimming to go under the surface. A basic level of fitness however will help you enjoy the sport more because it’s a calorie burning activity. Swimming however is not a prerequisite to scuba diving.
3) Training:
Most people avoid taking scuba trips because they feel a lot of training is required to undertake this sport. For divers diving just for the experience the whole training process includes just the basic hand gestures and breathing under water which essentially is a half an hour activity taking place in monitored waters of a swimming pool. So people not wanting to spend more days of their vacations on such an excursion, an experience dive is only a matter of few hours!
4) Time:
People on short trips often avoid indulgence in this amazing activity because they fear a lot of time will be consumed in doing so. However the truth remains that even a certified course lasts not more than 6 – 10 days. For first time divers doing it only for the experience and a few pictures under water, the total time consumed will be a little less that 10 – 12 hours depending on the number of people wanting to dive.
5) Emergency Aid:
The most frequently asked question is what will happen in case of emergencies under water. Well those who have gone for the experience dives will agree to the fact that an amateur diver is always accompanied by professional guides who would immediately surface in less than a minute with the diver in trouble. The whole dive takes places between 10 – 12 meters which would essentially be 2 stories of height compared to a building. So in case of emergencies just a thumbs up sign under water will take you back to the surface in no time.
6) Fear:
For people with even the slightest phobia of water, this sport is beyond limits. However for people fearing fish and creature attacks underwater need not worry at all because no creature that lives under the sea breathes under water while all divers do. So the bubbles that you create under water are enough to scare the shit out of any small or big shark walking your way (Though they are not present at most dive sites across the world).
7) Mask and Breathing Apparatus:
For people wanting to know where they will be breathing from. The mask only keeps water away from the eyes and the dive organizers will make sure you get a mask that will fit your face. Moreover, the mask also protect your nose from any contact with the water. The breathing apparatus is gripped between the teeth and one can breathe in and out through the mouth which is very, very convenient. The myths that revolve around this procedure being difficult are hoax and one test dive in the swimming pool will show you why!!
8) Weight Issues:
This sport is also open to fat people (They being my favorite kind of people) and skinny – bony people alike. Why? Because under water everything is weightless to a great extent. People considering weight issues as a drawback should actually step in first because you might not be able to skydive or bungee down with weight issues but you can scuba anytime.
9) Costing:
Finances are really important for any adventure sport. With sky rocketing prices surrounding other sports, it is only natural for one to feel that Scuba too will be expensive. But guess what… It’s not. In India an experience dive would cost somewhere around 5k – 7k per dive while a certified course (Open Water Course) would be in the range of 25k – 35k depending on the dive location. The benefits of this course is that it is spread over 6 – 10 days and one will be awarded a certificate at the end of it which will allow the bearers to dive anywhere in the world by just renting the gear. Other advanced courses might be slightly on the higher side but for a complete scuba experience this much is more than enough.
For people just wanting the cool underwater Facebook display pictures, the tandem experience dive is more than enough. For people wanting to explore oceans around the world should go for the Basic Open Water Course which teaches you navigation and swimming skills useful under water. Either of these will leave you spell bound at the beauty that exists just a few feet under the surface of water and one experience is enough to leave your senses tantalized by the serenity and soundlessness of the great blue.
This is a guest post by Jaimeen Baxi Exclusively for dontgetserious.com