I have always wanted to scuba dive. I'm the type of person that doesn't want to jump into something without trying first.

Is it possible to just try it out with a trainer or guide before I decide if I want to be certified and scuba all the time?

Hi Kris,

Absolutely. PADI (and most other bodies) offer introduction courses if you'd like to get your fins wet before committing to a full open water qualification.

PADI's course is called "Discover Scuba", it's a one day thing where you get some basics in Scuba, some shallow water practise runs and a couple of "proper" dives.

www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/begin/dsdsd.asp

Depending on your location BSAC also do try dives, they are called 'try dives' lol if you ask in your local dive centre they will be able to inform you when, where and who is doing a try dive.

thanks for the advice. Right now it's winter and we have snow! I'm thinking seriously about this for next year. Thinking about heading to Florida and would love to try this.

Sometimes you can get the process kicked started, if you are looking at going away you can sometimes do all the theory here and then spend a couple of days doing the qualifying dives where ever it is you are going on holiday. That does depend on whether your dive centre will do that though!

That is a pretty smart idea. Being prepared - so I get more out of the vacation. I'm going to start researching it online and set up my dives early.

A great many serious mishaps occur when someone who is not certified ventures out into open water. If you aren't certified you are taking a risk

Padi run a course called Discover Scuba Diving which is then deducted from the cost of your Open Water Certificate. I personally dived a few times with qualified friends before realising that not being certified restricted me from really enjoying diving. Cheers Malcolm

Nice one Tusa, I forgot to mention you can get the price of the DSD taken off your OW cert..

Hmmm, I might have to get certified one of these days. That would be nice to have.

May I ask how does it work in the UK? Besides your certificaion, do you have to get any kind of authorisation/identification from the government?

You only have to get authorisation/identification from the government if you do commercial or professional diving where you get paid to work as a diver. It's under the health and safety executive (HSE).

My only dive so far has been the PADI Discover Scuba dive in Isla Roatan (yay for warm water) and it's what got me seriously interested in diving and getting certified. I'll admit I was pretty shaky at first, and almost threw in the towel a couple of times, but once I forced myself to trust my equipment to allow me to breathe, and got practice clearing my leaky mask (seriously every minute or two that thing was halfway full of water again) I had a blast and can't wait to get started with open water certification. I highly recommend trying it first, and I think the Discover Scuba class is a great way to do that.

Hi there!
Trying it first is indeed important! You can surely try it with the help of a diving agency that will give you all the important information!
But I'm warning you... you will love it!