Of the many water sports and activities, scuba diving is one of the most dangerous for pretty obvious reasons. Descending into the murky depths with a tank of air on your back demands that you know what you are doing and are prepared for every eventuality. If you are considering learning how to scuba dive, there are some serious aspects to take into account.
Drowning
This is an obvious risk when spending time underwater; divers learn to keep their eye on their air tank levels and wearing a diver’s watch is the best way to do that. When you enrol in a basic course with a diving company in Fujairah, you start at the very beginning, learning how the air tank system works and the first few dives are carried out in a contained pool with a certified instructor by your side. This allows you to get used to breathing through the mouthpiece before you actually do a sea dive.
PADI Open Water Course
Known as the top scuba diving course, the PADI open water course teaches you everything you need to know to safely dive and it is globally recognised as a top certification. There is some theory involved to teach you about specific risks, such as decompression sickness, lung over-expansion and how to treat marine life.
Testing the Water
If you are not sure whether scuba diving is for you, take a trip to your local dive centre and they will be happy to get you in the water to help you decide how you feel about diving. You can wear a set of tanks and be submerged, while having a trainer next to you and if you enjoy the experience, you can sign up for the PADI open water course and experience the wonders of the underwater world. If you are into meditation and would like to set up your own special area, click here.
Decompression sickness
This can be a fatal condition that is caused by surfacing too soon; the PADI course teaches you all you need to know to protect yourself regarding at what speed you return to the surface. Nitrogen dissolves into the blood when pressure decreases during rapid ascent; the safe way to ascend is to stop at specific depths to allow the nitrogen to dissipate. Many people learn scuba diving in UAE, where there are some spectacular dive sites.
If you follow the safety procedures, scuba diving is perfectly safe and you should never dive alone; you should have at least one other person with you, which offers both divers a level of protection.