dive schools abroad

Have you thought about learning to scuba dive, but just were not sure? Now is your chance. There's no time like the present. There are dive schools abroad that can take you from a complete novice to a confident underwater diver in under a week. Who can become a diver? What does it take to get certified? Why learn to dive? Hopefully, we can answer some of these questions and gently persuade you to embark on an adventure of a lifetime.

Scuba diving is a complex sport and cannot be fully understood in one lesson but through a school in the UK or one of the many dive schools abroad you can learn the basics and what is required to become a competent and safe underwater diver. Before taking your first scuba class, you should have a firm comprehension of the five Ws (who, what, where, when, and why) of scuba diving.

Who
Just about anyone can become a diver. Scuba diving is an equal opportunity sport open to men, women and children of any race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status. However, there are a few limitations on age and health for safety purposes. Anyone 15 years old or older can become an Open Water Diver. Children between the ages of 10 and 15 can receive a Junior Open Water Diver certification. Check with the dive schools abroad before you book to ensure they offer the course your looking for and can cater for your build or age.

What
What is Scuba Diving? Most people have seen James Bond or a documentary on television of divers scouring the ocean amongst a plethora of multi coloured fish and bright living coral, this isn’t just for the movies. The images created in these shots are quite real; in the UK the dive sites are less colourful than say in The Red Sea where the marine life is some of the most prolific in the world. It is becoming increasingly common for people to enrol with dive schools abroad whereby they can learn in pleasant water conditions often at a fraction of the cost of diving in the UK.

Where
Dive schools can be found everywhere from the Scottish coasts to some of the more well known destinations such as Egypt, dive schools abroad are generally found near the coastline of your chosen destination however there are some specific tour operators offering the opportunity to book your diving before you leave the UK. Active Diving (087 123 11 122, http://www.activediving.co.uk) can arrange accommodation, flights and your diving either courses or guided dives in exotic destinations such as Mozambique, The Red Sea and Lanzarote ensuring you will come into contact with some of the most spectacular marine sights in the world including the Thistlegorm, Manta Rays and Whale sharks as part of their guaranteed programmes.

When
Anytime of year, many destinations have particular times of year when their visibility is better however this is specific to each destination. The best thing is to do research online before you decide when to travel and which destination you’re going to visit, equally ask the specialists such as those from Active Diving who understand the real time conditions of each destination or with one of the dive schools abroad in the destination you’re considering.

Why
WHY NOT!?!? Diving is a sport that can absorb you; the insight into a completely new world is one of the most exiting experience you will ever encounter and sure to buoy your interest in diving for the rest of your life. Scuba divers do more than check out the fish. Depending on your interests, you can specialize in a skill for your own pleasure or make diving a career option. However recreational divers make up the most popular category and the underwater world becomes a fascination. Because of the amount of dive schools abroad this will ensure the underwater world is literally your oyster.

To find out more about dive schools abroad in The Red Sea, Lanzarote and South Africa visit http://www.activediving.co.uk and quote: ART

Author: Dean Thomas (25/08/08)

That’s all for now on dive schools abroad