Oceans cover seven tenths of the Earth’s surface- yet few of us have any real appreciation of the incredible sights and sounds to be found below. So isn’t it time you went scuba diving?
The leading recreational diving organisation is the
Professional Association of Diving Instructors, more commonly known as PADI. And with some two dozen
PADI-certified dive shops scattered around Sydney, finding someone to teach you the basics is simple.
The entry-level certificate can be achieved over a couple of weekends. Known as the
Open Water course, it consists of three stages: theory, which is done in the classroom; confined water dives, which are held in a pool or extremely shallow seas; and open water dives, which take place in a benign underwater location. With instructors always on hand and minimal depths involved, the chances of getting
the bends or suffering any other sort of accident are about the same as having your house fall on you.
Roaming about underwater for the first time is an extraordinary experience. The feeling of space, weightlessness and discovery is intoxicating. Your senses are in constant stimulation, as in every direction you encounter things that you’ve never seen before- things like these:
Colours of the deep
Fish!
Shark!
Meet my new friend
Puff the magic sea dragon
Once you’re qualified, all the same companies that offer certification will be able to take you on guided dives. You can then start ticking off the many
fine sites to be found in Sydney and NSW.
To read the certification FAQ,
click here.
