by Caroline Atkins

Created on: November 28, 2007   Last Updated: September 30, 2008

SCUBA DIVING is the activity of swimming underwater while breathing compressed air. The word scuba came about in World War II, and is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Scuba Diving is wonderful and exciting, but is frightening to many people. Imagine being underwater 50 feet along the ocean floor for a half an hour. You are in the open territory of sharks, eels, rays and fish.

In many respects, scuba diving is a sport. You can purchase scuba equipment at a local sporting good store (especially those in coastal communities), but scuba diving is also used in scientific and commercial fields. Examples of non-recreational scuba diving include aquarium maintenance, shipwreck salvage, civil engineering, biology, and boat and ship inspection, repair and maintenance.

Scuba diving is complex and involves many health risk factors, including drowning, decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, and salt water aspiration syndrome. If you are not certified, don't borrow somebody's equipment and think you can "figure it out." Becoming certified in an Open Water course is essential.

The world's largest and most recognized recreational dive training organization is PADI, which stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors. PADI is based out of the United States but is recognized worldwide. I became a PADI certified Open Water Diver while on vacation on the island of Utila, just off the coast of Honduras, in 2006. PADI offers many courses beyond Open Water Diving, including Rescue Diving, Night Diving, Cave Diving, Ice Diving and many others.

If you are ready to take a diving class, go to www.PADI.com. You can take classes all over the world. It is often cheaper to take your certification class in the country you are going to. I highly recommend Alton's Dive Center in Utila. For more information, visit www.altonsdiveshop.com.

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