Learn to Scuba Dive

Experiences You Should Have

The host of Experiences You Should Have Podcast tells her story on how learning how to Scuba dive changed her life. Listen to the above podcast episode to hear her story on how she got into diving as a teenager in Tennessee.

Gail on her first dive trip as a teenager off the coast of North Carolina on the Spar wreck

Diving is How the Podcast Began

In 2017, when Darwin Arch was still an arch, Gail set out to dive the Galapagos and dive with schooling hammerheads. She started interviewing divers on the boat with the idea to start a podcast. In the middle of nowhere, in shark-infested waters, the podcast was born. Listen to this episode on how Experiences You Should Have podcast began for the full story.

Essentially, diving is what created this podcast, and is what kickstarted Gail into dreaming big and working to create her own reality.

How Do You Get Certified to Dive?

You need to be at least 10 years old, have signoff from your doctor if you want to learn how to Scuba dive, and pay for an open water certification through a reputable dive shop. The most popular dive companies out there are PADI and NAUI. Back in the day, you did your bookwork in person, but now you can do that online and go at your own pace. You will then practice your skills in a pool (or in an ocean with pool-like conditions) and then complete 4 check-out dives.

Do You Have to Do Your Open Water Checkout Dives locally?

This is completely up to you. Most people don’t live near-pristine dive conditions and may not want to dive in a cold lake with no visibility. If that doesn’t sound great to you, you can plan to do your check-out dives in warm water on a dive vacation like Kona HI (where you should plan to dive with manta rays at night after your check-out dives), Florida (highly recommend the Blue Heron Bridge), or a family-friendly place like Bonaire. However, doing the cold lake dive is like a right of passage as you will greatly appreciate warm water dives after diving in terrible conditions.

Adaptive Scuba Diving

Absolutely! People with limited mobility may still be able to get their normal open water dive certification. However, if the skills are too hard on their own, adaptive divers can go through an adaptive dive program with specialized training. More info at Adaptive Diving Association, Denver Divers, and Dive Pirates.

Interested in Diving Adventures, Check Out These Podcast Episodes

• Dive the Blue Heron Bridge
• Dive the Galapagos
• Manta Ray Dive (or Snorkel) in Kona
• Black Water Diving in Kona
• Black Water Drift Diving in Florida
• Dive Between Tectonic Plates in Iceland (Silfra)
• Go Cenote Diving in Mexico