Equipment

SCUBA divers must carry a lot of equipment with them. The SCUBA itself consists of a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) also known as a vest, a 1st and 2nd stage with two regulators (one is smaller and can be used if a buddy runs out of air) also known as an octopus because of its appearance. The octopus also has gauges attached to it to tell divers how much air they have left in their tank (measured in PSI Pounds per Square Inch), and how long they have been underwater, and how deep they are. A metal air tank (which divers usually don't own themselves) is carried on a person back. Though it seems heavy, underwater the weight seems to magically disappear. SCUBA divers also must carry other equipment underwater that doesn't have to do with the actual SCUBA apparatus. Divers must carry a mask, a snorkel, fins, booties (like waterproof socks that are worn in fins), and a wetsuit (if the water is cold). They can also bring along a light (for night dives), an underwater camera, or protective gear that is not necessary, such as gloves or a hood.

Certification

In order to SCUBA dive, a person must be certified. Of course anyone could just jump in the water, but they have to have air tanks, and in order to have your tank filled, you must be certified. There are many different dive certification companies around the world, but they all aren't accepted at all places. The most widely recognized SCUBA certification company is PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), and it is almost always accepted at all dive shops. The certification process is a multi-step process. Anyone over the age of 10 can begin certification for PADI's Jr. Open Water Diver program, and anyone overy the age of 15 can begin certification for PADI's Open Water Diver program.

The first step to certification is to find a dive shop that offers certification classes. There are often 3 four hour classes, one for each section of the PADI Open Water Diver text book. It may sound like a long class, but half of it is spent in the pool practicing dive skills! Once the class has been passed, students must pass a multiple choice test. If the test is passed, they must then do check out dives. Check out dives are dives in open water (a lake or the ocean) with a dive master. The dive master helps the students practice skills, because even though the students have practiced these skills in a pool, practicing in open water is very different. If the student passes the check out dives, they have now completed their certification, and are now officially an open water diver.

Why?

So why do people want to dive? People dive for fun, for work, for sport and for no reason at all. People who dive for work can work at a dive shop where they give tours, or work in the field of marine biology, where they would have to bring stuff from underwater to the surface to study, or some people spearfish for a living (which is also sport).

Most divers dive for fun. People organize dive trips all over the world. Some people even live aboard a ship for a week or two just to go diving. People enjoy diving for fun because of the sites, the fish and the thrills. Even though you may think it is all the same ocean, different oceans are home to different species. People also dive to see what is underwater other than what is living. Around the world there are wrecks of ships, submarines, statues and more. People love to explore what used to be used by humans. Many wrecks are crawling with life, and can be a great place to dive. Diving for thrills is also a popular reason to dive. Being underwater at depths around 100 feet can be dangerous and for those people who like the thrill of being that deep it can be very exciting.