If you don’t know how to swim, you probably think it’s a bad idea to go scuba diving. But the reality is it’s a low-risk activity that almost everyone can enjoy – even non-swimmers.
You don’t need prior diving experience, and swimming isn’t a requirement for scuba diving for the first time.
If you’d love to give diving a try, this post is dedicated to scuba diving for non-swimmers – we’ll give you everything you need to know.
What You Need To Know Before Scuba Diving: Health & Safety
Whether you’re confident in the water or a total newbie, there are some important health and safety points to know before scuba diving.
You may need to be certified
Many dive operators require proof of certification or specialty competency for certain types of dive. If you’re planning to dive for the first time, make sure you choose an introductory dive course (or taste tester) that allows non-swimmers to participate.
If you do dive without certification and without a certified diver, you won’t be covered by your travel insurance should something go wrong.
Check your fitness levels
It’s always best to schedule a physical to ensure you’re fit and healthy before going scuba diving. If you’re generally in good health, you probably won’t have any problems. However, certain health conditions can make scuba diving a risk, so it’s always best to consult your physician.
Find a certified diving school
You’ll find recommended diving schools online for all coastal areas where scuba diving is popular. Make sure you find one that is well-established with quality equipment and boats.
Speak to the instructors beforehand to check their credentials – you need a certified diver even for taste tester days.
Listen to your diving instructor
When you’re new to diving, listening to your dive instructor is crucial. They will give you essential safety information, teach you hand signals, and show you how to dive safely. Once on the boat, follow your instructor’s brief and make sure you communicate with them throughout the day.
Take a buddy
The buddy system is used by new and experienced divers alike. Having a buddy is important for gear checks, helping if something goes wrong underwater, and for making sure, you’re not left behind.
If you’re planning on going scuba diving solo, make friends with someone on the boat and ask to buddy up to be safe.
Get the right insurance
There is specific travel insurance that covers scuba diving activities, so make sure you get the right one. A lot of travel policies explicitly omit water sports of any kind, so it’s important to make sure you’re fully covered.
How To Get Started With Scuba Diving: Lessons And Equipment
The key to getting started with scuba diving is finding the right scuba school. Beginners classes usually provide equipment and will give you a full briefing to get you started.
Choose a scuba diving course
From scuba diving in Tulum, Mexico, to the Great Barrier Reef, there are countless diving courses across the world that allow non-swimmers to try out diving.
Beginners’ courses will cover the basics of diving and start in a pool so you can get used to the equipment.
Fortunately, there really isn’t much swimming involved in scuba diving. But if you’re nervous about the water, you’ll be able to find your confidence either in a shallow pool or enclosed water.
When doing your research, make sure you find a certified instructor with great reviews.
Buy or rent dive gear
Most basic scuba dive courses will rent you all the gear you need as part of the school fee. However, you can also buy or rent your own gear if you plan on diving often.
Here’s a list of the basics you’ll need:
- Scuba mask
- Fins
- Snorkel
- Regulator
- Wetsuit
A wetsuit should fit snuggly, so it might be worth buying your own if you plan on becoming an avid scuba diver. This will allow you to get a great-fitting, high-quality suit.
The other equipment is easy to rent – just make sure you do a thorough check and review the brands on offer. High-quality gear is crucial for a safe dive.
The Training: How To Get Certified To Scuba Dive
You’ll start with a beginner’s course that covers all the basics of scuba diving. In these classes, you’ll cover:
- How to put on your gear
- Hand signals
- Buoyancy tips
- Safety tips and information
Most beginner courses won’t certify you for diving, so you’ll have to take additional classes if you want to go diving alone.
These additional classes will cover the basics and give you more hands-on diving experience in enclosed facilities and open water.
Master Scuba Diver (MSD) is the highest qualification you can hold in scuba diving. To get this, you need to complete Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver certifications.
Where To Go Scuba Diving: The Best Spots For Beginners
There are some fantastic scuba schools all over the world, but if you’re looking to book a trip, here are our top three recommendations for beginners.
Maldives
The Maldives is known for its warm, calm waters, so it’s a great place for beginners to learn how to scuba dive. The waters are warm year-round, and you’ll have visibility up to 30 meters.
Many of the resorts have PADI diving schools, several of which are within the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, home to tropical fish and turtles.
The Maldives is also the only place where you’ll spot whale sharks year-round, so it’s a truly fantastic place to learn to scuba dive.
South Africa
Sodwana Bay National Park on the Elephant Coast in South Africa has several PADI diving centers. Here, you can combine a safari with scuba diving, and expect to see turtles, dolphins, and even sharks on your beginner scuba diving course.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands have the best visibility in the Caribbean for scuba divers (up to 30 meters). The waters are warm year-round and the current is mild, perfect for non-swimmers.
Grand Cayman is the most popular island for scuba diving, where you’re almost certain to see a turtle on your dive. Stingray City is a world-renowned shallow water dive (just five meters) and is another great option for non-swimmers.
What To Expect When Scuba Diving
You probably feel a little nervous about your first dive as a non-swimmer, so here’s what you can expect from the experience.
You’ll start with a brief
Before you even get in the pool, you’ll get a full safety briefing that covers breathing rules, equipment, hand signals, and important safety rules. This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions if you’re unsure of anything.
Practicing skills
Next, you’ll practice all the essential diving skills in confined water that you can stand up in (this is usually a shallow swimming pool). It can be daunting learning to breathe with the mask on, so knowing you can stand up at any time will help give you confidence.
Your first open-water dive
Once you’ve got the basics mastered, you’ll go on your first open-water dive. You are only allowed to go to a maximum depth of twelve meters, but many stay much closer to the surface to get used to the scuba gear.
You won’t be required to go down to twelve meters, and you can spend the entire session snorkeling near the boat if you’d prefer!
Tips on Scuba Diving if You’re a Non-Swimmer
If you’re not a strong swimmer or you’re nervous about the water, here are some top tips for your first scuba dive.
Communicate with your scuba diving instructor
Make sure your scuba instructor knows that you can’t swim and you might need some extra help building your confidence in the water. Good instructors will help you get the basics of buoyancy and safety in the water without any issues. If you feel a lack of interest from your instructor, that’s a sign to find a different one!
Ask lots of questions
Good scuba diving instructors will happily answer any and all of your questions, no matter how silly they might seem. Ask lots of questions and make sure you feel confident before you get in the water. If you feel uncertain at any point, ask for help.
Brush up on your diving knowledge
Knowledge is power, so the more you know about diving safety beforehand, the more prepared you’ll be. Brush up on your scuba diving knowledge before you go to your lessons and you won’t feel overwhelmed by all the safety information.
If you can get a swimming lesson beforehand, this might also help build up your confidence.
Take a friend with you
It’s always good to dive with a buddy, but you might feel more confident if you take a friend with you, rather than buddying up with someone also on the course. You need to buddy up with someone you trust to watch your back as you watch theirs.
Stay well hydrated
You probably won’t feel very thirsty being in the water for long periods of time, but you’ll become dehydrated very quickly. Make sure you take a lot of water and drink consistently throughout the day to avoid the effects of dehydration.
Relax and enjoy
Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Scuba diving is a unique experience and one you’ll remember forever. The more relaxed you are, the better your dive will be, and the more you’ll appreciate the marine life.
Find Out How Much Certification Costs
Don’t let the fact that you’re a non-swimmer put you off scuba diving – it’s a fantastic experience that everyone should try if they can.
Scuba diving is about sinking more than staying afloat, so you won’t even notice your lack of breaststroke skills when you’re down in the deep exploring.
If you’re wondering how much it costs to get certified, head to our next post where we break down the costs.
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This article originally appeared on TheRoamWild.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
8 adventure trips for every type of traveler—even you
“Adventure” means different things to different people. To some of us, it’s about trekking in Patagonia, paragliding over the Andes, or rappelling off the Statue of Liberty. To others, it’s a hot stone massage followed by a hot toddy.
Point being: You don’t have to take your life in your own (or someone else’s) hands to have yourself a little rumpsringa or holiday. You just have to step outside your everyday self. This can be done at a five-star hotel with 800 thread count sheets, in a tent in the wilderness, or perhaps best of all, in a happy combination of the two.
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Maybe your first exposure to adventure travel was a backpacking trek through Europe right after college, a time-honored ritual in some circles, replete with overnight stays at grubby hostels and hooking up with that cute Swede.
But now, you probably prefer a few more creature comforts when you travel, says Edward Piegza, president and founder of Classic Journeys.
But, he adds, that doesn’t mean you don’t want adventure during the day. Like what? He’s quick to reel off a list of possibilities: glacier hiking in Iceland, swimming with Galapagos penguins, or cooking with a chef in her cliffside home a thousand feet above the Amalfi Coast.
“Everyone is saying 50 is the new 30, 60 is the new 40, and we are seeing that in the travel trends,’’ says Ann-Rebecca Laschever, executive vice president of Geoffrey Weill Associates, a travel public relations firm. Her term for these travelers: “bucketlisters.”
DepositPhotos.com
One of the better definitions of adventure travel comes from Mary Bemis, the editorial director at the InsidersGuidetoSpas.com: “A real adventure is when you’re no longer thinking of your daily life—when you’d rather be someplace else.”
At some level, she adds, an adventure happens when the outcome is unknown and there’s a little risk involved. When that happens, she says, you’re taken out of your everyday reality and forced to confront the present moment.
Here are eight ideas of how to exit your everyday and meet a little adventure head-on, including suggestions for almost every kind of traveler:
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Scottsboro, Ala. might not be the first town that comes to mind for a rollicking good adventure, but one million shoppers from across the world prove that wrong each year with a pilgrimage to the Unclaimed Baggage Center.
The store is home to 40,000 square feet of goodies that airlines have not been able to reunite with their former owners—everything from clothing, musical instruments, and electronics to a full suit of armor and an over-the-top showcase item (the current showcase piece is a gold and diamond bracelet valued at $42,000).
As many as 7,000 new items arrive daily, with discounts between 20 to 80% off retail prices.
Unclaimed Baggage Center
Set in the Peruvian Amazon far from Wi-Fi and any cell reception, Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica is an eco-luxury lodge in the lush Tambopata region in Peru. Comprised of 35 cabins deep in the heart of the Amazon Jungle, the hotel is Mecca for travelers looking to disconnect and embrace nature.
A favorite activity: kayaking the Madre de Dios River and taking a tour along the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, a bridge system suspended 98 feet above the ground. You can spot anacondas and tarantulas, and, if you’re super lucky, maybe even a jaguar.
Inkaterra
If you are a devotee of ayurveda, a holistic healing system developed more than 3,000 years ago in India, then it’s off to Germany with you. Really.
A Healing Hotel of the World, Ayurveda Parkschloesschen, in Parkschloesschen, Germany, is an ayurvedic wonderland where you can get your scalp massaged, your chakras aligned, and your energy balanced, all while eradicating toxins from your body.
For a break from your break, take a trip to the nearby town of Traben-Trarbach, home to the Buddha Museum where 2,000 Buddha sculptures and statues, mainly from Burma and Cambodia, await your arrival in their 43,000 square foot home.
Healing Hotels of the World
Imagine a restored ghost town set in an alpine valley on 1600 acres of land, just across the mountain from Telluride. That’s Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado, a small and oh-so-exclusive resort in the San Juan mountains.
You can take your pick from winter activities that include cross-country skiing, dog sledding, heli-skiing, and more. At night, rest your head in one of the 12 luxurious log cabins, an additional tent suite, and natural mineral hot springs.
Dunton Hot Springs
The thousand-year-old Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route is one of the world’s top spiritual roads, attracting travelers from around the globe. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage, the path winds through the mainland’s mountainous Kii Peninsula, punctuated by shrines and temples.
Start in Kyoto, one of the main transport hubs to the area. Just outside of this former capital city, you can experience the new Terahaku project which allows visitors to book overnight stays at temples and shrines. Think of it as the Airbnb of Japanese temples.
Launching this July, Terahaku will allow travelers access to 100 temples near Japan’s largest lake, Biwa-Ko, in the Shiga Prefecture. The project plans to expand to 1,000 temples over the next three years.
Japan National Tourism Organization
At over 2,700 miles long, the Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia and the 12th longest river on earth, flowing through six countries from China to Cambodia and Vietnam. A hub of Vietnamese and Cambodian culture, the Mekong Delta is filled with floating markets selling fish, coconut candy, tropical fruit, variables and flowers.
Aqua Expeditions’ five-star luxury river cruiser, the Aqua Mekong sails along the fabled river offering guests a chance to experience the Mekong Delta region of Cambodia and Vietnam in utmost luxury. The ship features a plunge pool, five-star cuisine by renowned chef David Thompson and is comprised of 20 Design Suites all equipped with floor to ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the vibrant culture surrounding the ship.
Aqua Expeditions can arrange pre- or post- Mekong cruise itineraries for guests at an additional cost, including visits to Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 300-plus temples in Cambodia built during the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 14th centuries.
Aqua Mekong
The Harbor View Hotel is the ideal base for a nautical adventure on Martha’s Vineyard. Open since 1891 and surrounded by the 19th-century former homes of whaling captains, the hotel is a short stroll from Edgartown Harbor, where guests can charter a private sailing excursion with top-rated Catboat Charters.
The harbor is also home to the Edgartown Yacht Club, host of the 96th Annual Regatta in 2019, as well as the Round the Island, Round the Sound and Round the Buoy races. After working up an appetite on the water, guests can return to the hotel’s signature restaurant for fresh-caught local seafood and sweeping views of Chappaquiddick, the harbor entrance and the iconic Edgartown Lighthouse.
Among Harbor View’s accommodations options, five spacious Captain’s Cottages—each named after an Edgartown sea captain—continue the nautical vibe. The hotel re-opens in May 2019 following a seven-month renovation.
Harbor View Hotel
A quick 20 minutes outside Charlotte, Cabarrus County is a motorsports-lovers dream. Unleash your speed demon in a real NASCAR race car on the legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway while taking turns at upwards of 160 mph. Hit speeds of up to 130 MPH while driving a dragster at zMAX Dragway.
Zip around professionally-designed indoor go-kart tracks in all-electric karts at K1 Speed. Or go power shopping at the Concord Mills, an indoor mall shaped in an oval (like a race track!) with more than 200 stores, a food court, movie theater, and Sea-Life Aquarium.
After, unwind at one of Cabarrus County’s wineries through their Race To Taste program. This self-guided tasting tour is printed on a functional coaster set so you can sip and explore at your own pace.
This article originally appeared on Considerable.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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