Scuba Certification: Dive Skills

A completely different world exists in the coral reefs and deep waters of the ocean. Scuba divers get to experience this world while they glide through the coral, schools of fish and crustaceans that call the ocean home. All scuba divers need a certification to join group dives or dive on their own.

  1. Scuba Class

    • Before a scuba student can begin actual dives, he must attend a class on basic scuba diving concepts. This class covers dive tables, proper breathing, how to plan dives and scuba gear. Students receive books on scuba diving fundamentals and can work one-on-one with a certified instructor. The student can take these classes online or in a classroom, depending on the company the diver chooses for certification.

    Confined Water Dives

    • In the confined water dives, scuba divers participate in five separate dives in a pool. The goal of these confined dives is to teach basic scuba diving skills, such as setting up scuba gear. During the confined dives, a student will learn above-water techniques (such as floating) and underwater techniques, such as removing a mask while submerged. The instructor will also cover emergency preparedness skills such as sharing an oxygen tank with a dive buddy.

    Written Exam

    • After the basic course and confined dives, the scuba student will need to take and pass a written exam. The exam covers all of the skills taught in the confined dives, including emergency situations. Once the diver passes this exam, she will receive a certificate verifying the completion of the training course.

    Open-Water Dives

    • The next step for a scuba diver is to get a certification for open-water diving. To do this, the diver will complete four supervised open-water dives. According to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), these dives can be in a local deep-water area or while the scuba diver is on vacation, as long as an instructor is present to monitor the dive.

    Beyond Basic Certification

    • There are several courses and certifications a scuba diver can participate in beyond basic diving and deep-water diving. For example, PADI offers a night-diving specialty course. According to PADI, the course covers the fundamental of diving at night while the diver gets to experience nocturnal aquatic life.