FAQ

Scuba Diving is an exciting adventure sport but some people may have apprehension about swimming or breathing underwater. Here are some of our most common questions. If your question is not satisfactorily answered, we would love to talk with you in person.

#1: Isn’t Scuba Diving a high-risk sport?

Diving is an adventurous, outdoor leisure time activity.  Like many outdoor sports, Scuba Diving does present some inherent risks. However, according to Divers Alert Network (DAN) statistics, Scuba accidents are far less common than in such other outdoor activities as snowmobiling or skiing.  In fact, divers experience far fewer injuries that participants in most outdoor leisure activities. At Diver’s World we utilize the NAUI certification agency which focuses on safety and education.

#2: Must you be an athlete or strong swimmer?

Scuba divers do need to feel comfortable in the water, and they do need to know how to swim, but more than that is not required.  No need to be a competitive swimmer.  In fact, physically handicapped people are learning to Scuba dive.  Thanks to new equipment and modern training techniques, diving has become both easy and remarkably safe. Further, Scuba Diving is a relatively low-impact sport that many people enjoy well into their later years!

#3: Aren’t there some medical conditions that disqualify you from diving?

Your health and safety are our primary focus. If you are in good cardiovascular and respiratory health you are, most likely, fit to dive. We will ask you to fill out a Medical History Questionnaire and, if there are any conditions to which you must answer “yes” (or are unsure about), let’s get your physician’s perspective. Many conditions that were once thought to exclude divers are now understood to be acceptable within limits. The Diver’s Alert Network is a wonderful resource for healthy diving.

#4: Is Scuba Diving HARD  to learn?

Far from it! Diving classes are fun and usually you form great friendships with those in your class. Diver’s World and NAUI want you to be a knowledgeable, skilled and fun diver so this does require some work on your part. However, our curriculum is designed for students from 12 years and up. If you have the interest and commitment, we will work with you until you are a confident and skilled diver.

#5: I heard Scuba Diving is EASY  to learn.

Some resorts and certification agencies will lead you to believe that you can become a competent diver in a couple of days or over the internet. You may be able to get a certificate that way but, at Diver’s World, we take your and your loved one’s safety seriously. This is precisely why we have chosen NAUI as our certification agency and why we will tend to the safe side when issuing c-cards. We are committed to giving you a good experience but we wish to train safecompetent and lifelong divers!

#6: I am interested in the Group Lesson but I know that I will be unable to attend all the sessions.

We understand that a five or six week commitment doesn’t work with everyone’s schedule. Our professional Instructors and Dive Masters will work with you to make up missed weeks in the pool if you miss a week or two. If you think you will miss more than that, let’s find a better option that meets your needs. In addition to our Group Lessons we offer an Executive Class that concentrates your class into two weekends, a Summer Scuba Camp that gets you certified in one week and a variety of Semi- and Fully-Private classes that can be customized to meet your schedule. Please call us to see what option is best for you.

#7: What’s the difference between NAUI and other certification agencies?

This is a good question which we receive occasionally. First, its important to know that every legitimate scuba training agency adheres to a set of minimum standards set by the World Recreational Scuba Diving Council (WRSTC). These basic standards help to ensure that all divers receive a minimum of training before achieving their certification to dive without supervision. Additionally, WRSTC adherence ensures that your certification will be honored wherever you dive around the globe. However, at Diver’s World, we believe that those minimum standards are just the starting point to ensure our diver’s are safe, knowledgeable, skilled and excited about the sport. As such, we have chosen NAUI as the agency that shares this vision.

NAUI’s vision of “Dive Safety through Education” encourages instructors and divers to understand the sport and its risks. Further, NAUI’s standards go beyond these minimum standards at every level of education. NAUI is the preferred agency for the U.S. Navy Seals, NASA, NOAA, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Divers, the Florida Aquarium and Disney/EPCOT Resorts, the Fire Department of New York and many other well respected organizations. For more details about NAUI please visit their FAQ page.

We are extremely proud of the divers that we train and we get great feedback about their skills and abilities all the time! We encourage you not to fall for quick and easy promises: You wouldn’t trust your skydiving lessons to a couple of online classes or want the “budget” version would you? You wouldn’t want your rappelling instructor to be using equipment from the 80’s. Whomever you choose for your scuba instruction, we encourage you to do you homework and ensure that you will be fully trained to handle the risks while enjoying every minute! Make sure that your instructor(s) are actively engaged in the industry, not teaching ancient theory or skills and adhere to the latest standards. Ultimately, your safety and enjoyment of the sport will have a lot to do with the quality of instruction you receive.