First SCUBA Dive Expectations

What to Expect During Your First Scuba Class

Congratulations! You’ve signed up for your first scuba diving class. You’re probably excited by the prospect of the crystal-blue water, the possibility of seeing stunning tropical fish and coral and the thrill of trying something new. But likely, you’re also a little bit nervous about the idea of going so far underwater for the first time.

Read on for a few tips that will give you an idea of what to expect during your first scuba class:

You’ll learn to communicate like a pro

During your scuba diving class, you’ll need to learn to constantly communicate with your diving buddy, checking on his or her safety and pointing out cool things you see. Your buddy will do the same for you – it’s a team effort! You’ll also learn to communicate with your scuba instructors, letting them know if your oxygen’s low or something’s wrong.

You’ll feel weightless

Once you get in the water, you can fly up, down, left and right. You’ll easily be able to move in three dimensions. After you overcome the first initial shock of being underwater with a lot of gear, try to relax into the weightless feeling of the water, just remember not to fight the water, and instead let the water support you. Remember to be as still as possible and embrace the freedom from gravity!

You’ll have lots of fun!

It might take a little while to get the hang of diving, but once you do, you’ll have a great time getting to know the ocean and making new friends. Although scuba diving takes a little getting used to, it’s definitely worth the effort!

If you’re thinking of trying diving for the first time, check out a beginner scuba diving class from SPE Dive School. We’ve been educating safe divers in the DC metro area since 1972. The adventure begins here!

If you’re a fan of scuba diving and you’re traveling to some of the best scuba diving ports in the world, then you should definitely take advantage of this relaxing, fun and exciting opportunity.

Planning a Cruise? Check Out The Top Ports for Scuba Diving

If you’re planning a cruise soon, it’s time to start thinking about all the fun excursions that you and your family can do while you’re on the ship. If you’re a fan of scuba diving and you’re traveling to some of the best scuba diving ports in the world, then you should definitely take advantage of this relaxing, fun and exciting opportunity.

Here are the top four scuba diving ports that you could soon be cruising to:

Cozumel, Mexico

SportDiver says that Cozumel, about a mile south of the port of San Miguel, is just about the best scuba diving site you can get to via cruise ship. You can dive the house reef or take a one-tank boat tour further out into the ocean. You can check out the C-53 wreck, which was purposely sunk in 1999.

Grand Cayman

Cayman is the best Caribbean diving location for divers of all experience. You’ll be able to check out incredible sea life, like lettuce sea slugs and other nudibranchs, and explore healthy reefs in visible, calm and warm water!

Key West, Florida

If you’re cruising in the US, plan on scuba diving in Key West. South Point offers afternoon and night reef dives where you will be able to check out the wrecked USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg. Spend an hour or two scuba diving around the world’s third largest living coral barrier reef.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

Blue Water Divers is about a mile from the Grand Turks port, so make sure to arrange for a ride out to the reef ahead of time. You can dive the wall in Columbus Landfall National Marine Park, and then check out McDonald’s, a well-known reef archway.

By learning how to scuba dive and getting open water certified, you’ll be able to take advantage of every stop the cruise makes. If you are unable to take a cruise to get your scuba fix and you live in the DC Metro Area, take a refresher scuba course with SPE Dive School, or learn more about our upcoming Grand Cayman trip!