As a scuba diving instructor, there is a question that I get asked multiple times a day, and that is, is it hard to learn to scuba dive?
And while it is important to remember that everyone can try scuba diving and the core principles of scuba diving are not difficult, learning to scuba dive can vary in difficulty depending on three factors.
The 3 main factors that influence how hard it is to learn to scuba dive include:
1.Your level of fitness
2.Your individual comfort in the water.
3.Your level of swimming
So if you are wondering if scuba diving is hard, here are three things that you need to know before taking the plunge and booking that open water course.
1.You will need a good level of fitness:
Being physically fit is essential for scuba diving. Scuba diving is a physically demanding activity that places specific demands on your body. If you don’t have a good level of fitness you will find learning scuba diving more difficult.
You need to be able to carry heavy scuba diving equipment including scuba cylinders and weights.
Aside from carrying the heavy equipment, you need to have core body strength. This core body strength is necessary to be able to control your movement and positioning in the water. If you don’t have core body strength you will struggle to maintain your body position in the water.
Scuba diving can involve strenuous diving conditions such as current, so you need to be able to deal with any underwater conditions that you may face when scuba diving. Good cardiovascular health and overall physical fitness are essential to handle these demands and avoid exhaustion.
A great way to build up your endurance is to go running or cycling. I also recommend some light weight training to build your upper body strength.
2.You will need to be comfortable in water:
Besides physical fitness, psychological factors also play a role in how difficult it is to learn how to scuba dive.
The fear of the unknown, claustrophobia, or anxiety are all very normal feelings when first learning to scuba dive.These fears are only addressed by practice and building up your confidence in the water. But if you are more of an anxious or nervous person, you will find it a bit more difficult to learn how to scuba dive.
A great way to build up your confidence is to try snorkelling beforehand. Snorkelling is a great way to get used to being in open water and to become familiar with the sensation of breathing from your mouth instead of your nose.
3. You need to know how to swim
Swimming is a fundamental safety skill that you need to know how to do before learning to scuba dive. If an emergency arises, being able to swim efficiently will be a life-saving skill.
Often scuba divers need to swim on the surface to:
-Reach the dive site
-Return back to shore
-Or to get back to the boat.
So you should be comfortable swimming in open water, otherwise learning to scuba dive will be a bit more difficult for you.
Now we aren’t looking for the next Michael Phelps! You don’t need fancy swimming strokes or to be an incredibly fast swimmer. But during the PADI Open water course you need to be able to swim 200 metres and tread water for 10 minutes In order to gain your certification.
Aren’t ready to commit to an open water course?
No problem! I recommend booking a Discover Scuba diving lesson beforehand. This dive allows you to try scuba diving for the first time to determine if you want to progress and gain your diving certification.
So, is learning to scuba dive hard? Well, by working on your physical fitness, your comfort levels in water and improving your swimming ability, you will not only find scuba diving easy to learn, but also great fun!
Learning to scuba dive is a challenge worth embracing, so get out there, give it a go and remember, stay salty! X