Why you should learn to Scuba Dive

I’ve been scuba diving since I was 12 years old. I started off as a Junior Open Water diver and I learnt while I was on holiday in Greece. I have not once regretted my decision to learn to scuba dive because it has opened my eyes to a whole new world that I hadn’t been able to explore before. It changed my perspective of the world and was my first interaction with marine life, sparking my interest in marine biology. Today I am going to be talking about why it is important to learn to scuba dive and how it will benefit both you personally and the marine community internationally.

The first question that everyone always asks is “How do you learn?” and my response always reassures them that it is easy and quick, as long as you focus your mind to it. The course itself is only around 4 or 5 days with a test on the final day. It involves discussions of safety, looking closely at the equipment, and there are also ‘test’ or practice dives where you get to learn breathing techniques in a deep pool. The content itself is easy to understand and get your head around, however it is vital for scuba diving safely, which means that you cannot lose focus or be distracted. There are also a few videos, which you are required to watch in your free time. These simply reinforce what is discussed with your instructor and allows you to see visual demonstrations of the safety procedures and techniques. Essentially, learning how to scuba dive requires your focused attention, however it is not difficult. If you would like to scuba dive, then the process of learning is essential otherwise you will be putting yourself at risk. In my opinion, it is worth it when you consider all of the benefits which scuba diving will provide you with.

The main reason why people learn to scuba dive is to have access to a world only known to scuba divers – the deep sea. People want to see coral reefs and fish up close, immersing themselves in their serene and almost magical world. Anyone that wanted to travel around the world and get an experience of different cultures would be missing out if they didn’t know how to scuba dive. Being able to scuba dive allows one to see the truth behind a country’s culture and what holds the country together – the marine life. Countries like Jamaica and Bali, both of which I have visited and dived in, cannot be fully seen without scuba diving. Their daily life revolves around the sea and the animals and plants in it. Therefore, you cannot know a country without seeing its marine life, in its natural habitat. One of the best ways to capture these amazing and awe-inspiring memories is to take photographs. I personally use a Go-Pro when I dive and take photographs and videos. This makes looking back at the memories easy and quick, capturing the beauty and wonder in seconds. Looking in my Go-Pro library, I have one-of-a-kind videos of sharks, turtles, stingrays and other beautiful photographs of coral reefs and fish. These can also become stories. Stories to tell your children, your family, your friends, spreading the word about the sea and its unforgettable inhabitants.

Learning to scuba dive also benefits the international community of marine conservation and awareness. When people learn to scuba dive and learn more about marine animals and plants, they tell their friends and family or they post pictures or videos they have taken. This means that more people are talking about scuba diving; so more people consider learning and so more people eventually take the action to learn for themselves. This is vital for the discussion and immersion of ideas into society. As more people learn about marine life and its beauty, more people will see what is happening to it; coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and animal extinction and exploitation. This increases awareness, provoking action to be taken to try and reverse these issues. By sharing your photographs and your videos, you can take a part in saving the coral reefs, or reducing the effect of climate change, or reducing the amount of Carbon Dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Anything is possible, if you set your mind to it.

There are 6 million active scuba divers worldwide. This may sound like a lot but when you compare it to the global population of 7.6 billion, it is less than 1% of our global population. 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water yet only 0.5% of the world’s population scuba dives. This number needs to increase.

Make the most of it, while you still can.