The 6 Myths of Scuba Diving

The 6 Myths of Scuba Diving

It is a beautiful March, and both the sky and the ocean are blue. With an incredible jungle and ocean ecosystem on our doorstep and a love for nature that we all share, we know that you are enjoying it as much as us, at least on land. Which has us thinking out loud, “Where are the scuba divers in our local community?” We are actively trying to recruit divers, not just to “fun dive” around the area but to assist us in our mission to restore the reef and make a difference. So, where are you? We are working on building our coral restoration army and we are still looking for volunteers. I know many of you dive, or have been diving in the past but there are also a lot of people here who have yet to try out this amazing sport. So, to tackle this, and maybe inspire some of you, I thought I would look at some of the most common myths surrounding scuba diving to see if we can persuade some of you to take that leap and get into the water.

Myth 1: You need to be super fit to scuba dive.

One of the best things about scuba diving is that it is a sport for all ages, young and old, and for a variety of people from all walks of life. It is one of the only sports I feel that you can actually do as a family. Whilst you do need to have a base level of fitness it is not essential that you are super fit. To me, I always think of it as a relaxing sport, where you can cruise around underwater and relax looking at the amazing creatures that you find, not something over strenuous. One of your prerequisites, when you sign up, will be to fill out a medical form that covers a lot of basic questions. if something comes up, you can get checked by a doctor before you dive.

Truth: You will need to be healthy and fill out a medical form that covers basic health issues before you complete any scuba training.

Myth 2: To learn to dive you have to do lots of studying in a classroom.

Whilst this may have been true many years ago, now, with online learning, you can complete the academics for the first scuba certification in the comfort of your own home. The online sections are integrated with videos and quizzes so it keeps it interesting and interactive as well.

It also helps you retain what you are learning. No more class lectures for scuba diving!

Truth: There is studying, but it is online & interactive.

Myth 3 : You need to be a strong swimmer.

Do you need to swim when you scuba dive? Yes, you do, but that doesn’t mean you need to be super strong. The equipment that you wear when you dive does help support you underwater and allows you to stay neutrally buoyant. So basically, you need to be comfortable in the water. For the first level of scuba, you need to complete a swim test to show that this is true. The swim test consists of floating for 10 minutes and then swimming, any style for 200m. And with the swim test, there is no time limit, so can take your time and relax.

Truth: You need to be comfortable in the water and have basic swimming skills.

Myth 4: You need to dive with a buddy.

From the first class that you take, it is drilled into you that you must always dive with a dive buddy, Someone you can run your safety checks with and also have fun with underwater. If no one you know dives, you can feel that it will be hard to go as you won’t have anyone to dive with it. This is not true, there are always plenty not divers in a group and it is a great way to meet new people when you buddy up with someone else. And if needed, the dive guide will happily buddy with you on your dive.

Truth: If you don’t have a friend to dive with, you can meet new dive buddies on the dive boat.

Myth 5: Your scuba dive license expires.

This is for all of you that have been diving in the past, and are a little rusty. Your scuba diving license does NOT expire! Yes, you will need what we refer to as a refresh, but you do not need to repeat the whole program. We will give you an academic review and then you will get the chance to scuba in a pool. This is designed to help you relax, practice skills with a professional, and feel comfortable again before heading back out into the ocean. No matter what your level was, you can get a scuba refresh program.

Truth: Scuba diving licenses do not expire but you should get them refreshed if you haven’t been in a while.

Myth 6: Sharks are scary and will attack you.

This one, to me honestly, is laughable. Movies like Jaws and Open Water have done nothing to help the persona of the shark today. In truth, if you see one, certainly around the Manuel Antonio area, count yourself lucky. There are fewer and fewer of them every day and that is severely affecting the ocean environment around us. They are some of the most beautiful and majestic creatures you will ever see, and statistically speaking, you are more likely to get hurt by a vending machine than a shark. I would suggest that you get in there and see them before they all disappear. That way you can truly appreciate their beauty.

Truth: Sharks are more wary of you than you are of them.

So, there you go. 6 Myths of Scuba Diving that we have tackled here. Why did I tell you this? As I mentioned at the beginning, we are looking to recruit and build up our local dive community so that you can help us with our coral restoration project and conservation mission. Whether it is cleaning nurseries, helping with measurements, or out-planting our new colonies we need all hands on deck. So, to all of you rusty scuba divers or future scuba divers we need you! If you are interested please let us know, we have programs running every week and would love to have you stop by! We are starting again a local dive club and will be keeping members posted about underwater clean-ups and other activities in the area. Come and join us and become a member of our underwater conservation team.

For more info stop by at the dive shop located in the Marina or email [email protected], instagram @scubadivingcostarica,
instagram @marineconservationcostarica.