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How to Select the Best Dive Shop

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The look and feel of a dive shop should exude the culture of diving and have a passionate, excited staff.
The look and feel of a dive shop should exude the culture of diving and have a passionate, excited staff.

When deciding where to take a scuba class, purchase or service dive equipment, or going on a group dive trip, the local dive shop (LDS) remains divers’ favorite choice of service delivery.  Here we will explain in detail the areas to consider when selecting the best dive shop with which to affiliate.

There are definitely some things to look for when selecting a class, dive shop, and/or a scuba instructor.  It can be broken down into three distinct areas to evaluate, thus it is worthy of three separate articles which I have written. Let’s take a look at each of these areas of consideration:
A. How to Select a Scuba Diving Class
B. How to Select a Dive Shop
C. How to Select a Scuba Instructor

HOW TO SELECT A DIVE SHOP
Let’s look at what makes a dive shop a dive shop. But first let me address an area of political correctness. A push was made in the diving industry to use the name “dive center” instead of “dive shop”. Research showed that the name “dive shop” had a small, rustic, mom-and-pop feel, and that a “dive center” was conducive to an upper class, professional business with more offerings. So, some agencies deem dive shops “Full Service Dive Centers” if they meet a plethora of criteria, and even give them ratings. However, search engine reporting shows that “dive shop” is still the most preferred title to refer to a brick-and-mortar dive retail business. So, I will use dive shop with no intent to diminish you dive stores, dive centers, or dive centre if you are British (fabulous wedding by the way).

Here are the main areas of business for dive shops:

  1.  Scuba Instruction – Since you have read “How to Select a Scuba Diving Class” you now have an appreciation for some of the items necessary to take a scuba class. Most scuba training takes place in conjunction with dive shops. Even if you take a private scuba class with an independent diving instructor, chances are you will be visiting a dive shop that your instructor works with.
  2. Equipment Purchasing – The dive shop is an integral part of your future as a diver. You will visit your local dive shop when it comes time purchase your gear. This is especially important since fit and comfort are key criteria for your equipment selection. At a dive shop you will be able to try on multiple sizes and styles, under the expert care of a dive retail professional, to pick the items perfect for you.
  3. Equipment Servicing – The dive shop is where you go to have your tanks filled. The more you dive, the more air fills you need. This keeps a steady relationship between you and the dive shop. It is also the place that you will bring in your equipment to be serviced – annual inspections of your regulator and tanks, and every five years for the tank hydrostatic testing. Plus, if you have a repair need, they are the place to get those repairs fixed properly as scuba equipment repair requires specialized training and certification.
  4. Dive Travel – Tons of training and tons of equipment will not matter if you don’t dive! The dive shop is the hub of diving activities – especially dive travel. Whether it’s local or halfway around the world, your dive shop offers special dive travel opportunities to keep you wet and enjoying the sport. Dive travel is what it’s all about, exploring various locations each with their own unique conditions and marine life.

SELECTION TIPS

  1. Ask Around – You probably have lots of friends who are divers. Ask them. A simple inquiry to your friends on Facebook should reveal many suggestions of shops, both good and bad. Your looking for your friends’ actual experiences not rumors. Remember, just like a restaurant review, experiences and opinions may vary from person to person. But, if people are giving consistent reviews, chances are they are accurate.

Tec’s Tips:
– Ask what they like and dislike about the dive shop.
– Ask what they go there for the most.
– Ask if they have a favorite employee or instructor.

  1. Internet Research – Take each of the areas above (dive travel, scuba instruction, etc.) and explore them on the dive shop’s website. If the site looks like a ninth-grade computer project, be suspect. That is clearly a sign of owners who do not understand their consumers’ needs. Scuba diving is a wonderful combination of fun and safety. Safety is in the details. So, good dive shops will have websites that are fun and engaging, and at the same time detailed and full of information. NOTE: Don’t be discouraged if a dive shop does not post the prices of classes. That is a detail that many dive shops would rather have you call about so that they can tell you in detail what the class includes. The reason for this goes back to our first article, “How to Select a Scuba Diving Class”, as some dive shops post ridiculously low class prices yet have hidden costs. Most people don’t know how to do true class comparisons (like you now know how to do), so many dive shops want you to call for pricing. That is a good thing.

Tec’s Tips:
– Do you get a good and excited feeling about diving when you visit their website? Do they look like they embody the scuba lifestyle? Those are also good traits to look for when doing internet research.
– Go to the About Us section of their website. You should have a clear snapshot of the employees and instructors with their bio’s. Do they look professional and have professional credentials, yet exude a passion for diving? That is what you want. I shy away from dive shops that are not proud to show their most important asset; their people. If they don’t showcase their staff, it could mean they have massive turnover of staff or they have folks with mediocre credentials. The opposite could happen too. If the About Us section reveals only men who have mostly uber-technical credentials (cave, cavern, deep air, mixed gas, etc.). That could be a niche dive shop and may not be the right place for your family to become recreational divers. I am generalizing, so just use common sense, and you will get a good feel for what the dive shop is all about.

Great dive shops have great customer service
Great dive shops have great customer service
  1. Site Visit – This is hands-down the best way to evaluate a dive shop. Don’t be intimidated if you are a non-diver. Go there! As a non-diver you should leave the dive shop wanting to take your lessons yesterday! The people, the atmosphere, the equipment, the visuals, should make you feel like you have stepped into what diving is all about. A diving culture should be present and intense.

Tec’s Tips:
– How is the visual appeal? It should be somewhat overwhelming, but not chaotic. You want a nice layout with a good amount of products that makes you want to explore them. You should get the clear impression that this shop truly specializes in their sport.
– How is the customer service? This is a big one. You want to be greeted and you want them to ask questions about you. Within a couple minutes they should know you are a non-diver interested in taking scuba lessons. And they should be GENUINELY EXCITED for your interest. Notice also how they are helping other people, see if there is a class going on, or notice them selling equipment or filling tanks. These occurrences are what you will be going through, so you should like what you are seeing.
– Try to meet your instructor. If you can, this is a wonderful thing to do. For what to look for in your instructor see the next article, “How to Select a Scuba Instructor”.
– What professional image does the shop have? Is it clean? Would you trust the employees to fit you for life support equipment or take you underwater? Do you get the impression that safety is important to them? You will be amazed at how keen your sense of this is even though you are a soon-to-be-diver.

WHAT TO AVOID
As a former scuba training/certification agency director I had the opportunity to visit many dive shops nationally and abroad. Most were very good, but a few were not so good. One shop in particular, I will never forget. Immediately upon entering the small shop there was an old pizza box open on top of the glass display counter; a wastebasket overflowing with beer bottles; a smelly dog with white hair; the dog’s white hair was all over the un-vacuumed blue carpet and even on some of the retail diving equipment; the two owners were both smoking cigarettes; they shared a large, full ashtray also on top of the glass display counter; the shop and all the equipment reeked of smoke and dog. I was there to investigate a quality assurance complaint. Naturally.

AGENCY AFFILIATION
Remember from the first article that there are many scuba training/certification agencies. What can also help you make your dive shop selection can be the status a shop may have with an agency. Some of the larger scuba training/certification agencies have standards for their sanctioned “dive centers”. And, again, they may have ratings or titles given to those dive shops with scales of gold, silver, platinum, palms, stars, or diamonds just to name a few. But what is helpful to know is that a dive shop that displays their “Dive Center Status” with an agency has had to be evaluated to the standards of that agency. They have been measured on air purification standards, equipment inventory, class offerings, service & repair, regular hours, proper business licenses, and no quality assurance or standards violations. These are all important areas that you may not see, so it is nice to know that the agency has inspected all that annually for you.

Finally, as a modern-day consumer you know what you want when it comes to how to be treated, and how a place and its people make you feel. Visit as many dive shops as you can to get the best comparisons, then go with your gut feeling. By following the tips in this article, chances are you will make the right decision.

Now read “How to Select a Scuba Instructor”

How to Fill Out the Scuba Medical History Questionnaire

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Truthfully and accurately completing the Divers Medical Questionnaire is extremely important to divers' health and safety
Truthfully and accurately completing the Divers Medical Questionnaire is extremely important to divers’ health and safety

At the beginning of every scuba class, students are required to fill out a Medical History Questionnaire.  This questionnaire is part of a larger document called the Medical Statement, and this Statement was created by the RSTC (Recreational Scuba Training Council) and is widely used among U.S. scuba training agencies.  The purpose of the Medical History Questionnaire is to find out if the diver should be examined by a physician before beginning scuba training.  So why post an article on how to fill out the form?  Well, over the years as an instructor trainer, dive training agency director, and a forensic diving accident investigator, I have seen countless examples of how the improper use of this form has been extremely harmful (even fatal) to multiple individuals impacted by it.  Both new and seasoned divers, as well as all diving professionals, need to know how important this form is for their own well-being, and the well-being of their instructors, divemasters, students, and dive buddies.

Here are the steps for properly filling out this extremely important document:

Step 1:  Be Truthful – The questionnaire asks if you have had at any time a condition within the list of medical conditions.  If so, you will give a positive response (“YES” answer) to the condition noted.  A positive response to a question does not necessarily disqualify you from diving.  Rather, it shows that there is a pre-existing medical condition that may affect your health and safety when diving with compressed air under varying states of pressure.  Thus, a physician is called upon to examine your ability to proceed with the scuba training or not.

But here is where people get into trouble.  The diver is on vacation and wants to take a scuba course.  He signs up for the course which starts that night.  Upon arriving at the course he fills out the paperwork and the instructor notices a “YES” response to the line “Asthma, or wheezing with breathing, or wheezing with exercise”.  This form now requires a physician’s approval for the individual to continue in the course.  But, how will that happen when it is late afternoon or on a weekend?  Here are the things that go wrong:

  • The diver decides that the episode was when he was a child so he crosses the YES out an writes a NO.  WRONG! The diver had the condition, even as a child, so it must be noted.
  • The instructor recognizes she will lose this diver’s registration in her class and decides to inquire about the condition and whether or not it should really be given a YES.  The instructor finds out the asthma occurred in childhood, and concludes that the diver is fine.  She rips up the form and tells the diver to fill it out again, this time with a NO in the Asthma line.  WRONG! The diving instructor or divemaster is not the physician of the diver, and cannot make a call on a medical condition – only a physician can.

Step 2:  Be Accurate – The Medical Statement can be inaccurate when improperly filled out.  It is important to write the actual words “YES” or “NO” on the Medical History Questionnaire.  Simply writing a “N” or “Y” or even a “–” is not acceptable.  Nor can you write one word and then draw a straight line down the list to in an attempt to include all (see examples).

 

Improper: No abbreviations, dashes, or letters
Improper: No abbreviations, dashes, or letters
Improper: No lines or strikethroughs
Improper: No lines or strikethroughs

Also be sure to fill in every other area a) legibly and b) in detail.  Be as accurate as you can about your physician, or even past physician if you no longer live in the same location and have not seen a new physician.

Sign and date the form properly.

Step 3:  Be Willing to Get a Physician’s Signature – As mentioned in step 1, some people have lied on their diving Medical Statement to forgo obtaining a physician’s signature.  This can have drastic consequences – don’t do it!  If you have a “YES” response to ANY of the items in the Medical History Questionnaire you have a couple options:

  1. Fax the form in its entirety to your physician and ask if he or she will approve you to dive.  If your physician has regularly seen you for checkups and can pull your medical file and review it, chances are your physician will select the appropriate box, sign it,  and fax the forms back to you.
  2. Go see your physician.  You can either go see your physician or go see a new one if you currently don’t have one.  Bring all six pages of the Medical Statement with you.  You will be given a routine check, with perhaps more of a focus on airway, ears, sinuses, and lungs.  This is not generally a Diving Physical Exam – those are more formal and used often for military, commercial, and/or scientific diving purposes.  After your examination your physician will select the appropriate box, sign it, and hand you the forms.

A note on physicians reviewing your eligibility to dive – not all physicians understand the myriad of medical complexities surrounding diving with compressed air in varying pressure environments.  If the physician is a diver, it does not qualify the physician in the areas of Diving Medicine or Hyperbaric Medicine.  However, physicians who are divers may have an increased understanding of the items to consider for healthy diving.  In either case, the last four pages of the Medical Statement are called the “Guidelines for Recreational Scuba Diver’s Physical Examination” and is for the physician to use in determining divers’ medical fitness for scuba diving.  These guidelines help a physician ascertain whether a certain medical condition is a relative risk, a temporary risk, or a severe risk condition in diving.  Make sure the physician has all four pages of the guidelines.

You could also seek a physician with specialized knowledge of diving.  One of the best resources for this is through the Divers Alert Network (DAN) Physician Referral Network.  If you are looking for a physician to conduct a diving physical or would like a consultation from a diving medical specialist in your area simply go to http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/network/physician.

Bottom line:  There is nothing underwater worth risking your life to see.  Be truthful and accurate on your Medical History Questionnaire.

What does SCUBA stand for and how did it get its name?

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SCUBAAs a scuba instructor I am often asked “what does scuba stand for?”  The word “scuba” is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.  Webster’s Dictionary defines scuba (scu·ba) as “an apparatus utilizing a portable supply of compressed gas (as air) supplied at a regulated pressure and used for breathing while swimming underwater“.  Although an acronym, the modern word scuba is acceptable in common case and does not need to be written as all capitals (SCUBA) nor with abbreviation (S.C.U.B.A.).

Dr. Christian Lambertsen
Dr. Christian Lambertsen

The acronym was coined by Dr. Christian Lambertsen in 1954.  While at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Dr. Lambertsen worked on the first prototypes of rebreathers for military frogmen. He created the Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit, a.k.a the Lambersten Lung.  Dr. Lambertsen gave these units the military code name of S.C.U.B.A. as they were a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

After his graduation from medical school, the Office of Strategic Services hired him as a 1st Lieutenant with the Army Medical Corps.  He made significant contributions to amphibious units of the U.S. Military with his focus on breathing gases and decompression theory.  Dr. Lambertsen laid the foundation for the modern-day rebreathers and for the use of enriched-air nitrox.  He, along with Cmdr. Doug Fane, were the first to use rebreathers to exit a submarine in 1948.

Dr. Lambertsen went on to be medical faculty of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is also the founding president of the Undersea Medical Society, now known as the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS).  The U.S. Navy Special Warfare community gave him the distinction as “The Father of U.S. Combat Swimming”.

Dr. Lambertsen is featured as a Legend in Diving in the International Legends of Diving.  You can learn more about Dr. Lambertsen here.

How to Select the Best Scuba Class

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dive shop scubaguru
Good scuba training is important to your success as a diver. Do not seek the cheapest and quickest scuba classes.

When deciding to take a scuba class, the non-diver has very limited insight as to what to look for in selecting the right scuba class for him or her. Many people select the cheapest and/or quickest scuba class, but that can be a big mistake. Here we will explain in great detail the areas to consider when selecting a scuba class.

There are definitely some things to look for when selecting a class, dive shop, and/or a scuba instructor. Your question can be broken down into three distinct areas to evaluate, thus it is worthy of three separate articles which I have written. Let’s take a look at each of these areas of consideration:
A. How to Select a Scuba Diving Class
B. How to Select a Dive Shop
C. How to Select a Scuba Instructor

HOW TO SELECT A SCUBA DIVING CLASS
Let’s start here because you will need these items to assist you in selecting a dive shop and/or independent instructor.

WHAT IS SCUBA CERTIFICATION?

To become a scuba diver you must complete proper training and be issued a scuba diving certification, a.k.a. a “c-card”. Your training takes place under the instruction and supervision of a certified and insured scuba diving instructor. This instructor has professional training and credentials with one or more scuba diving training/certification agencies. There are several of these agencies worldwide and they are often referred to by their acronyms. Here are just some of the scuba training/certification agencies:
PADI, SSI, NAUI, SDI, SEI, IDEA, PDIC, IANTD, GUE, PSAI, CMAS, BSAC, and L.A. County to name a few.

Note: Although there are several agencies that offer beginning/basic courses to become a certified scuba diver, it is important to note that they do not all call the class to become a certified scuba diver the same thing – in fact the same named class, for example “Scuba Diver” may have a totally different meaning from one agency to another. Common course terms are Open Water Diver, Scuba Diver, Basic Diver, with most agencies using the term Open Water Diver.

An Open Water Diver scuba class is broken up into three distinct sections of training: academics, confined water and open water. Those areas of training vary by agency, region, dive shop, and instructor. You will find the packaging of this training to be varied as well, especially in pricing and scheduling. Let’s take a close look at each:
1. Academic Training (aka “Classroom Sessions”)
This training refers to the didactic (educational) learning of becoming a scuba diver. The media for academic delivery varies by training agency and instructor but is for the most part a combination of books, videos, and instructor presentations. On-line learning is becoming quite a popular alternative since the pace of learning is up to you and can be done at your leisure. Areas of learning include diving equipment, diving science, diving physiology, dive table usage, and the diving environment.
Tec’s Tips:
1. Think about your personal learning style and then choose the academic medium that fits you.
2. Take a look at a sample textbook.
3. Some agencies will have a demo of their online program that you can check out.
4. Ask how many instructor presentations (classroom sessions) there are. If there are some, you might be able to check out their classroom – is it comfortable and conducive to learning?
5. Try to meet your instructor. Is he or she someone you feel comfortable with learning from? You’re looking for good communication skills, a warm and caring personality, and a genuine passion for wanting to teach you how to scuba dive.
6. If you’re okay with reading, you like the classroom environment, and you like the instructor, then go with the textbooks. If not, then perhaps the online learning would be a better option for you. Students who are very inquisitive and like to understand things at a higher level often do better with more instructor contact hours, such as using the textbook with multiple classroom sessions.
2. Confined Water Training (aka “Pool Sessions”)
Confined water is basically the “pool session” part of a scuba diving class. Confined water training is conducted mostly in pools, however the term also refers to a controlled body of water that has “pool-like” conditions. Confined water training is where you will be introduced to, and practice, your diving skills. Skills include how to breathe underwater, how to clear your regulator, how to monitor your air supply, establishing neutral buoyancy, clearing your mask, entering the water, exiting the water, and how to assist your buddy – just to name a few.
Tec’s Tips:
1. The pool depth can be very beneficial to your training. The deeper the pool, the better. Pools that are 9′, 10′ or 12′ feet are really good depths to train in. Some pools that have deep diving wells 14′ to 18’+ are even better. But small, shallow 6′ pools are not ideal for training.
2. What is the water temperature? You want a heated pool. Some competitive lap swimming pools are a tad too cold for extended time underwater. In some training settings a wetsuit will help. Being chilly during training distracts you and can be problematic.
3. Ask about additional time for practice or skill development. Some people may take longer than others to master a particular skill. Classes have scheduled pool times that may not be enough for you. Find out the details if you need more pool sessions. Don’t race through a course just because that was the schedule. If you need more pool time to be comfortable and confident, that is a good thing.
4. Where is the pool? Sometimes the pool sessions are conveniently located – perhaps at the dive shop, local YMCA or local municipal pool. Other times the pool is quite a distance away. Again, just like the classroom, check out if the pool is convenient, comfortable and conducive to learning.
3. Open Water Training (aka “Checkout Dives”)
In your open water training, you will apply the skills learned in the confined water sessions in an actual diving environment. This open water environment is most often the ocean, but can also be lakes, rivers, quarries, sinkholes, springs and even, in some cases, man-made environments like aquariums. In the open water training you will learn a few new skills such as navigation, beach entries, or dive boat operations; and you will also be evaluated by your instructor to see how well you apply skills on your own such as monitoring your air supply, having proper buoyancy, and being a good dive buddy. Most courses will have you complete four open water scuba dives with perhaps a skin dive as well.
Tec’s Tips:
1. Where are your dives? If possible, try to have your open water dives include ocean dives off a charter dive boat. The reason for this is your c-card will allow you to dive on recreational dives all over the world – the majority of which are coral reefs – in the ocean – where only dive boats can access them! If all your open water training dives take place in a lake, then you have not learned how to set up on a dive boat, dive boat etiquette, listening to briefings, dive boat entry and exits, currents, waves, sea legs, marine life, etc. And to rely on a divemaster to coach you through all that on your first ocean dives after you are certified will be a bad experience – they are just too busy to teach you all that. Yes, there are legitimate logistic considerations that prevent all dive classes from going out on ocean boat dives, so you could consider the next tip…
2. You may consider doing open water referral dives for your open water training dives. Referral dives allow you to travel to another destination and go through your open water training dives with another instructor. This is used quite a bit for northern dive shops in the winter months. They can do the indoor classroom and pool sessions, and when completed the students go to a tropical location with paperwork in hand and finish up their open water training dives. Each agency has guidelines for this, so it is best to work with your original instructor to guide you to locations to complete your referral dives.

CLASS PRICING

Unfortunately, this is the most complex part in the decision making process. The reason for this is class pricing varies greatly by what is included in the class and what is required to purchase additionally by the student. Avoid sticker shock – a $500 class may be the same as a $199 class! Some classes are “all-inclusive” and others are not. The details are in what is included. I have created a Scuba Class Pricing Checklist PDF for you to download FREE. Fill out this checklist as you research class prices either by calling or visiting the dive shop, or doing internet research. Then get out your calculator and add up the items on this list for a true cost comparison.
Tec’s Tips:
1. Books and Materials – are they included in the class price or are they separate? Books and materials are often bundled in a kit or pack. If you have to buy them they could be $40 to $85.
2. Online Learning – if you go with online learning, do you pay for that separately or is that included? This type of academic learning could cost $100 to $150, and you may still need to purchase supplemental materials (like dive tables and log books) to go along with it.
3. Skin Diving Equipment – Most dive shops want you to own your mask, snorkel and fins. These are very personal pieces of equipment where fit and comfort are key to their proper functioning. It is a very good practice to have your own mask, snorkel and fins rather than use rental ones. Find out if the dive shop will give you a discount for the purchase of your skin diving equipment. A 10% to 15% discount is often given to a dive shop’s students. Other shops may give a discount in the “bundling” of gear – for example mask, snorkel, fins, booties, bag, and defog solution. Prices on bundled skin diving gear range from $150 to $275.
4. Other Required Equipment – Some dive shops will require you to purchase other items in addition to the skin diving equipment. These items may include lead weights, weight belt, wetsuit, bottom timing device, dive slate, dive knife, signaling devices, and/or gloves. Although these can add up quickly, don’t look at it as a bad thing. Most dive centers that are requiring these items take diving seriously and are looking to equip you to be a more prepared diver, rather than trying to make more money on you. Chances are you will purchase most of these items soon after being a certified diver anyhow.
5. Rental Equipment – Many classes include the major pieces of rental equipment such as tanks, BCD’s and regulators throughout the entirety of confined water and open water training. Some also include wetsuits and weights. However, there are some dive shops that will include the rental equipment for the confined water sessions only, but will charge you the rental prices for the open water training dives. And, there are other places that will require you to rent an item like a wetsuit and give you an option to buy it at the end of your training.
6. Confined Water Sessions – Most dive centers will include the costs for confined water sessions (pool sessions). But there are some that may have you pay the facility entrance fee for each pool session.
7. Open Water Dives – Some dive centers will include the costs for open water dives and others will not. For example, the instructor fees and equipment fees may be built into the class pricing, but you may be responsible for paying the charter dive boat fees or dive site admission fees such as at a lake or a state park.
8. Certification Fees – Money is sent to the training agency for the processing of your c-card. Some dive shops include that in the pricing and others will require you to pay that fee. You may need to provide a passport photo or equivalent on your own, or the instructor/dive shop may take a photo of you.
9. Make-up Sessions – Find out what the costs are (if any) if you have to make up a confined water pool session or an open water training dive.
10. Miscellaneous Fees – You may find that you have to pay for parking for each pool session, classroom session or at a dive site. You may also have unique needs that could increase the cost of your training such as prescription lenses for your mask or you chill very easily and need a better wetsuit than what is offered in the rental line. And there are also tips to consider. Tipping the crew of a dive boat is customary, and many people like to tip their instructor nicely.

SCHEDULING
Look at the overall schedule of the class. Does it work for you? If not, you may need private instruction. But you want a nice, even pace between classroom, pool and open water sessions. Now, I know I am going to upset may dive professionals when I say this, but I have strong convictions based on decades of diver training and observation – AVOID SHORT, THREE DAY SCUBA CLASSES. Instead go for classes that are less rushed and offer MORE training time – especially more confined water pool time. Can an entire scuba class be taught in three days (one weekend)? Well, according to some agency standards, it can. But should it? That time frame does not work for everyone. I have seen this and even taught it on few occasions and I can say that it is overwhelming for most students. To do morning pool sessions and then get on a dive boat in the afternoon – and then do it again the next day forces important skill sets to be squeezed into too little time. It is simply too much to process adequately. Again, please consider a scuba class that is spread out over two, three or four weeks or weekends. Slowing down a scuba class lets each session “sink-in” prior to the next session. You will think of questions to ask in between the sessions as you naturally contemplate the wonderful items learned in the previous session.

On My Soapbox: AVOID CHEAP AND QUICK SCUBA LESSONS
 You have to properly complete all of the required standards for training for each of the above areas. It is not hard, but it does require attention, focus and patience. Your end goal is NOT to get a c-card, your end goal is to be a good and safe scuba diver. For that reason you want to pay attention to what is being offered in each of the three areas of training. Cutting corners may have a negative effect on how good of a scuba diver you will be. I have seen so many divers take a class, go diving a couple times and then barely ever dive again. When you peel back the excuses, often you will find that a person was never a “comfortable” diver. They were told in their short class that, “they will calm down with time”, their “breathing rate will improve”, their “buoyancy will get better the more they dive”. But it does not because those items are the fine-tuning that develops under good teaching, not during the fast-paced-two-tank-dive-trip in the Florida Keys on your own as a new diver. Your confidence and comfort are very important to your enjoyment of the sport, so avoid the cheap and quick route to becoming a scuba diver, you will pay for it in the end. The more you invest in your scuba training, the more enjoyable scuba diving will be for you. Trust me.

Next article “How to Select a Dive Shop”

How to Make a Dive Pro’s Dry Bag aka Go Kit

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For many dive pro’s working at resorts or dive centers, the ability to grab their equipment and go quickly is of importance.  But it’s not only the gear bag that needs to be ready to go, it’s also the pro’s dry bag!  Here we will explore the essentials of the dive professional’s “Go-Kit”.

Watch on YouTube: How to Make a Dive Pro’s “Go-Kit”

It never fails, right when you settle into your day a colleague tells you about his sinus infection (in graphic detail) and asks if you can take over his class, or work the boat, or guide the dive for the couple from New York.  We have become quite good at having our equipment packed and ready to go in just a couple steps, but we often overlook the ever important dry bag AKA the “Go-Kit”.  We say “As long as it has _____ in it I’m good.  Well, and ____ would be good too.  Oh, and _____ is important to have in there as well…”  So, let’s look at how you can create your own “Go-Kit” that will enhance your preparedness to lead a dive or class.  For your convenience I have selected the items in my personal Go-Kit for you to purchase at great prices through Amazon.  Of course you can also get many of them at your dive center.

First, we need the right item to carry everything in:

Backpack – go with a solid construction design of sturdy zippers, multiple pockets, outer tie-downs and a durable material.  It should be big enough to hold what you need, yet small enough to fit in the sometimes small dry spaces on a boat.  I’m a big fan of compartmentalizing, so multiple pockets are nice for organizing.  Outer tie downs are great for wet towels, bathing suits and rash guards.  My personal pick is the PADI Backpack as it has all the space needs, it is well made, and it is inexpensive.  However, there are many great backpacks that will fit this need.

Let’s look at all the other items by compartment:

MAIN COMPARTMENT

Clipboard – We have so much paperwork!  Releases, medicals, rosters, etc.  We need to keep it all dry and together.  My favorite clipboard is the Officemate Slim Clipboard Storage Box It has a clipboard on the top panel, but then opens up to store your papers neatly.  It has a good tight locking mechanism and it has another separate section to store pens and pencils.

First Aid Kit – For most of our diving applications off charter boats or in supervised pools there will be access to a first aid kit.  But there are great advantages to having one on you at all times.  I keep a DAN Guardian Diver First Aid Kit (631-2600) in my go-kit.  It is small, lightweight, and has all the essentials.

Binoculars – A binocular is a great tool for supervising dives.  We can use it for spotting divers’ bubbles, assessing the situation for divers giving a distress signal, and getting the name of a boat to hail them on the radio telling them they are too close to our divers’ flags – just to name a few.  But when selecting binoculars we need to remember the conditions and purposes for use.  We are not birdwatching!  Instead, we are on a moving boat or a shore looking out over a large area of water.  Too much magnification and we can easily miss what we need to look for.  I like binoculars that are zoomable – I can keep it broad and then zoom in when I find what I’m looking for.  You also want these things to be compact.  Waterproof marine binoculars are big and cost hundreds of dollars, great for boat captains, but not so much for you.  Go simple, compact and inexpensive.  I recommend the Bushnell Powerview 8×21 Compact Folding Binocular Its power range is good for dive supervision needs, it comes with a case and is under $20.

Dive Reel – I can’t say enough about the need to have a reel in your go-kit.  They have tons of practical uses from distance measurements, to marking, to safety stops with dive “sausages”, to search patterns, etc.  One thing that is a must for your reel is to pre-loop the end and then add measurement marks to the line.  You can do this with a permanent marker and tape measurer.  What method of marking you use is entirely up to you.  I mark my reel in 10 foot increments.  I’m a fan of the  Dive-Rite 140 ft Cavern/Safety Reel , either the standard or the Sidewinder, with 140’ line.  It has a stainless bolt snap and the lock nut screw is metal, not plastic – a really nice improvement over their early models.

Compass – Many pro’s have their compass built into their gauge assembly.  However, there is merit to having a wrist-mount compass in your go-kit.  The wrist-mount compass is portable and goes with you.  It stays on your arm when you have your hands full.  You can pass it off to others in time of need, and is ideal for top-side search patterns when snorkeling.  There are many on the market, I recommend you get one that fits you comfortable and is easy to read and use.  The less profile (less bulky) the better.  And make sure it has a side window.

Pocket Mask – If you get the DAN Guardian First Aid Kit mentioned above, it comes with an oronasal resuscitation mask (AKA pocket mask).  However, if you don’t or you are relying on the safety equipment of the boat or lifeguard stations, I want to encourage you to at least have a pocket mask in your go-kit.  I keep pocket masks everywhere – in my first aid kit, oxygen kit, gear bag, go-kit and even in my BC.  Remember, since our sport is a water-based aquatic sport with multiple maladies cause by water and/or pressure, our maladies often have lots of nastiness (that’s a technical term) coming from the respiratory tracts of mouth and nose.  A pocket mask is essential to your safety, plus it is the best delivery for supplemental oxygen to a non-breathing diver when you hook it up to your constant flow on your oxygen unit.  I recommend the DAN Oronasal Resuscitation Mask and I recommend having more than one!

Safety Sausage – Of course we keep signal tubes (AKA safety sausages) on or in our BC’s when diving.  But I also keep one in my go-kit.  This comes in handy when needing to mark an area quickly like attaching your reel to it and throwing it in after an object has been dropped in the water.  You can use it to mark a line, an underwater feature, as a drift signal for drifting decompression/safety stops.  Note: a signal tube does not replace a dive flag.  It is also a nice marker for shore entry and exit points.  With so many uses and its ability to roll up into a small package I keep one in my go-kit.  There are many on the market and if you are in some heavy technical diving applications do your research and go with a very robust and tall marker.  But for dive supervision at the divemaster or instructor level, the one in your go-kit can be simple and functional.  For this purpose I like the Innovative Scuba Concepts 45 inch Scuba Diving Dive Signal Tube with Inflator .

Dive Tool – The dive tool is a part of most of our save-a-dive kits.  You could keep a full save-a-dive kit in your go-kit or in your gear bag.  But when we dance around between the boat, the pool, the lake, the beach, etc. we want to be self-sufficient lest we forget items and then we are at a loss for helping the dive with minor equipment needs.  I personally keep my save-a-dive kit in my gear bag, but I like keeping my dive tool in my go-kit.  It has less chance of corroding. Wherever you decide to keep your dive tool is up to you, it is more about having one that will make your life easier when needed.  I like the Storm Multi-Function Dive Tool but there are many others on the market that will do the trick too.

Whistle – As a pro we are required to carry an audible and visual signaling device (agency standards may vary) on our person when diving.  For just a few bucks more have another whistle in your go-pack.  It is a great back up, and you can use it in case of need when topside and dry.  I go with the ever so popular Original Fox 40 Classic Whistle. This whistle is designed to work when wet – important for us.  Plus, it delivers a powerful sound.

Water Bottle – I know, your thinking why would you talk about water bottles for your go-kit?  Well, after numerous trials I identified a bottle that I really like and perhaps you can benefit from its functionality too.  I have the CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Classic Cap .  There are many reasons I like this.  First, get away from bringing throw-away plastic water bottles on your dives.  We really need to practice what we preach about environmental concerns for our oceans.  Go with one reusable bottle for your go-kit.  This is modeling great eco-friendly behavior to other divers and your students.  The Camelbak Better Bottle is BPA free, it holds one liter and it is tall and narrow which fits nicely in your backpack.  I like the classic cap because the others with the spouts and tubes are just more to go wrong – and what can I say – I’m a purist, I go for simple and functional!

Towel, Swim Suit, Dry Clothes – With all the things mentioned above you should still have room for your personal items, especially if you go with the PADI backpack mentioned above.

SIDE POCKET 1 (LEFT OR RIGHT)

Pens, Pencils & Highlighters – I keep an assortment of each in a container in my side pocket.  We often need multiple pens for the many waivers and releases needing signatures.  Pencils are great for our underwater slates and accident management slate.  Highlighters and markers come in handy too.  I keep them all in a container if they leak then I have not ruined the inside of the pocket.  Plus if they are in a container they are less likely to break from being bumped.

Calculator – Another great tool to have in your go-kit is a calculator.  This is great when doing MOD calculations of gases, volume/pressure formulas, air consumption formulas, kick cycle formulas, etc.  If I’m wet I do not want to use my phone’s calculator, I want a simple one that can get ruined and I won’t cry about it.

SIDE POCKET 2 (LEFT OR RIGHT)

Sunscreen – We don’t want to look like the Crypt-Keeper in our 40’s, so use sunscreen and lots of it!

Keys, wallet & phone – The side pocket is a good, accessible pocket for these items.

FRONT POCKET

Teaching Slates – I keep both the confined water and open water teaching slates for my agency in my go-kit.  If I need to conduct a specialty dive or fill in for another instructor, they are always with me.

Accident Management Workslate – To me, this is a must have slate.  Not only do I keep it in my go-kit, but I also keep one in my first aid kit and one in my oxygen kit.  An Accident Management Slate is a wonderful thing to have to take down notes in the event of an incident, and anyone can fill it out.

Marine Life Identification Slates – I think the slate that has seen the most use over the years is my marine life identification slates.  I used to have this in my gear bag, but it kept getting so scratched up and dented, that I put it in the front pocket of my go-kit and it has been great there.

Of course there are PLENTY of other things that could be added or included in your own kit.  Dive locations, dive activities, weather, facilities used, etc. all play a part in what you keep in your go-kit.  If you don’t have a go-kit start assembling it today, it will make your job as a dive pro a whole lot easier.

Welcome Dive Professionals

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Sincerely,

Tec Clark

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