Learning To SCUBA Dive

Learning to SCUBA Dive was one of the best things that I have ever done.  It has opened a whole new world up to me.  It has allowed me to go where God never intended us to go.  It has also given me the opportunity to meet some outstanding people, whom I would not have met otherwise.  Until I started lessons, I never realized how many people where divers, but now after seeing how many people actually do dive.  It makes me question why I waited until my twentieth year to become a diver.  

My best friend, Jonathan, and I decided that we where going to learn to SCUBA Dive at School.  School happens to be The University of South Florida (USF).  We learned under the great tutelage of William (Bill) Dent.  Bill was a great instructor and a great guy.  He has an incredible knowledge of his field.  I would recommend him as an Instructor to anyone who wants to learn to SCUBA Dive.

There are many different organizations from which you can become certified through.  Bill uses NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) as his Certification Agency for USF. 

NAUI has the Motto of Dive Safely Through Education.  The NAUI program is very comprehensive and very practical.  Granted I have never taken classes through any other certification agency, I would still recommend NAUI as your best choice.  I have friends that where certified through other agencies, and when we discussed our respective classes, they where surprised and shocked that we learned some of the things that we did.  They were also surprised at some of the different aspects of the training that we did (i.e. swim test) 

Our class was composed of a one lecture class and then one pool session class a week.  We would learn different skills in the lecture class, then put what we learned to use in the pool the next day.  Since this was a regular class at USF, Bill stretched it out to fit the length of the Spring Semester, but in general all SCUBA classes are not as long as ours was.  We did our check out dives in two different locations.  Five check out dives are required in order to receive your certification.  The first three where done at Crystal River, FL.  The last two where completed Easter Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico off of the U.S. Plunger.

To make the class fit the length of the Spring Semester,  Bill gave us the opportunity to take the necessary classes to complete the advance certification classes.  Both Jonathan and I took the classes, but where unable to do the dives, which take place in Key Largo, FL, due to prior obligations, but Bill said that we may join another class on there trip to Key Largo in order to complete our advanced certification.

Rescue Diver Certification

Starting Classes on Tuesday, 17 June 2003