Scuba enthusiast but a complete newbie

[rishi85]

Hello everyone.

My name is Rishi and I am an international student living in Ottawa, Canada at the moment. Originally I come from the nation of India.
My father was a captain and sailed the world for 30 years- A great adventurous life but not a sound personal one. I sailed with him many a times and have been enthralled by the ocean and ocean life.
What really got me into scuba diving was a film called the Abyss by James cameron(A scuba enthusiast himself) and say whatever you want to about the man and his ego, there is no doubt that he is the finest example of how to LIVE and not just EXIST. I also watch a lot of diving shows and humbled to see what magic lies beneath our surfaces.

Anyways so I have never scuba dived before and I will be going to a scuba diving centre called Sharky's. I, however have a few queries.

1.) Do I have to be an expert swimmer ?
I know swimming but I cannot even dive in a pool. I have never stepped a toe in the ocean or lakes even, only pools.....Is this a hindrance ?

2.) I am not very strong
I don't weigh a lot. I am 5'9 and weigh about 120 lb. Will it be a concern ?

3.) Maybe it is the fantasy of what I see on television or read in books (and hence I am opting for a 15 dollar try out session first) but is diving a tough/dangerous sport ?

Thank you and talk soon

Rishi

 

[Jax]

Hello everyone.

My name is Rishi and I am an international student living in Ottawa, Canada at the moment. Originally I come from the nation of India.
My father was a captain and sailed the world for 30 years- A great adventurous life but not a sound personal one. I sailed with him many a times and have been enthralled by the ocean and ocean life.
What really got me into scuba diving was a film called the Abyss by James cameron(A scuba enthusiast himself) and say whatever you want to about the man and his ego, there is no doubt that he is the finest example of how to LIVE and not just EXIST. I also watch a lot of diving shows and humbled to see what magic lies beneath our surfaces.

Anyways so I have never scuba dived before and I will be going to a scuba diving centre called Sharky's. I, however have a few queries.

1.) Do I have to be an expert swimmer ?
I know swimming but I cannot even dive in a pool. I have never stepped a toe in the ocean or lakes even, only pools.....Is this a hindrance ?

2.) I am not very strong
I don't weigh a lot. I am 5'9 and weigh about 120 lb. Will it be a concern ?

3.) Maybe it is the fantasy of what I see on television or read in books (and hence I am opting for a 15 dollar try out session first) but is diving a tough/dangerous sport ?

Thank you and talk soon

Rishi

Hiya, Rishi; welcome to ScubaBoard!

Please check out the "sticky" threads at the top of New Divers Forum.

There is one on how to find a scuba class, and one on what new divers might want to know. Most important, find instructors and chat with them, and go with the one you trust. You do need to pass a swim test, and your scuba instructor could refer you to training.

Again, welcome!

 

[boulderjohn]

1.) Do I have to be an expert swimmer ?
I know swimming but I cannot even dive in a pool. I have never stepped a toe in the ocean or lakes even, only pools.....Is this a hindrance ?

Yes, but it need not be a permanent one. It all depends upon what you mean by a strong swimmer. You need to be a competent swimmer who can handle himself on the surface in case of some emergency. You will need to show the ability to swim at least 200 yards and float for at least 10 minutes in order to be certified, depending upon the agency that certifies you. Some will require more. You can achieve that level of skill easily with some lessons and practice if you do not yet have it.

2.) I am not very strong
I don't weigh a lot. I am 5'9 and weigh about 120 lb. Will it be a concern ?

No. Ten year old girls who are much smaller and weaker than that are certified.

3.) Maybe it is the fantasy of what I see on television or read in books (and hence I am opting for a 15 dollar try out session first) but is diving a tough/dangerous sport ?

If you are a reasonably competent swimmer who is comfortable with his face in (and especially under) the water, you should be able to learn the skills without too much trouble. Confidence in the water is the most important thing.

As far as dangerous is concerned...

It is a lot like driving a car. If you only drove on clear, dry roads, if you only drove on roads that were not too dangerously difficult for your skill level, if you only drove cars in good working condition, if you always followed the rules of the road, and if no other drivers were running into you, then driving would be almost perfectly safe. The only real problem would be if you had some kind of a health problem (like a heart attack) while you were driving.

The same is true with scuba. If you stay within the limits of your training, follow the rules you will be given in your instruction, and maintain your equipment, then the only real danger would be a health problem, like a heart attack, while you are diving.

 

[j yaeger]

rishi-give bob a call at kanata dive supply
he does a wonderful job with discover scuba!!!
he has them scheduled all the time and at different ottawa pools
dive in!!!!!
have fun
Yaeg

 

[SoccerJeni]

Welcome Rishi! I definitely think you're doing the right things by checking it out and giving it a try if it's something you've always wanted to do! I don't think you have to be the best swimmer out there, in fact there is a group of Military Veterans who have disabilities that dive. Give it a shot, yes, it can be extremely dangerous but you'll learn about it in the classes.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Hi Rishi,
Diving has it's risks, but as for tough or dangerous I don't think so.
I'm not tough or dangerous, and I can do it. Haha. Your living room might be more dangerous that some dives.
Once you sift through all of the gear talk and other aspects of diving, you'll find out that diving is just a lot of fun.
Have fun,
Mitch

 

[publicsafetyinstr]

Hey there Rishi. You can send me a PM. The sticky thread is good; the Discover Scuba is also a good thing. I have instructed many students and it is really a personal thing - how comfortable are you in the water when things go wrong? The shop can tell you if you are going to need some swim lessons. If you can find a swim coach who is certified that would be ideal.

Take care.

 

[iHeartScuba.com]

Welcome to the forums, you'll find lots of good info here and also plenty of great people willing to help out. We teach the Discover Scuba course here locally, and highly recommend it for starting out. Feel free to send a PM to iHeartScuba.com or join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/iheartscuba always happy to help and answer questions.