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Are you fond of blue ocean waters and marine life? Become a Scuba Diver

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scuba diving Are you fond of blue ocean waters and marine life? Become a Scuba Diver

An underwater sea-walk in the calm aquamarine waters of Pattaya in Thailand exposed me to a stunning marine life that exists in a world different from our own. There were diving instructors to guide us on the walk and that made the whole experience even more magical.

I, often wondered, what life as a scuba diver would be like? It would definitely be adventurous – exploring a realm of strange inhabitants, and feeling the weightlessness of the alien environment, and pristine silence of the ocean wildlife. A career as a scuba diver in India presents you with exciting opportunities to explore the waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea.

What is Scuba Diving?

It is an underwater diving sport where the diver uses a Scuba set.  Scuba is an acronym for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus”.  Scuba diving, today, including training and facilities, is a multimillion dollar global industry. Scuba professionals in India and abroad stand a lot to gain from this booming industry.

You can go scuba diving for recreation or for professional reasons. Recreational diving, offers professional scope and personal pleasure, for many disciplines of diving ranging from cave diving to deep diving. Scuba divers who want to work professionally can venture in to part-time and full-time jobs. Some professional scuba divers diversify into underwater photography, oceanography, and underwater archaeology as parallel career interests.

Job opportunities for a Scuba Diver

The jobs are out there for a scuba diver. But there are many factors that govern employment opportunities. Some of these factors are level of certification achieved, preferences for work environment as a diver, and choices of season for working.  Professionals have a choice of either a seasonal or a full-time career.

The diving season in India lasts from October for seven months of the year. However, there are places that need full-time divers for 12 months of the year. As a certified professional scuba diver, you can lead recreational diving excursions at resorts, own a scuba equipment store, assist marine researchers in gathering data, and act as an instructor to train others to dive. Popular year-round scuba diving jobs can be found in the Caribbean, Australia, and Mexico.

Becoming a scuba diving instructor is a popular career choice.  An instructor gets to direct people and conduct diving courses for the public. He even teaches them how to use their equipment and to upgrade their knowledge of underwater safety. Learning from an instructor helps people to enjoy a good diving experience. A dive master helps divers navigate the waters and assists them with their damaged equipment.

Experience, job location, and certifications play an important part in determining your compensation. Starting salaries for diving instructors are Rs. 30,000 per month but can go up as you gain more experience.

Global Scuba Diving Training and Certification Agencies

These agencies are internationally recognized certification avenues that provide diver training and certify scuba divers:

  • National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
  • Professional Diving Instructors Corporation (PDIC)
  • Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
  • International Training SDI, TDI, & ERDi
  • Scuba Schools International (SSI)
  • British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC)

PADI

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is a globally recognized scuba diving training organization. PADI offers many professional level courses to advance your career as a scuba diving instructor and leader. PADI has more than 5900 dive centers and resorts around the world. At PADI, you can select from a wide range of beginners level courses and instructor development courses.

Courses offered by PADI:

  • Open Water Diver CourseGet certified as a scuba diver by taking up this popular scuba diving course. Firstly, the entire course covers knowledge development that includes the basic theory and skills for scuba diving. Basic theory sessions can be completed by e-learning, home study, or by attending a live class. Secondly, the course also introduces practical sessions for confined and open water dives.
  • PADI Scuba Diver CourseSometimes time can be a constraint. If this is so then the Scuba Diver course is shorter compared to the Open Water Diver course. This is a limited certification because it allows you to go diving only in the presence of a diving guide up to a maximum depth of 40 feet.
  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor CourseBecome a professional instructor with this course that teaches you about confined diving and also how to teach open water diving to other students. This course also covers many more techniques. But to take this course, you need some scuba diving experience.

 

Certified Dive Centers and Organizations in India

A PADI Professional or otherwise certified scuba diver can gain access to job opportunities in PADI-worldwide certified dive centers and diving organizations. PADI is the pioneer in diving education and you will have plenty of opportunities to learn, teach, and grow as a scuba diver. Some major organizations that offer courses, training, and work opportunities are:

  • Planet Scuba India

This organization in Bangalore, India, offers diving courses designed and provided by PADI. This is your gateway to diving in the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep, and the rest of India.

  • DIVE India Scuba & Resorts

This is a PADI, SSI, and NAUI certified dive center in Havelock, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They offer an array of training courses and instructor development courses, along with internship opportunities.

  • Barefoot Scuba Dive Resort

Established in 2005, this resort is the only PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Facility in the Andaman Islands. The resort is the ideal spot for learning and experiencing the magic of diving.

  • Barracuda Diving India

Established in Baga, Goa, this resort is the first PADI resort in India. They organize daily dive trips and guided wreck dives. You can even design your own diving itinerary and even request dive safaris.

  • Lacadives

Lacadives is a diver training facility in Lakshadweep, India. It also operates mainland diving centers in Mumbai and Bangalore. They cater to divers of all  levels and are also affiliated to island research and conservation organizations.

Are you equipped for the challenges of Scuba Diving?

Scuba diving is a sport that is not free from accidents or hazards. Before you embark on this career path, it is important to know a little about the challenges of this sport. Scuba diving accidents such as arterial gas embolism, cardiac arrests, trauma and injury, decompression sickness, and loss of consciousness are commonly occurring. To ensure a safe dive experience, make sure your heart is in good condition. To improve your cardiovascular fitness, perform aerobic exercises five to seven days per week. Each session should last thirty to forty-five minutes. Scuba diving is an incredible sport but it needs to be performed safely.

Now that you know everything there is to know about scuba diving, what are you waiting for?

Begin your scuba lessons now.

Kritika Pramod Kulshrestha

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