Learn To Scuba Dive

Would you like to learn to scuba dive in winter? If you have believed thus far that the only kind of diving that goes on takes place in the Caribbean during the hottest time of the year, you are sadly mistaken? Of course, much like ice fishing, learning to scuba dive in winter takes a certain kind of personality. You will not be kicking back in hot weather and then taking a dip in the warm water to cool down a bit. Instead, you will freeze as you put your car in gear and head to the nearest lake or ocean. Next, you will most likely get a bit cold as you suit up and make sure your equipment is in top shape. Last but not least, the dive itself will take you into icy cold depths, while the ascent will once again lead you back to the cold of the air and land. Sounds like fun? Perhaps not to most, but there is a diehard group of scuba aficionados who cannot imagine putting their equipment in moth balls for the duration of the autumn and winter months, and instead will always be on the lookout for opportunities to dive and keep active in the sport.

If this activity sounds like something you would like to explore, then you are ready to learn scuba diving in winter! It is important to realize that when you learn how to scuba dive during the cold months of the year, you will be made familiar with different aspects of the sport than if you were going to learn to scuba dive in the middle of July. In winter you will need to learn how the cold will affect your body’s circulation and thus also the breathing patterns. Similarly, you will need to become adept at working with decreased dexterity as exposure to the cold will not only slow down your movements but will also affect your range of motion to a certain extent.

The cost of learning scuba diving in winter may be slightly higher than if you were learning how to scuba dive in summer simply because the outfits that will offer the proper certifications and added winter courses will usually have special trainer certifications themselves. In addition to the foregoing, since you will most likely not be working with one of the many fly by night outfits that appear to crop up during the summer months, you will see the prices that the reputable schools are charging and perhaps this might lead to a bit of a sticker shock, but should in no way dissuade you from trying to learn to scuba dive in the cold season. As you prepare for your lessons and as you learn to scuba dive more confidently in the cold, you will practice how to recognize the decrease in circulation that may prove dangerous if you ignore it. You will familiarize yourself with clearing your mask and performing other small motor skills while freezing, which is an important skill to know as you are diving in freezing temperatures. As you learn to scuba dive you will also foster an understanding of your body’s changing oxygen needs, the use of a properly fitted winter wetsuit, and of course the best mode of ascending slowly.