The One Thing You Need To Know About Learning How To Dive

As an instructor with many dive instructor friends and having worked with many responsible and safe dive centres over the last decade, the one thing I would love for people to know before they start diving is that getting certified is not absolutely necessary.

You will not read this on any dive operator's website or blog because it cuts into their bottom line.

And if you love the ocean, have a list of marine life you want to encounter, or already know where you want to dive next: YES! Please get certified and continue getting certified. Nothing is better than the feeling of neutral buoyancy in the company of megafauna.

I really want more people to dive.

I like to believe that if more people saw what life is like underwater, experienced being one with the ocean, and saw the negative effects of climate change first-hand, we would have more people fighting the good fight for a sustainable and thriving future. But the reality is, as much as I love diving and as much as I love instructing, diving is not for everyone.

However, I have certified enough open-water scuba divers to know that most do not dive after their first dive trip. And if they do their next dive trip, they are just going for their advanced certification. This is just an observation that what it comes down to (as with everything else) is money.

this is my advice to anyone who wants to learn how to dive:

First of all, I categorise divers into the following:

1. Dive Curious - These are the people who are a little bit nervous about diving but still want to try it once, but most likely never dive again…and that’s okay.

2. Cocktail Divers - These are the people who will maybe do a dive or two here and there, as you would drink a cocktail, if they happen to be in a nice place that also offers diving

3. Dive enthusiasts - These are the people who love diving, have a must-see species list, or a must-dive destinations list

If you know deep down you’re going to scuba diving, Southeast Asia is going to be heaven on earth for you.  We have the Coral Triangle here where there is more biodiversity in marine fauna and flora than the Amazon. 

Getting certified seems like the most cost-effective way to explore underwater but really it is not.

• It takes up at least a day of theory and three days of pool and ocean dive sessions.

• If you get certified and have not dived in six months, you must do a refresher dive, which costs money.

• Because of the nitrogen we breathe in compressed air and the sun exposure, new divers get very tired and often need another holiday from their dive holiday.

• If you are flying, you need an extra day before flying to decompress from your dive.

• The most important thing to note is that just because you are certified does not mean that you are comfortable underwater, which means that even when certified, you will want or need a dive guide anyway.

So where do we go from here?

If you are on the fence about scuba diving or just want to try it out, there is something called a discover scuba dive (DSD) or a try dive. This is sometimes free at many resorts with an attached dive center in major tourist destinations: Southern Thailand (Phuket, Koh Lanta, Koh Samui), Bali, and even Maldives. It seems like a win-win to me. Plan a holiday at a resort, try a dive for free, and if you love it, you continue with your course, or you hate it, and now you know.

For those who are looking for a bit of land adventure with an opportunity to dive, these are the destinations that I would recommend:

1. Komodo National Park

2. Bali (Amed and Tulamben)

3. Lembeh Strait

Discover Scuba Divers for Life

During my divemaster training, I conducted a DSD for an older couple, and they set the tone for me early on. They dived maybe once every couple of years, they do DSDs every single time they dive, and they get to enjoy their private guided dive.

Here are the perks of being a DSD for life:

• No self-study. Only one hour of theory where you are shown the absolute basics of diving: breathing, mask clearing, a bit of buoyancy, and emergency scenarios.

• 2:1 Ratio. Dives are always guided at a ratio of two DSDivers to one divemaster/instructor compared to being certified and being lumped into a group of four divers; and if you choose a subpar dive operator, group size can go up to eight.

• No need for refreshers

• No stress

The downside:

• You are NOT certified to rent gear and do shore dives alone.

• Limited to 12m (OW divers max depth is 18m) however, everything bright and good is usually at or around12m.

• You can only dive with a dive professional.

Based on my personal experience certifying new divers all around the world these are the main things you want to consider and prioritise:

1. Do the theory online before arrival.

2. OW takes 3 days and AOW takes 2 days, but allow for an additional day so you do not feel rushed

3. Choose a dive centre far from the tourists to get a more personalised and private learning experience

4. If possible, choose somewhere with warmer waters, it is always nice to have wetsuits as an option rather than a must

5. Choose an epic place to learn how to dive to get bamboozled by the underwater wildlife

If the Earth is mostly ocean 70%, can we consider ourselves travellers, if we don’t dive?!
See you under water

TL;DR: You don’t have to get scuba certified to enjoy the ocean. This post offers honest advice from years of instruction—categorising diver types, busting certification myths, and explaining why Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) is a great fit for many. It also includes practical tips on where and how to start.