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FAQs
Course Related Questions
1. Are there
age requirements?
Kids over the age of 10 are catered for
by the Junior Open Water Diver Certification. At age 15, the Junior
certification upgrades to a regular Open Water Diver certification.
2. Will I
have time to get fully certified while on vacation?
The PADI qualification
which will enable you to dive anywhere in the world in the PADI Open Water Diver
course - the the most popular dive course in the world! The PADI Open Water Diver course
can be split into five or six sessions over as little as three days to a much as
six weeks. Dive centres in holiday spots usually offer the Open Water
course as a four day intensive course. Note that this is a beginners
course, if you become hooked on diving you'll find yourself taking intermediate
and advanced level courses.
3. Classroom
study: What does it cover?
The main focus of the classroom
portion of the Open Water Diver course is on the effects of pressure on
your body. As you dive deeper, the pressure on your body increases. This changes
the pressure of air your regulator delivers and, especially, the amount of
nitrogen absorbed into your blood. It is vital you understand the
implications of these effects.
4. Pool
practice: What does it cover?
This is where the fun begins.
Taking your first breaths underwater on a scuba regulator is a memorable
experience. The pool sessions are where where you begin
mastering basic practical skills: breathing from a regulator, safe descent and ascent
procedures, proper buoyancy and so on.
5. How are the
open water dives different?
In terms of skills, they aren't. The main
difference is that now you are in open water and therefore can't stand up, grab
the poolside etc. As in the pool, the purpose of the
training dives is to allow your instructor to determine if you have mastered the
skills you need to be a certified diver.
6. Can I dive on
holiday without getting certified?
Yes, you can. These experiences go by different
names according to where you are: "Introduction to Scuba" or "Scuba
Diver Course" are
two of the most common. The activity usually consists of a morning pool session
during which you are introduced to the equipment and practice several essential
skills. Then you are taken on a open water guided shallow dive, closely supervised by your
instructor. These courses are a quick, safe and inexpensive way to see if
scuba diving is for you.
7. Are the
instructors qualified?
Yes, you will find that the
Instructors and Assistant Instructors working on Koh Chang all have a great deal
of practical diving experience in addition to their paper qualifications.
Diving is a very competitive business and cutting costs by hiring unskilled
instructors is a sure fire way to go out of business. Read
this article on
identifying a good instructor.
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