If you’re considering getting your diving certification, don’t let uncertainty or anxiety keep you from “taking the plunge.” One of the best pieces of advice I wish I could give my younger self is to get diving certified sooner! So I’ve rounded up the best reasons to learn how to scuba dive.

The Ultimate Scuba Diving Guide

Once you’re ready to start your scuba journey, check out my guide on getting open water diver certified! I take you step-by-step through the certification process and talk about potential divers’ most common fears and how to overcome them.

Here’s why you should learn how to scuba dive!

Diving is great for almost all ages and abilities

Anyone aged 12 and up can become fully certified in scuba diving. And I’ve met divers who are well into their 80s. So diving is the perfect inter-generational activity to do for the rest of your life.

While you must know how to swim and be in good health to scuba dive, PADI has developed a range of techniques and policies to accommodate people of all physical abilities. So if you have a mobility or physical disability, more than likely, you can still dive.

You just need to notify the dive shop you’ll use before starting your certification process.

To get scuba certified, you have to be a good swimmer. You’ll be required to swim 200 yards without stopping or holding on to the side of the pool, but there’s no time limit.

The first level of PADI certification is Open Water Diver, which consists of online learning modules and exams (that you’ll complete before you get in the water), multiple practice sessions in a pool, and four open water dives.

It took me 2-3 hours over five days to complete the online portion of the course and three full days to complete my pool sessions and open water dives.

The certification process is very straightforward and intuitive, and your dive instructor will personalize the course to your pace and comfort level.

The Scenery

Imagine swimming through a shipwreck, under a coral reef wall, or through a kelp forest. These are experiences you can only have as a diver. And the types of environments you can explore underwater aren’t limited to the ocean. Your diving certification will also let you experience caves, lakes, and rivers in a new way!

The Marine Life

Instead of watching people swim with turtles, dolphins, whale sharks, and seals on your Instagram feed, get your diving certification and swim with these creatures yourself!

Many divers (including myself) visit a destination to witness a particular marine life or event. For example, whale and bull shark dives are seasonal occurrences, and the Sardine Run in South Africa only happens once a year.

But even if you’re diving without a specific animal in mind, you’ll lose count of how many you see on every dive. And while the “Big 5” of diving (manta rays, turtles, whale sharks, sharks, and dolphins) are incredible, the random fish, eels, and king crabs you’ll float by are just as captivating.

Diving is good for your physical and mental health

Diving is an excellent way to stay physically active. It’s also a great way to unplug from technology and focus on your mental health.

I find the “weightlessness” of being underwater incredibly freeing and cathartic. Everything weighing on my mind on the surface fades away under the water. I know some divers who even approach diving the same way they do meditation.

Diving allows you to focus on your breathing, be in tune with your body, and enjoy some peace and quiet. All while witnessing some of the most extraordinary sights you’ll ever see!

Community

The Diving Community is aptly named because there’s camaraderie between every diver. No matter your experience or certification level, you’ll be welcomed into every dive shop and accommodated in any way possible.

It’s difficult to describe the profound connections you form with other divers, even if it’s only for an hour-long dive. You’ll just have to experience it yourself!

Protect Our Oceans

Our Diving Community is leading the charge in ocean conservation.

Divers directly contribute to protecting our oceans by collecting trash they find underwater and only diving with ethical, certified dive operators. The cost of diving courses, equipment, and excursions also directly funds ocean conservation.

We also educate others about the ocean and why and how it needs to be protected. Sharing your photos, stories, and passion for the underwater world can be the catalyst for others to prioritize ocean conservation, even if they’re not a diver.

Diving is one of the safest adventure activities you can do. PADI-certified dive shops operate with the highest standards of safety. Scuba diving equipment has multiple redundancies, making malfunctions statistically unlikely. Plus, you always dive with at least one buddy, who will be trained (like you will be) to help other divers in any situation.

Injuries from marine life while diving are extremely rare. And 99% of the time when there are injuries, it’s because the human made a poor choice underwater (provoking a shark, touching a scorpion fish, or sticking their arm down a hole they can’t see into).

The e-Learning portion of the certification course goes into detail about how to behave and what to do when biting, stinging, or poking marine life is nearby. And your dive instructor will give you practical tips on how to behave and what to do around specific marine life.

New Travel Options

More than 70% of our planet is underwater. So being a diver opens up a whole new world of travel opportunities.

Whether you add one dive excursion to an existing trip or plan an entire vacation around diving, being scuba certified will take your traveling to a whole new level!

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What reasons to learn how to scuba dive would you add to this list? Share with us in the comments!

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This article about reasons to learn how to scuba dive is not a sponsored post, and the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post about reasons to learn how to scuba dive are entirely my own. Some of the links in this post about reasons to learn how to scuba dive are affiliate links, and at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from this post about reasons to learn how to scuba dive.