If you’re interested in becoming a scuba diver, you’ll need to undergo training, theory classes and practical dives. There are various scuba certification organizations like PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and NAUI, which offer open water diving and advanced scuba diving courses for people who have the desire to learn.

Once you’re certified, scuba diving is a fantastic way to explore the underwater world. You can find marine life in coral reefs, sunken wrecks and even explore underwater caves. Scuba diving also has great physical benefits as it improves your breathing through controlled, slow breaths. Many people who have asthma find that scuba diving is a good way to manage their condition.

In terms of safety, it’s important to remember the often quoted warning against holding your breath while on scuba. This is not a recommendation, but a warning against accidentally inhaling bubbles that can over-expand the lung air spaces, potentially leading to DCI (Diver’s Compression Injury). DCI causes pain, disorientation and in extreme cases, can lead to fatal cardiac arrest.

Other safety measures include the use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), which can help restart the heart of someone who’s had a sudden cardiac episode. It’s also important to know how to use hand signals and basic diving procedures such as buddy diving, managing the dive time and depth, etc. Another important piece of equipment is the BCD, which is a jacket that helps you stay neutrally buoyant on the surface and positively buoyant underwater, and it has air bladders that can be inflated or deflated to adjust your buoyancy.