If you love the ocean and want to explore its pristine, exotic sea life, scuba is definitely for you. There are a few things to consider before diving though. Firstly, you’ll need to learn to swim. And secondly, you’ll need a good level of fitness to carry your scuba gear and dive in open water. It’s important to note that scuba isn’t suitable for everyone – especially people with sinus or ear issues and those with circulatory problems. You’ll also need to be examined by a specialist diving doctor before starting any certification course.

A scuba cylinder is filled with compressed air at high pressure. However, you can’t just breathe straight out of it because the air would damage your lungs. Instead, a piece of equipment called a regulator is fitted to the cylinder which converts the high-pressure air into breathable on-demand air that you can breathe through your mouth with a hose. The regulator is made up of two stages, the first stage attached to the cylinder which converts the high-pressure oxygen into intermediate-pressure and the second stage attached to your mouth that releases the intermediate-pressure air on demand.

Most severe dive-related accidents and deaths occur when divers venture outside their limits or go beyond their training and experience. Always dive within your limits and don’t forget the Golden Rule of scuba – Never hold your breath underwater!