Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Scuba Diving-Its a Whole New World

By Ed J Price

It is an awesome sight to see the underwater world of marine life, coral reefs, underwater caves, and wrecks. Scuba diving is an amazing skill to learn if you want to explore most of the sceneries that most people will never get to see in their lifetime. The flamboyant colors that the underwater world has to offer are some of the most remarkable views in different locations around the world.

Open Water Certification card needed:

If you are attempting to obtain an Open Water diver certification card from an internationally recognized agency, PADI scuba instruction is advised. The first phase that is required for you to acquire your certification is to take a course that consists of some basic knowledge of scuba diving which can be done at online, at home and in a classroom setting. The next phase involves taking five pool dives with a licensed scuba instructor. The final phase for your dive certification course is four actual open water dives which are normally done in a local dive location. It is necessary to take these courses as they teach you the safety and health requirements for scuba diving and scuba diving in itself.

PADI diving courses:

PADI is one of the worlds largest and most recognized scuba diving certification agencies. The acronym translates to it full form, Professional Association of Diving instructors. Their courses are globally recognized and are widely available as they have instructors located throughout the world. While PADI may be as popular as it is, there are other agencies that offer accredited courses and certifications for recreational scuba diving, but may not be recognized professionally in certain areas. For this reason it is wise to verify whether the accreditation is widely recognized before enrolling in the course.

The Top Scuba Diving Locations Worldwide:

After receiving your accreditation the difficult task then comes of deciding where to go for an awesome dive experience as there are so many places to go in the world. There are just so many wonderful scuba diving destinations around the world that it is so difficult to pick just one.

The worlds top scuba diving spot, as voted on by SCUBA Travel readers is now Yongala, (a wreck in Queensland, Australia). The Egyptian Red Sea holds four of the top ten spots: Thistlegorm wreck is number two on the list, Shark and Yolanda Reef is number five, Big Brother is number eight and Elphinstone Reef is number ten. The other five top locations are in Micronesia, Sipadan Island, Navy Pier Australia, Kailua Kona Hawaii and Bali, Indonesia.

The top 100 scuba diving destinations are located throughout the world, but are dominated by tropical spots such as Cayman Islands, Honduras, Galapagos Islands, the Bahamas and Isle of Man. Other locations such as the Great Barrier Reef, parts of Indonesia, Australia, Malta and Mexico have some great scuba diving opportunities.

Reefs, Wrecks and Rays:

It can almost be guaranteed that where ever a large reef formation or wreck is there will be scuba diving expeditions nearby. Since you will at some stage find yourself swimming with stingrays, puffer fish and marine life you may never have seen before. Be sure to get an underwater camera to capture the moment.

For more on the top scuba diving spots, you can go online to the scuba experts at www.scubasoul.com. They have tips, articles and recommendations for scuba diving locations, accredited PADI scuba instructors and open water dive certification cards.

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