Certification Vacations

Certification Vacations... You’ve always wanted to see what was under the waves, and you’ve heard what your friends said about the beautiful colors and exotic creatures, but you’ve never gotten around to taking the plunge into SCUBA. Maybe the reason you haven’t is because it just didn’t seem to be easy to do.

That’s all changed now. There are several options for you to take that peek under water such as "resort courses" and "individual submarine-type vehicles" (discussed in the next edition of South Florida Dive Journal). Certification vacations, however, offer you the most complete method of learning and experiencing our underwater wonderland filled with ocean reefs, wrecks, and sea life.

Just what is a certification vacation and how do you find it? Simply put a certification vacation allows you to relax and have fun in a warm and friendly spot while also learning first-hand about our underwater environment, the last unexplored great frontier.

Let’s look at what is involved in this process called certification and how it can fit into your vacation...There are three components to a certification course:

• Classroom Training: To become a diver you need to learn a bit about the laws of nature that govern the underwater world. This can be handled with the aid of instructional videos and "HOME STUDY" (or "hotel study" if you prefer). A manual will provide you extra information to flesh out what isn’t clear or complete in the video. And quizes will be filled out prior to meeting your instructor for classroom elaboration and clarification of the material. Depending on how prepared you are this initial class session can be quite brief, with follow-up sessions scheduled depending on need.

  Dive USA has just begun the first ON-LINE "VIRTUAL CLASSROOM" to assist persons in our "Certification Vacation" courses.

• Pool Training: Your certification class will spend 5 to 7 hours in a pool setting during which you will become familiar with the equipment and techniques you learned earlier in your home study and classroom elaboration. The pace is relaxed and totally dependent on how you feel. Once you have the hang of breathing underwater you’ll probably want to stay there because it’s an experience unlike any you’ve ever felt. Once you finish with the pool training you’ll move on to the Open Water "Check-out Dives".
• The Open Water (or Ocean) dives are often termed "check-out" dives because the goal is simply to prove to yourself that you can do the same things you learned in the pool, but this time in the Open Water. Because most people are somewhat apprehensive the first time we typically like to start you out in fairly shallow water and work deeper as your comfort level dictates. By the end of the four dives you’ll find yourself wanting to learn more and see what else is out there. All major training agencies offer continuing education courses such as underwater naturalist, underwater photography, deep, or night diving.
• You might be asking yourself how you can participate in one of these certification vacations while visiting Palm Beach County? Your questions about tuition, housing costs, time required (which depends on your schedule and needs), and equipment rental will be gladly answered when you click here. and connect to our E-Mail form.

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Go to Dive USA's web page for a look at the most comprehensive dive school on the Internet.
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