02 Dec Top 10 Reasons to get certified as a PADI Open Water Scuba Diver

1. You and your friends are trying to figure out something to do; movies, eating out, going out for ice cream… been there, done that. How about scuba diving? This is a fun alternative that never gets old! With so many dive sites around the world, this is always an awesome past time to enjoy with your friends and even family. .
2. Some of your friends probably have epic stories about how they went skydiving, saw a ferocious animal in the woods, etc. Scuba diving provides you with an opportunity to have some incredible experiences and of course bragging rights. I for one, have many stories, some of my favorites include my first manta ray encounter as I and another instructor were teaching 12 kids how to dive, and when a turtle swam right up to me while I was on a dive, etc. Next time, you can be the life of the party with some of your epic tales!
3. Every once in a while, you just want to relax and forget about all the stresses you may have. When you plunge beneath the waves, you can rest assured that there is so many things to see, and distract you, that the world above will be a distant place. Personally, I love the fact that you can’t talk to anyone and all you can hear is your breathing and the clacking of fish munching on corals. It is easy to achieve a state of relaxation with just a little practice and the pay-off is well worth it.
4. This world is pretty big, but what I find most impressive is that 70% of it is water. The oceans are the last unexplored frontier; there are so many things to discover! So if you think you’ve done everything on land, why not brave the sea and see what there is to discover?
5. Have you ever seen on TV an astronaut walking on the moon? They look weightless; they take one step and seem to soar. You probably think it’s impossible to do here on earth… But it’s not! In fact, astronauts train underwater before heading off into space because you get that same feeling of weightlessness underwater that you get in space. When you first don on your scuba equipment it seems impossibly heavy… Take a step into the water and that weight seems to disappear.
6. Prices for seafood can seem very high sometimes for things such as lobster, hogfish, etc. Do you want to bring seafood to your plate for a relatively low price though? Scuba diving might be the answer. During lobster season in Florida (with the proper permits) you can catch up to six lobster a day. Hogfish are also fair game and even better, lionfish, they make excellent ceviche (and you’d lend a helping hand to the ocean in the east coast of the United States).
7. Trying to take your photographic skills to the next level? Or maybe you want to challenge a new and different environment from land-based photography. Well, there is an endless supply of photo subjects underwater!
8. If you’re looking to have a career in the marine sciences, a scuba diving certification is definitely a plus to have on your resume. This sport can open up a whole new realm of possibilities, giving you a chance to see the subjects of your studies up close.
9. Honestly, this is my favorite part: all the creatures! They are so incredible and all so different. You have the turtles, which can be either really shy or will swim right up to you, then there’s the 500+ species of sharks, so many fish on the reefs that we’ve discovered (and many more that have yet to be discovered), the dolphins, the rays… The possibilities are endless, and once you start diving you’ll become addicted to trying to see all these things underwater.
10. Dive boats are a great place to cultivate friendships. Just think about it- two people that love the same thing? Perfect. There’s a new dive buddy for you!

PADI Instructor Daniela Escontrela