"Is Scuba Diving safe?"

Scuba diving, like most adventure sports, has risks. Our goal is to teach students how to prevent risks by diving "conservatively", and teach students how to manage possible emergency situations. We encourage students to always plan ahead and never dive beyond their limits.

'How much does the equipment weigh?"

A typical diving kit weighs around 35-45 pounds. It feels fairly weightless in water, but students will need to be able to lift their kits on land.

"Do I have to be an expert swimmer?"

No! Participants need to be able to swim 200 yards nonstop and tread water for 10 minutes comfortably.

"I have _____ medical condition/etc."

Participants may still be eligible to dive. They will need a physician’s clearance prior to their class. International Scuba cannot give any medical advice. We reccommend consulting Divers Alert Network (DAN) for any medical advice.

"What about sharks?"

Sharks are typically very exciting for divers to see. They also typically will not bother humans. In a lot of popular dive destinations, they might even be used to seeing humans! Nearly all diving accidents related to sharks were designated “provoked”, which means the diver purposefully bothered the shark first. We always teach students never to touch or bother wildlife. We are merely observers in their world.

"I am already certified, but my spouse/child/friend is interested in taking the course. Can I dive with them and watch?"

We are so glad you are sharing the wonderful world of diving! However, we do not allow divers to "tag along" during class for many reasons. The most important is safety - our instructors need to be focused on their students, and our students need to be focused on their instructors. Minimizing distractions is important to give the proper learning experience. Second, many people are self-conscious of performing new skills. Minimizing the amount of people watching is important to help ease nerves.

You may accompany them to the open water site, but again, you will not be allowed to dive with them for the duration of their certification course. We fully encourage you to start planning those first post-certification dives instead!

"I need to reschedule/cancel/etc."

We are sorry to hear that. Administrative fees may be incurred. Please contact us at 972-416-8400 for details.