When I first embarked on a diver journey, I never realized what a diving experience involved. I didn’t even know what DSDs were or whether I needed certifications to dive or not.
So today, I’d like to reintroduce the idea and clarify a few things for those who are about to embark on the same journey or interested in doing so.
Do I need a certification to dive?
The short answer is no. The dive (and it is most often the first dive ever) is called Discover Scuba Diving or DSD. DSDs are led by Scuba Diving instructors or DSD Leader. They are done in a confined water only so most dives for DSDs are done in a safe, protected bay with no waves or currents, easy to access from the beach, or in a swimming pool.
At Bubble Addict Okinawa, we have such a protected bay close by so you can dive straight into the salt water and practice, plus it is a site that is filled with surprising amount of healthy corals and marine animals so it’s not uncommon to have the opportunities to witness great marine life from the very first dive.
Most people fall in love with diving right there and then and move on to continue on to an Open Water Course, which we will discuss below.
The depth is restricted to 12m.
On rare occasions, when people don’t have time or for any reasons, they may just continue DSDs anywhere they go in the world and still experience wonderful diving.
At Bubble Addict Okinawa, we have an option called DSD Plus. These are usually 2 dives: first being the regular DSD experience including 6 of Safety Skills to master, and the second dive is what we call a Fun Dive, which is to simply enjoy the dive without the skills. They are both done in a confined water.
Other than considering the time and investment it takes, we highly recommend moving on to an Open Water Course after DSD, because of the following reasons:
- DSDs are always in a confined water, which means either a very safe bay or often in a swimming pool. Luckily, at Bubble Addict Okinawa, we go straight into the real ocean but still confined as the town of Motobu, north Okinawa has such a great location with abundant marine life.
- DSDs include only 6 of the safety skills necessary so if you choose to continue to Open Water Course, you will still have to finish these skills later on during the course.
- DSDs are maximum 12m depth.
- Scuba Diving is often an experience best shared. There is a huge diving community in any countries that have diving. We have had many father-son, best friends, fiancees diving partners. And scuba diving is a lifetime experience for sure and it is a privilege to witness such a moment amongst divers. If your diving buddy is certified and you are not, you may not be able to go scuba diving with them. In fact, we would even say most places require at least an Open Water certification or higher to dive.
What does an Open water course mean?
So if you are ready to start your Open Water Course, here are some things you can expect during the course. Of course, your instructor will prep you and be with you all the way so no need to worry but a bit of information before you start may be helpful.
What to expect during an open water course?
- Option A – 2 Day Course
- On Day 1, we usually meet up around 8:30am to get to know each other and try out gears. Once we are ready, we are leaving for the dive site and we will do 2 dives with some introduction, exercises. We would usually finish around lunchtime.
- On Day 2, we meet in the morning again and go for 3 dives in total. For the first dive out of three, we complete all required exercises and skills in the same confined water as the first day. Then we go for 2 dives in the open ocean, either from a boat or from a shore depending on the conditions. On this day, if all goes according to plan, we should be done around 3 or 4 pm.
- Option B – 3 Day Course
- On Day 1, we usually meet up around 8:30am to get to know each other and try out gears, once we are ready we are leaving for the dive site and we go for the 1st dive for some introductions exercises, getting used to scuba gear. We would usually finish around lunchtime.
- On Day 2, we meet in the morning and prepare for 2 dives to complete all required exercises in the same confined water as the first day and another dive in the open ocean, either from a boat or from a shore depending on the conditions. We should be done around 2 or 3 pm
- On Day 3, we meet in the morning and go for the last 2 dives in the open ocean, either from a boat or from a shore depending on the conditions. We should be finished around 2 pm.
Want to know more?
Of course, we are dealing with Mother Nature and conditions really affect us. Also, everything depends on how comfortable you are in the water or scuba dive gear, too. When you are faced with the force of Mother Nature, all kinds of things can show up within us so we can’t really guarantee that your Open Water course is always going to unfold like this. But most of the time, it is a spectacular experience that you won’t forget.
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