International diving training systems. What you need to know about equipment

A diver differs from a diver in that the former dives into the water for work, and the latter for pleasure. Nowadays, more and more people are showing interest in scuba diving. A few years ago, diving courses were quite expensive, but today the prices are quite enough to learn how to scuba dive. Considering the ever-growing number of diving enthusiasts, the site offers to get acquainted with what beginners need to know about diving underwater.

Diving is a form of underwater diving in which the diver uses a special device - scuba gear. Scuba divers or divers - this is the name of people who are fond of this type of recreation. As a rule, diving is done to admire the flora and fauna of the underwater world. In addition, scuba diving is an excellent form of group recreation. You can learn the basics of scuba diving from the age of 10-14.

Do not think that diving is easy. Just because you're a good swimmer and diver doesn't mean you can buy scuba gear and go to the nearest body of water. Firstly, no one will sell scuba gear and other equipment to an amateur; for the purchase, you need to provide a special international certificate. Secondly, the lack of necessary skills will not lead to anything good. There are also a number of contraindications for scuba diving: tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, spinal injuries, respiratory diseases, epilepsy, etc. Before signing up for courses, be sure to consult your doctor or professional diving instructor.

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Choosing a training system

If you decide to learn diving, first of all you should choose an international federation that suits you, which offers its own teaching methodology. Among the most famous are CMAS, founded by Cousteau in 1959, TDI / SDI, founded in 1994 by Gilliam, IANTD, created by Rutkowski in 1985. Choosing the right system is actually not very difficult, it all depends on the goals that the person who wants to learn diving sets for himself, each of the teaching methods has positive and negative aspects. It is important to know that the choice of this or that system must be approached very seriously, because if you choose one that is not generally recognized in the world, and the result of training is an unknown, internationally unrecognized certificate, time will be wasted.

Many professionals recommend completion of PADI courses, which include 4 groups: Introductory Programs, Recreational Diving Programs, PADI Specializations and PADI Professional Courses. As a rule, experts advise completing the PADI Open Water Diver recreational diving program - it introduces the rules of scuba diving and the basics of using equipment. The course includes several theoretical lessons, diving in the pool and open water. As soon as the course is completed, the student receives a certificate that is valid in all countries of the world.

What you need to know about equipment

When signing up for diving courses, you should not think that you need to buy equipment for classes. As a rule, many schools and clubs provide their equipment. If you like scuba diving, at the end of the course you will be able to purchase the perfect one for you. The clubs provide a choice of cheap and more expensive equipment, everyone chooses, taking into account their abilities, but beginners need to pay special attention to some elements of equipment.

The mask should fit well to the face (do not allow very strong pressure) and be comfortable, the snorkel should be chosen with a comfortable mouthpiece, and the fins should be soft and long. A wetsuit is selected based on the temperature of the water you will swim in (thick suits are designed for swimming in cold water, thin - in warm). The choice of cylinder directly depends on the depth of immersion, in other words, the greater the depth, the larger the cylinder needed.

An integral attribute of the equipment is the so-called buoyancy compensator, which is designed to maintain the buoyancy of the diver, as well as a belt with a load that does not allow you to constantly float to the surface (there are ordinary belts with weights, but there are belts with pockets that are considered the best). If possible, experienced divers are advised to take a dive computer with them to the depth, which is selected taking into account the nature of the dive.

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Where can you study

The first problem that beginners face is putting on a diving suit. This is especially difficult for the first time, but instructors reassure that after 3-4 times this process will take less than 5 minutes. The most difficult thing is cylinders and weights, which can weigh more than 15 kilograms. The second problem lies in human psychology: it is very difficult to step into a pool or open water for the first time, but through a short time all fears are left behind, the beginner begins to enjoy weightlessness.

Scuba diving must be taught under the supervision of an experienced instructor. Today, there are a huge number of specialized centers and clubs that offer training courses, consisting of theoretical and practical classes, the result of which is a test dive in open water.

Such clubs and cents are located in many cities: Lviv, Sevastopol, Kiev, Lutsk, Odessa, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Khmelnitsky... Some of them have their bases near the Black or Azov Sea. Also, everyone can go on vacation (Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Maldives) to learn diving and get a scuba diver certificate. Some choose the second option, but not everyone is suitable, as people want to relax more than acquire new skills. The price for a training course lasting from 5 to 14 days in Ukrainian centers starts from 300 USD. That is, prices are higher abroad, which is why many people prefer to learn diving at home. There are only three options for "home" training: big club, small club, private instructor.

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big club

People who have completed courses do not recommend contacting large clubs, since in them the training of those who wish is put on a conveyor, that is, it will be extremely problematic for an instructor, working with 15-20 people, if at all realistic, to pay enough attention to each student. As a result, the quality of education suffers. Most of these centers have their own, it is very easy to find the right equipment in them and buy it cheaper than in other places. This is how they usually talk about it, but in reality, the prices for equipment in such stores are initially overpriced. There are, of course, pluses, among which the most significant is its own educational and technical base.

Small diving training center

A small club is a middle ground between a large club and a private instructor, that is, given that the number of students in one group usually does not exceed 8 people, the chances of getting quality training with the help of experienced instructors are very high. Such centers are devoid of the disadvantages of large clubs, and an individual approach will allow not only to obtain the necessary information, but also to perfectly consolidate the acquired skills, since training in small clubs lasts longer than in large ones. This option is the most preferred for learning to dive.

Private instructor

As for classes with an independent instructor, this is a big risk. Having worked out with a professional in his field for the allotted time, you may not receive a certification card from him, as the instructor suddenly left, for example, for the Maldives. Such people are their own masters, if they have a profitable offer, they can immediately drop everything and leave where they are called. When contacting a private instructor, one has to rely only on his responsibility. You can only learn from an independent instructor if at least a few people you know who you trust, who have completed training, have recommended him. In this case, you can get training that will be many times better than that received in a large or small club.

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The earth gave the world Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Captain Cousteau world - scuba. And diving under water from a deadly activity turned into an exciting hobby. The world's largest aquarium is the world's oceans, and the Rostov diving club, as well as the Aqua-Don diving school, will help you discover its beauty and secrets. So meet: freediving, recreational diving (amateur), technical diving.

Before "going under the water" - DC "Aqua-Don" strongly recommends taking a diving course. Otherwise, you can only hope for walks by the hand with an instructor near the hotel's beach, where there are much fewer fish and corals. It will cost twice as much and the dive will last much shorter. Night diving and diving in currents will not let you in even with an instructor. To dive for the first time on your own without preparation - compare it to an unplanned parachute jump. Most likely, an excess of adrenaline will save you, but no pleasure from contemplation. Yes, and no matter how trite, hard to learn, easy under water. The diver's dress code is quite complicated - it is not only fins, a mask, a snorkel. In the shop of the Aqua-Don diving center and the Aquadiscovery group, they will help you choose full set(from simple to elite) for any type of diving. But deep explorers don't wear ties. Now about the types of diving:

• freediving is the oldest way. They used to dive for pearls like this, now for the sake of sports interest. Without balloons, in special wetsuits and fins. Freediving has several disciplines, which you can get acquainted with in the Aqua-Don club with the instructor of the apnea academy Evgeny Butov.
• Actually diving or diving recreational. Behind the back is a cylinder (s) with compressed air, a dive computer on the arm. A wetsuit will protect you from cold water and scratches. The mask will allow you to see the beauty of the depths. A compensator vest (BCD) will allow you to soar in the water column and not waste extra energy on maintaining buoyancy. Everyone selects fins in accordance with their fitness. Igor and Tatyana Savelyeva, PADI and CMAS instructors of the Aqua-Don Club, will teach you how to choose the right equipment for diving and learn how to use it correctly. Recreational diving has many specializations: night diving, current diving, wreck and cave diving, dry suit diving, underwater photo and video shooting, etc.
• Diving technical. This type of diving is most often associated with diving with multiple gas mixtures using multiple tanks, sometimes penetrating overhead environments (wrecks and caves) over long distances. Most often, a technical diver does not have the opportunity to immediately surface even in open water with decompression obligations. But he has access to such objects and depths that an amateur diver can only watch on TV. Technical diving requires reliable equipment and serious training. You can discover the basics of technical diving and, if you wish, move on with the Aqua-Don club based on the diving centers of our partners in Egypt and the Philippines. Every year "Aqua-Don" conducts courses for underwater tugs in Puerto Gallera (Philippines).

You can find the cost of diving training on our website.

TRADITIONS OF ROSTOV DIVERS

Divers have long become the same subculture with their own set of traditions, such as rock climbers or geologists. Some are shared by Igor SAVELYEV "PADI MSDT instructor" who teaches diving in Rostov-on-Don:

1. Aqua-Don divers celebrate the New Year in the Volna pool. Always with a Christmas tree and, of course, under water! Around the coniferous beauty they dance and sing, as far as possible, songs.
2. We dedicate one day a year in June to saving nature. We dive on the Left Bank or Grebnoy and collect garbage. There is a lot of it - enough for everyone. It's a pity, the water is muddy, muddy - visibility is poor.
3. For the May holidays we are going to visit our partners in the Philippines. One is relaxing and having fun at Asia Divers, the other is mastering the towing and technical depths at Tech Asia. And, of course, the obligatory salute on Victory Day.
4. In August, if possible, we go on a diving safari to the Maldives, to our old friend Norbert and his permanent guide Mohammed. Many people say that it’s not the season, but it’s not so hot and we get more of the ocean. And there is always a lot of life there!
5. The final dive in a safari is a ritual. We take a flag and oranges with us underwater. At the bottom we drink champagne straight from the throat. What kind of wine glasses can be here? And be sure to dress up informally: shorts, bright T-shirts, caps. Brazilian carnival is resting.
6. The final evening on deck ends with a pirate party. Children hide a bottle of rum, and adults look for a "treasure" according to the prompts. If you're lucky, then the losers will get a sip.
7. Initiation into divers. The newcomer is seated on a chair, given a mask and a tube. And pour the drink directly into the tube. A lot, however, will not work to drink - there is nothing to breathe. Then the newly minted diver gets up and fins his soft spot three times.
8. Not all members of the Aqua-Don club can go on a trip at the same time. And those who remain meet the arriving company at the Rostov airport. He covers the clearing right in the car, and those who arrive for refreshments share their impressions and all together make plans for future trips.

In general, in the Aqua-Don club, the travel schedule is scheduled for a year or two in advance, from

Underwater diving for Russians is no longer a novelty. True, a couple of decades ago, diving was available only to a relatively small group of ardent amateurs, fascinated by the films of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. What is so attractive about this outlandish hobby? Why are there more and more scuba diving enthusiasts every year?
Actively developing diving gives those who wish the opportunity to experience the alluring state of soaring. Hanging in the water column is akin to being in space weightlessness. Yes, and the underwater landscape is unimaginably similar to a fantastic foreign world.
The relative availability of foreign tours contributes to the growth in the number of diving enthusiasts. Having seen the picturesque sea world only once, it is difficult to resist the possibility of re-immersion.

The benefits of diving

Touching the secrets of an unknown body of water is the main, but not the only task of amateur diving. During exciting trips, there is an opportunity to meet interesting people, expand the circle of contacts, exchange impressions and experience of diving. And muscle load during diving accumulates the body's strength and strengthens the overall physical tone. In addition, diving can be an additional incentive for personal growth. The fact is that the diving course includes an introduction to the methods of identifying and describing underwater organisms, and also opens up new horizons for lovers of photography and video filming. By the way, scuba diving can be so exciting that you seriously think about professional career trainer instructor.
In addition, regular scuba diving can become a family tradition, bringing together both high school students and the older generation who have retired on the basis of a common hobby.

Is diving suitable for all ages?

Recreational diving does not involve excessive loads on the body, however, there are a number of medical indications that impose a ban on diving. First of all, this applies to people with lung diseases. , and other non-chronic diseases that make it difficult to work respiratory tract, are grounds for postponing dives.
Diving in open water is sometimes accompanied by factors that are not easily tolerated by people with heart disease. Vigorous strokes and prolonged exposure to a wetsuit in hot weather can have adverse effects. Therefore, before diving, get the consent of a doctor.
Restrictions apply to the minimum age of those wishing to go scuba diving. It's 12 years old. For children 8-10 years old, there is a specially designed Bubble Maker program. Classes in this course include exercises in a pool up to 2 m deep. Children are taught confident behavior on the water, correct measured breathing under the water, . There is no maximum age limit for diving.

Snorkeling or diving?

A few words in favor of both types of diving.
Snorkeling is swimming near the surface of the water with a breathing tube, mask and fins. If swimming near the surface of the water is fully mastered by you, you can practice freediving. This is diving underwater while holding your breath.
Snorkelling does not require any skills, except for the ability to float freely on the water. Snorkeling - great option for those who do not want to languish in a wetsuit at high temperatures of southern latitudes. The waters around the Red Sea coral reefs, for example, are famous for their excellent visibility. Therefore, even without heavy diving equipment, it is possible to fully enjoy the rich flora and fauna.
At the same time, divers can handle a relatively long stay under water at great depths, which means such pleasures as diving on sunken objects. Of course, this requires knowledge of the theoretical course, training and skills development, confirmed by the relevant certificates. A mask with a snorkel and fins are included in the mandatory diving equipment. Therefore, if you wish, you can always join a group of snorkeling fans and allow yourself to swim light.

Specialized centers, diving conditions

Before diving into open water, you must have a certain amount of theoretical knowledge. Therefore, the first step towards mastering diving skills is the choice of a training center. The most popular diving training systems in Russia are PADI and CMAS. When visiting the center for the first time, make sure that the instructors have documents confirming their professional category and the right to teach a dive course. Lectures and video tutorials will alternate with practical exercises in the pool, where instructors will work with you on the skills you have learned.

The end of the course is crowned with diving in open water, after which the student receives an international certificate. This document indicates the completion of the initial (or next) course and the qualifications awarded. The certificate, as well as a special journal, which contains data on the conditions, place, duration of dives, must be taken with you on diving tours.

What does a diver's outfit consist of?

In addition to the masks, snorkels and fins mentioned above, diving equipment includes a wetsuit, neoprene boots, a helmet, gloves, an air regulator, a buoyancy compensator. Air or a special gas mixture is supplied from a cylinder with a valve. A diver cannot do without special instruments that record the duration and depth of dives, as well as facilitate orientation under water. These are watches, depth gauges, a dive computer, a compass. A manometer allows you to track the amount of air remaining in the cylinders. For deep-sea and night diving, you can not do without an underwater lamp. The knife is also included in the diver's equipment. It is used as a handy tool for digging, measuring.
The cylinders will have to be pumped up with air as it is spent. Diving compressors are used for this purpose. Portable units will have to be taken with you on trips to places where there are no points with stationary devices for air injection.
Diver equipment is diverse and, at first glance, complicated. Purchasing a personal set of equipment is not for everyone. Therefore, it is worth considering the option of renting equipment in a specialized store or in the center where you were trained. In popular resorts, as a rule, there are local dive centers that provide equipment for rent. Therefore, you will most likely not have to carry a set of equipment with you.

It is important to remember that there are no trifles in diving. From attentive attitude The safety of the dive and the safety of the health of the diver largely depend on the details of equipment and equipment. So make sure the wetsuit fits your body, the fins are the right size for you, and the mask fits snugly around your face. Check the operation of the pressure regulator and the quality of the air in the cylinder (to do this, just press the regulator valve and smell the jet of outgoing air).
Remember the first rule of diving: never, under any circumstances, hold your breath while diving. Try to breathe evenly and smoothly. Don't forget to equalize the pressure in your ears or blow out, as the divers say. To do this, you need to pinch your nose through the mask with your fingers and try to exhale through it.
Recreational diving involves diving in pairs, during which you will be responsible not only for yourself, but also for your partner. Therefore, the theoretical course, among other things, will include elements of mutual assistance and mutual control. The first dives in open water are best done as part of a group under the supervision of experienced instructors.

Indeed, in order to start diving, you will need desire, diving equipment, reasonable health and a love of water. After you find the entire list of listed advantages in yourself, you are ready for the first lesson. But then, of course, you will have to sweat a little before you can confidently dive into the depths of the sea. In order to dive in open water, you will first need to be certified as a Novice Diver or Diver. These are introductory courses that will help you learn how to feel free under water, remain neutrally buoyant, not touch anything underwater, and learn the rules and standards of behavior when diving.

Even ten-year-old children can complete the Novice Diver Beginner Course in just 4-5 days. To do this, you will need a certified diving school, which employs professional master instructors who can quickly teach you the practical skills of handling equipment, diving and surfacing, and be careful and careful underwater. From right choice A diving club where you can get training depends on a lot, including your quick preparation for independent exploits. Remember that there are about thirty dive training techniques in the world, and each school insists that their technique is the most productive!

If you are not sure if you will enjoy diving, then before you enroll in a school, take an introductory Dive Test, and then make a decision - to start or stop learning. But if you decide to study, be sure to check the conditions that the diving school offers you, as well as its certificates - it should have the right to issue you an initial diver certificate. Otherwise, you will be wasting your money on education!

Learning different diving systems is your own business. The systems are different, you will have to pay for each of them, but it is your task to choose from the ones you like. Your best bet is to research the major systems on the Internet and ask which ones are in the schools where you can get training. The most popular training systems are SSI, CIMAS, PADI and NAUI. The most popular today is PADI, however, you may prefer a different method if it suits you more and it is taught at school.

The initial training course lasts 1-4 weeks and consists of lectures on theoretical training and practical diving in the pool and in open water. After that, you will be able to get an initial diver's certificate. Then, after completing open water training, you will receive a certified opportunity to take part in your club's expeditions to warm seas and dive to a depth of 18 meters, and then you can take a number of "special diving courses" - dry suit diving, night diving, underwater orientation , underwater photography and video filming. After a series of test dives, you will eventually receive an international OWD certificate, allowing you to dive at any diving spot in the world.

Initial dives will be at shallow depths to allow you to adapt to the increased outside pressure. Subsequently, you will remember well that with light scuba diving you can dive to a depth of no more than forty meters in order to avoid decompression sickness. By the way, primary education for diving to such a depth is not enough - they are performed by high-class professionals who have completed courses deep dive Deep Diver or Universal Diver. Initially, it is better for you not to cross the depth line of 18 meters.

Purchasing equipment before completing a diver training course does not make sense. In order to understand what kind of equipment you need, you must first study this art and understand its intricacies. During the training, the school will provide you with its own equipment, and during the preparation, the instructors will teach you how to use the equipment and help you choose your own set of equipment that will be perfect for you.

The question of the cost of diving is rhetorical. You will have to spend a certain amount on training and equipment, however, these are quite affordable means for the average person to practice their favorite sport. Another thing is that in the future your trips to diving resorts will require finances commensurate with the status of the resort and the level of service they offer.

The human factor in diving training plays a special role.

Diving, as a rule, is a collective type of recreation, if it is a serious hobby, and not diving to a depth of one meter.

A diving center is created almost always by enthusiastic people who appreciate teamwork and know how to be united.

Otherwise, in scuba diving - it is impossible.

When going for diving training, you should find out if the instructors of the diving center where you want to study have a decent and long diving experience.

You can't learn anything (especially diving) from a person who knows the subject only in theory, without experience and practice.

Talk confidentially with the instructors you intend to train with, get advice from experts, and find out the following points:

• whether the diving center instructor dived in different temperature conditions (cold and warm seasons, warm and cold waters)


• whether he has wetsuit or drysuit diving experience


• what types of diving he is proficient in (e.g. strong currents, ice diving, diving in underwater caves or on wrecks, etc.)


• in the team of what size the instructor dived


• does he have experience diving from a boat, from the shore


• in what types of reservoirs and in what waters there were dives (ocean, sea, river, lake, canal).

Offering you this list of questions, we are well aware that it is physically impossible to dive into all the seas and lakes of the planet.

Having received answers to them, you will not only check the advice of experts, but also form your own opinion about the level of professionalism of the instructor with whom you plan to learn diving.

However, the most main question, to which you should receive an instructor's response, is the following:

does the number of his disciples who dived match the number of those who returned after diving on land?

Every reputable diving center has:

• long working life


• a large number of students


• all of its instructors have valid teaching licenses


• swimming pool for training


• a list of dive sites in different waters where students go


• a strict rule: the student makes the first dives with his instructor.

Diving training prices

As a rule, the price for a basic diving training course is around 300 euros.

The price includes:

• scuba equipment rental


• study guides


• instructor fee


• the cost of operating training dive bases.

The price of a self-respecting diving center, as a rule, is fixed, students do not make additional payments.

Finding in any of them training is much cheaper, you should understand that the diving school saves on something and will not give you something.

That's why we want to warn you:

Better right away learn to dive properly than later - relearn.

Diving centers operate according to different training systems.

There are about fifteen of them (systems), each has its own certificate and rating in the world community of divers.

Below is a list of the most popular.

PADI Diving Training System

(Professional Association of Diving Instructors - Professional Association of Diving Instructors)

This is the largest system of education, it is over 40 years old.

Her distinguishing feature- a rigorous standardization system that ensures high security diving.

We will only finally allow ourselves to note that weightlessness is a physical phenomenon from space and ... diving.

And your spine will be grateful for relaxation, because this pleasure is also available to it - only in astronautics and diving (and all of it is the force of gravity).