You've seen it on TVs and movies. You hear all your friends talking about it. Despite all this, you have never gone scuba diving. Fortunately for you, changing this is quite simple. Learning how to scuba dive is much less intimidating than you might think. While there are a few technical parts, and some physical skills you'll need to master, learning how to dive is a fun process that almost anyone can complete.

First thing you will need to do is decide where you want to take your course. Naturally, your first inclination might be to find the closest place and get a certification there. There is nothing wrong with this, but if you live in a landlocked area, keep in mind that you will be learning to dive in a lake or spring. This is still a lot of fun, but it is a very different experience from the open ocean. Some people choose to travel and get their certifications at top diving destinations. Others simply learn to dive with their local shop, and save their travel dollars for after they're certified.

Here's a hot tip: basic open water diving classes can be much cheaper in certain countries. Places such as Honduras and Thailand are well known for offering low cost programs. I myself got my certification in Thailand, on the island of Koh Tao, and paid much less than I would have in the US. I had one-on-one private instruction, and got to dive in amazing tropical waters. The cost savings doesn't add up to the cost of a plane ticket, but it's still something to consider.

Once you have found your shop, you will start your open water course. These are typically provided by PADI or SSI. Both are legitimate schools, and it really doesn't matter which one you choose as a beginner. The class will take you four days, during which you will do some classroom work, some drills in the pool, and, best of all, four open water dives. If you pay attention during the classroom parts, focus on getting your skills down in the pool, you should have a lot of fun on your open water dives. Keep cool, don't panic, and you'll have a blast. Once you have completed this class, you will be a certified open water diver. This means you can now go diving with most dive companies, provided your dive is no deeper than 18 m. If you want to go deeper, you'll have to take your advanced open water class, but that's topic for another article.

Learning how to dive opens up whole new world to you. The oceans of the planet are filled with a vast array of wonders that you will never see it unless you take the plunge and learn how to dive. It's not cheap, and it isn't always easy, but it is most certainly worth it. Good luck learning to dive, and I'll see you on the bottom.