Scuba

• Two ways to start: a try dive (often called Try Scuba or Discover Scuba), which is a supervised session with no certification, or an Open Water course, which certifies you to dive on your own with a buddy.
• Trip length: Diventures' Try Scuba class in Little Rock takes about 2 hours in its heated indoor pool. Its Open Water course has 8 to 12 hours of online learning, pool sessions and four open water dives, finished within six months of your pool training.
• Price: check with the operator; the try dive and course prices weren't on the shops' pages. Specialty trips, like a shark cage dive, cost much more than a try dive.
• Best season: pool classes don't depend on the weather. Ocean diving depends on the region and the season, so check with the operator.
• Who it's for: Diventures' Try Scuba is for anyone 10 or older, with private classes for ages 8 and 9. Most programs ask about your health first.

What breathing underwater feels like

Your first breath underwater feels strange. You put the regulator in your mouth, breathe in slowly and air arrives, even though your face is under the surface. After a few breaths, most people relax. The sound of your own breathing becomes the main thing you hear.

A try dive starts in a pool or in shallow, calm water with an instructor right next to you. You learn to clear water from your mask, equalize the pressure in your ears and control your breathing. Then you swim around and get used to the feeling of floating weightless. If you enjoy it, the next step is a certification course.

Quick picks

• A first try in a pool: Diventures in Little Rock, Arkansas, with a 2-hour Try Scuba class for ages 10 and up and all equipment provided.
• Full certification: Diventures' Open Water course, with online learning, pool sessions and open water dives.
• California island diving: Catalina Divers Supply at the Casino Dive Park in Avalon, Catalina Island.
• Gulf diving: Down Under Dive Shop in Gulf Shores, Alabama, which runs charter boats to offshore dive sites.
• Something wilder: Cage Diver's great white shark cage dives at the Farallon Islands, with no dive experience needed.

Real details, by operator

Diventures (Little Rock, AR)

The Try Scuba class takes about 2 hours: an orientation, then time in the shop's heated indoor pool. Anyone 10 or older can join; children 8 and 9 take a private class. All equipment is provided, so you only bring a swimsuit. The Open Water Diver course combines 8 to 12 hours of online learning, classroom and pool sessions and four open water training dives, which must be done within six months of the pool training. You bring your own mask, snorkel, fins, boots, a surface marker buoy and a reel. Once certified, you can dive to 60 feet. Ask the shop for current prices.

Catalina Divers Supply (Avalon, CA)

The shop is inside the historic Casino building at the Casino Dive Park on Catalina Island. It offers Discover Scuba Diving, guided dives, classes, gear rental and boat dives to sites farther out.

Down Under Dive Shop (Gulf Shores, AL)

Down Under offers beginner, advanced and specialty courses, and its charter boats go to offshore dive sites along the Gulf coast. Call for prices and schedules.

Cage Diver (Richmond, CA)

The Incredible Great White Shark Adventure goes to the Farallon Islands off San Francisco (cagediver.com). You can dive in the cage or watch from the deck. No dive experience is needed, because an instructor on board teaches you what you need. Boats leave from Richmond Marina, and the trip takes a full day.

Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm the latest on each operator's Seeking Adrenaline page, linked from its name, or on each operator's website.

For a closer look at costs, see How much does scuba diving cost?. For the Gulf coast, see Scuba diving in Destin.

Try dive or certification?

• A try dive is a one-time experience with an instructor beside you. It doesn't certify you, but it tells you whether you like scuba. See What is Discover Scuba?.
• Open Water certification takes several sessions and open water dives. Once certified, you can rent gear and dive with a buddy. See Scuba certification.

What to wear

For a pool session, a swimsuit is all Diventures asks for. For open water, the shop will tell you what exposure suit you need for the water temperature. See What to wear scuba diving.

Who it's right for

Scuba suits curious people who are comfortable in the water and want to see what's below the surface. It's also a good family activity once kids meet the age rule. See Scuba diving with kids and Can anyone go scuba diving?.

Not the right fit if...

You're uneasy in water or have health concerns your doctor hasn't cleared. Snorkeling is a simpler way to start; see Scuba vs snorkeling. If sharks are your main interest, compare Cage dive vs scuba with sharks.

FAQ

Do I need to be certified to try scuba?

No. A try dive is supervised by an instructor and needs no certification. Diventures' Try Scuba takes about 2 hours in a pool.

How old do you have to be to scuba dive?

It depends on the program. Diventures' Try Scuba is for ages 10 and up, with private classes for 8 and 9-year-olds.

Is scuba diving hard?

The basics are learned in a single session, and the instructor stays close. Breathing calmly and equalizing your ears take a little practice. See Is scuba diving hard?.

How long does Open Water certification take?

At Diventures, it's 8 to 12 hours of online learning plus pool sessions and four open water dives, completed within six months of the pool training.

What does scuba diving feel like?

Calm and weightless once you relax. See What scuba diving feels like and First-time scuba questions.