LukieDukie
Dr. J Thunder Duck
English 1302-8402
February 13, 2005
Paradise
Many mysteries exist beneath the tropic waters 100 miles off the Gulf of Mexico in the Texas Water Gardens. Hundreds of other life forms inhabit the floor of our many lakes. There is a hidden paradise that can be found under the oceans surface. All bodies of water present an intriguing mystery to be investigated. Scuba diving is one of the preferred methods of investigation. You can scuba dive in many different places. You can dive in any sizeable body of water. Lakes, large ponds, rock quarries, natural springs, and, as always, the seemingly endless ocean depths are good places to explore while diving. Not only are there many different places to dive, but there are many different reasons, as well.
Why would you want to take up scuba diving? What better way to experience the alien terrain that can be found under the waters surface? Imagine gliding slowly through the warm waters of the tropical ocean, exploring a colorful coral reef teeming with life. As you glide along, you suddenly discover a crevice in the coral thats home to a rare type of seahorse, or you come upon a meadow of multi-colored anemones. The alien beauty of a coral reef can only be experienced by diving down under the oceans surface or by looking at flat, lifeless pictures in a book. Experiencing it first-hand is certain to be much more exciting, as well as much more memorable, than flipping through a book and wishing you could be there, and becoming a certified diver isnt as hard as many imagine.
Its not difficult to get involved in scuba diving. The first obvious step is to enroll in a scuba certification class. These classes are designed to teach the novice everything they need to know about safety precautions and procedures necessary to maximize the fun and minimize the risks of the diving experience. They cover the necessary information to properly use diving equipment, as well. Obviously, a diver needs the proper equipment, but not so obviously, the diver also needs a buddy. Its never a good idea to go diving alone. There are simply too many risks. Your diving buddy provides the necessary back-up life support should there be a need for it, such as in the case of equipment failure, entanglement, or shortage of air. Your buddy also is someone with whom to share the awe and excitement of experiencing another world. These classes also provide you with an official certification for diving.
Scuba diving certification includes class time paired with pool time. You have to spend time in a classroom to learn the techniques necessary to do your time in the pool. Class time includes lectures, discussion, question and answer time, and the usual classroom experiences. Questions can be asked in order to glean information necessary to allay your fears about being submerged in such an alien environment. Certification also includes confined water time. This is comparable to lab time. It includes the hands on experience where you can become accustomed to being submerged underwater, and become familiar with using your diving equipment in a controlled environment. The populations in these classes are as varied as the ocean life that can be found on a Caribbean coral reef.
Almost anyone can become a certified scuba diver. People from all walks of life can become certified divers. There are few limitations placed on the sport. If you have asthma, then no, you cant dive for obvious reasons. Other than that, its not necessary to be extraordinarily athletic, or in perfect health to be a skilled diver. All thats really necessary is the drive to succeed in diving and the desire to explore other worlds reachable only through diving. Divers the world over consist of security officers, single mothers, sanitation engineers, and anyone else who felt the desire to experience nature first-hand. As stated in PADIs Go Dive: An Open Water Diver Manual, If you love nature, youve come to the right place. No other environment approaches the abundance, diversity and vibrance of a pristine coral reef. You can see more species in ten minutes there than in ten hours in the most unspoiled wildernesses above water.
