Learning to scuba dive with MOTOR CITY SCUBA is an incredible adventure! Your path to breathing underwater is accomplished in three exciting phases:
1. Knowledge Development - Learn the lingo.
During the first phase of your Open Water Diver scuba certification, you develop an understanding of the basic principles of scuba diving. You learn things like how pressure affects your body, how to choose the best scuba gear and what to consider when planning dives. You will review what you have studied with your instructor to be sure you're getting it.
2. Confined Water Dives - Spend some time in the pool
Learn the basic scuba skills under the diretion of one of the great instructors at Motor CIty Scuba. You learn to use basic scuba gear including a mask, snorkel, fins, regulator, tank and buoyancy compensator.
These first two steps are usually combined. We call it the Learn to Scuba Dive Course
3. Open Water Dives - Locally or on Vacation.
After your confined water dives, you and the new friends you've made continue learning during four open water dives with yourMotor City Scuba Instructor at a dive site. This is where you fully experience the underwater adventure – at the beginner level, of course. You may make these dives here in Michigan or at a more exotic destination while on a Motor City Scuba group trip. More Information
Yes, no problem! You may find that you have a one on one program with the instructor who will also be your buddy, or a Divemaster might buddy up with you or you may form part of a group so you’ll meet new buddies. Divers are sociable and welcoming!
It's possible to complete your confined and open water dives in as few as two full weekends with the options offered by Motor City Scuba.
The Open Water Diver course is incredibly flexible and performance based, which means that Motor City Scuba can offer a wide variety of schedules, paced according to how fast you progress.
Your instructor's interest is in your learning to scuba dive, not in how long you sit in a class. So, training is based upon demonstrating that you know what you need to know and can do what you need to do. This means that you progress at your own pace – faster or slower depending upon the time you need to become a confident scuba diver who dives regularly. You can start learning to scuba dive online right now with Motor City Scuba and SDI eLearning.
Compared with getting started in other popular adventure sports and outdoor activities, learning to scuba dive isn't expensive.
For example, you can expect to pay about the same as you would for:
Learning to scuba dive is a great value when you consider that you learn to dive under the guidance and attention of a high trained, experienced professional - your Motor City Scuba Scuba Instructor. From the first day, scuba diving starts transforming your life with new experiences you share with friends. And, you can do it almost anywhere there is water. Start learning online with Motor City Scuba and get ready to take your first breath underwater!
Please call Motor City Scuba (248)615-3483 if you have additional questions or need pricing on the componets that make up the Open Water Scuba Diver course.
No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ears. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you'll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.
Easy. There is no best gear. But, there is the best gear for you. The professionals at Motor City Scuba are trained to help you find scuba gear that best matches your preferences, fit and budget. These professionals can get you set with the right stuff, plus they provide service and support for years of enjoyable and dependable use.
Deep Down you want the Best
Choosing and using your scuba gear is part of the fun of diving. Motor City Scuba will help you find the right gear. Each piece of scuba equipment performs a different function so that collectively, it adapts you to the underwater world.
When you start learning to scuba dive, as a minimum, you want your own
These have a personal fit, and Motor City Scuba will help you choose ones that have the fit and features best suited to you. The purchase of these items (mask, snorkel, boots and fins) is included in your course price with Motor City Scuba.
You will also need the rest of the gear to scuba dive, but you don't need to own it, so Motor City Scuba will provide you with the following rental gear (the rental fees are included in the cost of your Open Water Diver course):
Check with Motor City Scuba to confirm sizing available for your course package.
It's recommended that you invest in your own scuba equipment when you start your course because:
The kind of gear you will need depends on the conditions where you dive. You may want:
If you have an appetite for excitement and adventure, odds are you can become an avid scuba diver. You'll also want to keep in mind these requirements:
Minimum Age:
Physical: For safety, all students complete a brief scuba medical questionnaire that asks about medical conditions that could be a problem while diving. If none of these apply, you sign the form and you're ready to start. If any of these apply to you, as a safety precaution a medical professional) must assess the condition as it relates to diving and sign a medical form that confirms that you're fit to dive. In some areas, local laws require all scuba students to consult with a physician before entering the course.
Waterskills: Before completing the Open Water Scuba Diver course, your instructor will have you demonstrate basic waterskill comfort by having you:
About Physical Challenges: Any individual who can meet the performance requirements of the course qualifies for certification. There are many adaptive techniques that allow individuals with physical challenges to meet these requirements. Individuals with paraplegia, amputations and other challenges commonly earn the Open Water Scuba Diver certification. Even individuals with more significant physical challenges participate in diving. Motor Cty Scuba offers the full curriculm of courses available throgh SDI Scubility Diver Programs.
You can dive practically anywhere there's water – from a swimming pool to the ocean and all points in between, including quarries, lakes, rivers and springs. Where you can scuba dive is determined by your:
For example, if you've just finished your Open Water Scuba Diver course, you probably won't be diving under the Antarctic ice on your next dive. But, don't limit your thinking to the warm, clear water you see in travel magazines. Some of the best diving is closer than you think.
The only truly important thing about where you dive is that you have the scuba diving training and experience appropriate for diving there, and that you have a dive buddy to go with you. Motor City Scuba can help you organize great local diving or a dive vacation. Visit today to get started.
Technical Diving International was one of the first agencies of its kind. It’s focus was and still is on providing training materials and education for specialized diving situations ranging from Nitrox to Closed Circuit Rebreathers, as well as for overhead environments such as caves and wrecks
Technical Diving International is the largest technical diving agency in the world. Its courses and certifications are recognized everywhere as the gold standard by which others are measured. International Training has more than 24 regional offices worldwide and through its sport diving sister agency, Scuba Diving International, it is associated with many leading industry groups such as the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) USA, Canada and Europe; the European Underwater Federation (EUF); and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Your card, and most of all your training, will be recognized and respected the world over!
In 1998 the membership of TDI could no longer be held back from the demand to create a sport diving division of TDI and thus was born Scuba Diving International (SDI). The primary reason for this expansion was that dive instructors valued dealing with an agency that listened to the instructors in the field and created programs that were, and continue to be, very popular because they are tailored to the way today’s diver wants to learn to dive.
WHY SDI?
Explore the depths with Scuba Diving International (SDI) – where the world of sport diving unfolds at your pace. Founded in 1998 by diving veterans, SDI stands for a revolutionized approach to scuba certification. Our innovative e-learning and tailored Differentiated Instruction respect your individuality, ensuring a bespoke learning experience. From young adventure-seekers to seasoned professionals aspiring to teach, SDI guarantees education with integrity, collaborative spirit, and uncompromising safety. As part of International Training, we’re not just about diving; we’re about nurturing stewards of the marine world. Embrace the SDI distinction, where you learn to protect the aquatic wonders as you explore them.
Global Recognition
Scuba Diving International certifications are recognized worldwide. SDI has more than 24 international offices and thousands of SDI facilities and instructors around the world. SDI is a member of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) through its regional RSTCs in Europe, Canada and the US. SDI programs are approved by the European Underwater Federation (EUF) and the International Organization Standardization (ISO). The certifications you earn with SDI will be accepted by dive centers, charter operators, and dive destinations anywhere your adventure may take you!
Does a history of ear troubles, diabetes, asthma, allergies or smoking preclude someone from diving?
Not necessarily. Any condition that affects the ears, sinuses, respiratory function or heart function or may alter consciousness is a concern, but only a physician can assess a person's individual risk. Physicians can consult with the Divers Alert Network (DAN) as necessary when assessing a scuba candidate.
DAN has information available online if you wish to do some research.
When you're lucky, you'll get to see a shark.
Although incidents with sharks occur, they are very, very rare. Most commonly shark encounters primarily involve spear fishing or feeding sharks, both of which trigger eractic feeding behavior. Sharks main food source is fish and if they can get a free feed they will.
Most of the time, if you see a shark it's passing through and a relatively rare sight to enjoy.
Some myths, about sharks, that you have heard may be dispelled by checking out Australian Geographic.
With the necessary training and experience, the limit for recreational sport scuba diving is 130 feet. Beginning scuba divers stay shallower than about 60 feet unless you are a Junior Scuba Diver then it is 40 feet. Although these are the limits, some of the most popular diving is no deeper than 40 feet where the water's warmer and the colors are brighter.
Motor City Scuba is a fully outfitted technical scuba diving facility and does train divers to go significantly deeper than 130ft. If this type of challenge is what you're looking for please call us.
This one is tricky to answer because it depends on how quickly you breathe your air. Most people have some nerves before their first dive which means beginners use their air faster than experienced divers. Other factors also affect air consumption; body makeup, depth, fitness, sea conditions, how effectively you use your fins and even water temperature! Your first dive should be a minimum of 20 minutes and on average first dives usually range from 25 – 40 minutes but some first timers manage a full hour. You won’t know until you try but one thing’s for sure, your air consumption will improve the more you dive.
That's not likely because you have a gauge that tells you how much air you have at all times. This way, you can return to the surface with a safety reserve remaining. But to answer the question, if you run out of air, your buddy has a spare mouthpiece that allows you to share a single air supply while swimming to the surface. There are also other options you'll learn in your Open Water Scuba Diver course with Motor City Scuba.
People find the “weightlessness” of scuba diving to be quite freeing. Modern scuba masks are available in translucent models, which you may prefer if a mask makes you feel closed in. During your scuba diving training with Motor City Scuba, your instructor gives you plenty of time and coaching to become comfortable with each stage of learning. Your scuba instructor works with you at your own pace to ensure you master each skill necessary to become a capable scuba diver who dives regularly.
Motor City Scuba keeps classes small so that we can give you more time to get comfortable with the amazing world of diving.
Aside from pregnancy, no. Because physiologists know little about the effects of diving on the fetus, the recommendation is that women avoid diving while pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
