Grow Your SCUBA Goals

Focusing on a fun new element of scuba diving, like underwater photography, helps you subconsciously perfect your skills and adds a new level of excitement to your favorite hobby.
By John Lidington

There’s no time like the present to assess where you are in the world of diving and where you’d like to go. Are there new skills you’d like to learn? New activities you’d like to pursue? Do you need a refresher dive to help shake off the cobwebs after a month or more out of water?

Check out the myriad opportunities for enhancing your SCUBA abilities under the “Training” tab at www.puravidadivers.com.

Pura Vida offers a coherent set of PADI-approved courses that address just about any topic related to Palm Beach diving. PADI pioneered the concept of breaking diving education into a tiered series of courses, building skills and knowledge as students move from course to course. Now, with over half a century of experience under their belts, PADI has a diverse set of offerings that can be customized to whatever level of knowledge and type of activity you hope to perfect.

Some students may pursue the bragging rights of earning a Master SCUBA Diver rating. Some may seek the professional opportunities of becoming a SCUBA Instructor. But even if “going pro” is not your ultimate goal, you will likely find some courses of direct benefit to the diving you do, or want to do.

Is most of your offshore diving done on dive charter boats? Essentially, all Palm Beach County-based boats assume you’re diving Nitrox. If you don’t have your Enriched Air certification, you’re losing bottom time. Drift diving is the norm here, and many of those dives are in the 70- to 90-foot range. It’s amazing how the tips and techniques learned in a Drift Diver, Deep Diver, or Wreck Diver course can make for a smoother, more enjoyable dive.

Do you dive from your own boat or from other private boats? Pura Vida offers a Boat Diver specialty that teaches useful local skills such as setting up your boat for drift diving and safe methods of entry and exit. Training as a PADI Rescue Diver or Emergency First Responder is always useful, and can be a true lifesaver when professional backup is not readily available.

Naturally, courses developing and perfecting general skills—such as Underwater Navigation or Peak Performance Buoyancy—never go out of style. The AWARE Fish ID and AWARE Coral Conservation, as well as Underwater Naturalist courses, will definitely strengthen your appreciation of the underwater world.

Take a couple minutes to explore the offerings a www.puravidadivers.com. There are a lot more recreational dive courses there—and we haven’t even touched on tec diving. It’s time to get back in the water! Do it with a purpose.