As a potential new diver, knowing how to get started is essential. Without proper qualifications, no reputable dive center will let you get in the water with them. So what are the options?

The diving course is nicely divided into 3 sections:

1. classroom work, where your instructor shows you DVD’s and walks you through the lessons, this is completed with a multiple choice quiz to check your understanding
2. work in the pool, where you practice basic classroom exercises, such as gearing up, breathing with partners, replacing your mask and snorkel
3. open water dives, where you will practice the exercises in the sea (or other suitable body of water), usually descending to 18 meters on the last dive

Where will you choose to carry out your diving training? Well, it depends on where you live and where you go diving. Could you be:

• live in a cold climate and want to dive on vacation
• live in a cold climate and want to dive at home, and maybe on vacation
• live in a hot climate

There are also three basic ways to learn to dive:

• complete all lessons at home
• complete all lessons on vacation
• start your course at home with pool work and classroom work, but go somewhere warmer for open water dives, known as benchmark

So, putting all this together, how are you going to learn to dive? If you never intend to dive in cold water and you live in a cold climate, then forget about doing the entire course at home. But, if you want to dive at home once you’re qualified, you may also need some dry suit training to allow it. I did this in the form of a dry suit specialist course, but if you complete your open water dives in a dry suit this is not required.

If you are always going to dive in warmer waters, is it better to do the whole course abroad? It depends. If you have time on your vacation to include the entire course, then perhaps you should complete the entire course in one go. Some instructors prefer this because they know you’ve had the right level of training before the open water section. It also allows you to meet your instructor before you hit the water, which can be a huge confidence booster.

But, if you don’t have time on a family vacation to spend the 4 days on the course (and it can be more, if the weather changes) or you’re going on a diving vacation and you’re itching to continue proper diving, then a referral, which in total it will probably cost a bit more, it allows you to get learning out of the way so you can start dives as soon as you arrive.

Whatever you do though, especially for the open water elements, research your dive center before you go to make sure they have fantastic reviews. Personally, I wouldn’t part with any money before I arrive to have time to talk to the staff and make sure they are friendly and security conscious. And don’t forget that you have the right to ask your instructor to show you their certification card just as much as they will have the right to ask for yours when you are qualified!