Ron Menke NAUI #5422

Just what is scuba? It is an activity that, with the proper education, allows you to go underwater, breathe air, have fun seeing new things not seen before. It is important that you receive the proper education so you underwater and dive knowing that you have the training to keep from drowning or getting injured.

It's the last part of the prior sentence that is the most important. Do you mean I could drown? Yes! Do you mean I could be injured or even be permanently disabled? Yes! Well then I guess I better get some good training. So where do I go?

Let's see - there are many places that advertise scuba lessons. Some do it in less time. Some make you do four scuba dives and one skin dive. Another place allows you to take a 30-minute video home and then you go to the shop and take a test. The next place charges only a few dollars. Then there is the place that advertises "Free Lessons" when you buy all the equipment. Or here's a great deal - $99 if you sign up now, but then they forgot to tell you about the extra charges that you still have to pay. So what is the deciding factor in choosing a place to take scuba lessons?

If you wanted to buy an airplane and learn to fly it, would you purchase the cheapest plane you could find and search out the least expensive course? I would hope not; but if you do, please don't fly the plane over my house or business, as I don't want to die when you crash.

Hello - Wake up - Have a reality check !

Scuba is not any different than learning to fly. You have the opportunity to get the proper education you need so that you know what to do, how to do it, do it well, and be calm about doing it.

On one dive at 116 feet on a wreck, I ran out of air. It was totally my fault. I turned to one of my past students, signaled out-of-air, took his octopus, and we swam up to the boat. Once on top of the water, the other diver asked, "Can we go back down now?" "No", I replied, "I'm really out of air." His reply was, "Oh, I thought you were testing me to see if I remembered what you taught me." We both got on the boat.

If you think cheap and fast is the way you want to go, then why is it that your family will find a good lawyer (who's not cheap) when you die or become injured because your fast and cheap scuba course must not have been enough to keep you out of harm's way? The prices you pay are directly related to what you get. Some instructors are only in it for the money. Some stores charge cheap prices because they will get more people through their store and will hopefully get the new students to buy more gear. Their main focus is on sales, not education. Good Instructors want to get paid, yes, but more importantly they want their finished product (heir students) to make them proud.

I want my students to be good, to be able to help other divers, and most importantly to stay alive, not get injured, and enjoy the sights they see while diving. I want my students to be able to say "Boy, I'm glad you were my Instructor."

" Q = Q " but not when you say that quality equals quick.

Take a good course, it will allow you to have the most fun - but it will probably not be the fastest, the easiest, or the cheapest.

You are worth it - aren't you ?