By Nora E
February 25, 2025
Scuba diving is an activity and water sport that involves a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus that helps divers explore worlds beneath the surface. This takes place all over the world in many different environments and bodies of water. Furthermore, people have been scuba diving for many years as a means of conservation, scientific research, and survival strategies. With correct training and scuba gear, the scuba diving experience is unlike any other.
Scuba Diving Overview: How It Works
Whether an expert diver or beginner, all scuba divers use the same basic practices when diving underwater in the BVI. Along with a snorkel mask and fins, the gear used in the underwater worlds can be described using the acronym SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). Scuba gear helps divers breathe underwater with a regulator, a scuba tank, and a buoyancy control device (BDC).
- Regulator
- The regulator is the mouthpiece that a diver breathes out of.
- It connects to the top of the oxygen tank and converts the compressed air into breathable air when the diver inhales.
- The regulator will also have an alternate air source for safe diving. It is a bright yellow hose that is also connected to the tank.
- Scuba Tank
- The air in a scuba tank is compressed air with 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen.
- Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
- The BCD is a vest that attaches the scuba tank and regulator to the diver.
- It helps the diver stay afloat at the surface and be able to control the descent into the underwater world.
The History of Scuba Diving
Scuba diving started in the mid-1900s. However, people have been freediving since ancient times for food and research purposes. In Ancient Greece, citizens used makeshift breathing devices to stay underwater and collect fish for food. Leonardo Da Vinci invented a device that would allow people to stay underwater for a longer period of time. What began as a means of survival has transformed into both an exciting recreational activity and a valuable method for scientific discovery. After the invention of the breathing apparatus by Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan, divers can stay underwater to collect data, research issues in the ocean, and also discover new species of marine life.
What’s The Difference Between Diving and Scuba Diving?
Between freediving, snorkeling, and scuba diving, there are many differences.
- Freediving involves a lot of breath-holding training so people can go deep into the water without using a breathing apparatus.
- Snorkeling involves breathing out of a tube inconspicuously called a “snorkel”. Snorkelers stay at the surface with a mask and fins and regularly swim in shallow water.
- Scuba diving involves a BCD, regulator, and air tank to allow breathing underwater at greater depths.
How to Scuba Dive:
Deciding to become a certified scuba diver, or just try it out, is not as hard as one might think. Multiple PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) facilities all over the world can teach scuba courses and take out those wanting to do recreational diving.
What Equipment Do You Need?
As mentioned above, the scuba gear (regulator, tank, and BCD) is crucial for diving. Additionally, divers should have:
- Scuba Mask
- Fins
- Dive Computer
- A Wetsuit or Drysuit (depending on the conditions)
- Rash Guard (so the BCD doesn’t irritate the body)
Where To Learn
Whether someone wants to dive in the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean or the chilly Great Lakes, there are a number of facilities available all over the world. To find an organization or dive shop in your desired location, please visit PADI’s website to learn more.
The training stages of scuba diving for beginners first includes a few confined water sessions in shallow water off of a beach. These help the student feel comfortable breathing underwater and performing safety exercises. Then, students will do open water dives before achieving their first certification. Open water dives will usually be off of a dive boat.
Sail Caribbean Summer Camp is a sailing and scuba diving camp for teenagers looking for 2 or 3 weeks of adventure living on a sailboat and gaining diving certifications. We work in collaboration with our sister company Sail Caribbean Divers (a PADI 5-star facility) to conduct these courses throughout the summer. Sail Caribbean Divers also runs year-round for those visiting the BVI and want to take in the underwater environments.
Who Can Scuba Dive?
Anyone can scuba dive as long as they are healthy and do not have any health risks that would grow more serious with scuba diving. It is important to talk to a physician before diving and filling out the PADI Medical questionnaire.
The youngest age someone can go diving is 10. Divers aged 10-14 will receive PADI Junior Open Water or Junior Advanced Open Water which they may upgrade when they turn 15.
Is scuba diving hard?
Scuba diving takes dedication and passion and while practicing safe diving, learning the basic skills is simple. Certified dive instructors have curated lessons for new divers to make it easy to learn and start your scuba diving journey. Some lessons include buoyancy control, clearing the scuba mask underwater, and practicing equalizing your ears as you descend. Once these skills are mastered, scuba diving is a breeze.
Do I Need To Be A Good Swimmer To Learn Diving?
While the BCD helps keep the diver buoyant and afloat, it is always important to have experience swimming in the water before diving. It is not about swimming fast, it is about keeping buoyancy and using the diving tools to help underwater.
What is Scuba Diving Like?
Scuba diving is just like snorkeling except you are fully breathing underwater where you can further explore deeper depths and coral reefs! Strapped in scuba gear, you descend into the water while taking inhales and exhales through the regulator. Equalizing your ears while going further down, you discover species of fish, coral, and other marine life that can’t be seen from the surface. All you can hear is the sound of the ocean and your breath, it is truly a peaceful experience. Divers use a dive plan that they follow when going down. It consists of the time underwater and the path around the dive site to practice safe diving. When the dive is coming to an end, the instructor will instruct a safe ascend which involves slowly inflating the BCD so you gradually float to the surface where you can discuss all of the cool findings with friends!
What Are Some Things To Do When You’re Scuba Diving?
Diving in the British Virgin Islands is like no other. Sail Caribbean Divers takes students and travelers through the vast amount of historic wrecks, protected reefs, and more! Some of the favorite dive sites include:
- The Wreck of the RMS Rhone
- Ginger Steps off of Ginger Island
- The Wreck of the Willy T
- The Airplane Sharks at Great Dog Island
Scuba divers can experience the beauty of the BVI that not everyone can see. Sail Caribbean Diver’s Instructors take participants through an experience of a lifetime. Other than lessons, the instructors plan games, show the divers sites that have a creative and artistic flair to them, and even introduce them to some friendly and familiar marine friends.
Is Scuba Diving Safe?
When practicing the correct safety procedures and risk mitigation, scuba diving is very safe. Being a 5-star PADI Facility, Sail Caribbean Divers always practice the safest diving practices. They take new and experienced divers through step-by-step training on diving in the BVI including Fish ID, the buddy system, and planning the dives in advance. Before the campers arrive in the summer, the dives are planned and ready to go in advance. The expert staff takes groups of divers down so that no diver is alone or has a sense of panic while underwater.
Scuba Diving Safety Tips
When scuba diving, there are a lot of safety precautions each diver should take.
- If the diver feels any sort of congestion or sickness, they should not go diving that day.
- Diving should never occur if the participant is planning on flying in the next 24 hours after the dive.
- Always make sure that an instructor checks the oxygen and air levels of the tank before diving.
- The instructor will frequently ask during the dive what the air level is on the tank by using the air gauge connected to the regulator.
- Every diver will fill out a medical questionnaire before diving to make sure there is no history of a medical condition that might worsen or negatively affect the diver.
- Always stay hydrated!
Conclusion
Through understanding the history, important gear, training parameters, and environmental impacts, scuba diving is an experience of a lifetime. Sail Caribbean Summer Camp, in collaboration with Sail Caribbean Divers, offers exquisite lessons and opportunities to explore the famous sites in the British Virgin Islands. Our Charlie Program focuses on advanced scuba diving for teens looking to further their knowledge; whereas, our Alpha or Bravo Programs offer an introduction to the world of scuba diving. Regardless, all of our programs are built to provide students with the opportunity to try it out or expand their expertise. For adults wanting to share in the experience, Sail Caribbean Divers operates year-round for visitors to the island who are looking to discover the underwater world.
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