Home

Learning to Scuba & Enhancing your Education

There are many reasons both good and bad why an individual wants to learn how to Scuba Dive

Bad Reasons:
	My boyfriend told me I have to learn how to dive because he does.
	I want to learn because I am an adrenaline junkie.
	I am not that interested but have some extra money so what the heck, lets do it.
	I want to get certified so I can eventually get rich teaching Scuba.
Good Reasons:
	I have thought of taking dive lessons for a long time.
	I have friends who dive and I would like to join them but I am not certified.
	I am going on a vacation to the Caribbean and want to dive there.
	I am a photographer and want to learn how to dive so I can photograph marine life.

The first step to becoming a Certified Scuba Diver is to be doing it for the right reasons. One of the worst reasons to learn is out of peer pressure. Make sure you are doing it because you want to. Once you have figured out why it is you want to learn how to dive and decide the time is right, the next consideration is where to learn.

It's a pretty well known fact in the dive industry that the majority of individuals who earn their Scuba Certification don't continue diving. There are a number of reasons  for this including monetary issues, life style changes, physical ability changes, susceptible to cold water conditions and not being comfortable in the water during and after certification. There is not a whole lot a Scuba Instructor can do to help address most issues but a good instructor can surely help you become comfortable in the water by arming you with what you will need to become a good, competent and safe diver.

My goal, as an Instructor, is to create a "Certified Diver" who I can trust and want to be "Dive Buddy's" with. 

There is a lot to see below the surface. I chased Salmon, Halibut and Ling Cod around the waters of Puget Sound, Strait of Juan De Fuca and the Pacific Ocean for a number of years with a rod and reel before I decided it was time to see what is actually down there. I was certified as an Open Water Diver in 1992. What I have come to find out is that I would much rather be below the surface looking up than on the top looking down. I remained an Open Water Diver for more than 10 years before I decided it was time to learn more about diving through education rather than just experience. I progressed through the courses and became an Instructor in 2006.

My motivation to become an instructor was simple; I love to Scuba and wanted to start sharing the experience with others who want to learn how to dive. Bottom line is I teach because I want to, not because I have to.

Scuba is a money intensive sport for all dive levels, especially new divers. You will find that my courses are more expensive than most Dive Shops, primarily because my instruction is private and you learn at your pace. You will get constant one-on-one training throughout the duration of each course and come away with your certification feeling confident in your ability to Scuba Dive Safely in the environment in which you are trained. Complete competency will only come with time by continuing to dive, experiencing new places, diving with new friends and enhancing your education.

If you are ready to become a Certified Scuba Diver or you are already certified and want to enhance your education, and you are doing it for the right reasons, don't scrimp on your training. Learn to dive safely and continue diving. The key is "Keep Diving". This is how you become comfortable, stay sharp and remain ready to deal with the unexpected.

Dive Course and Fees

Mark Peil NAUI Instructor #44923 diver@peninsuladiver.net