If you think about scuba diving you are essentially turning all of your survival instincts on their heads. You must learn to be comfortable in a situation that normally spells danger.

If you can get over this initial speed bump, scuba diving can be a spectacular experience and there is no better place to take the plunge (pardon the pun) than the idyllic Madeira Islands. Experience the Atlantic in a way reserved for those who look beyond the surface. Be rewarded with a new aquatic world and encounters with diverse marine life.

If you’ve never dove before this experience can feel intimidating or out of reach, this certainly needn’t be the case. Below we’ll give a couple tips for beginners to help you approach your first scuba dive.

Know what you’re signing up for

Before you go out and invest the money to get your PADI certification, go buy or borrow a snorkel and stick your face in the water for abit. This practice of breathing through a tube gets you halfway to scuba diving and can really clue you into whether or not it will be for you. Once you’ve done this then it’s time to shop around for the best deal on a PADI certification that will teach you all the important basics you must know before diving.

Don’t hold your breath

This is very important to be cognizant of, because due to your need for oxygen we have a natural tendency to want to hold our breath underwater. Holding your breath underwater can quickly lead to lung injuries and hyperventilating, or panicking and shooting to the surface (also a bad idea). Again this is counterintuitive but be sure to keep breathing once you are under water.

Never dive solo

This is cornerstone of all scuba rules. Never, ever, no matter what the circumstance is, dive alone. Generally you aren’t supposed to stray more than fifteen feet from your partner, and going alone especially as a beginner is asking for trouble. It also really helps to find a teacher you feel comfortable with when starting out. Nothing is worse than someone who you can’t communicate with or do not feel comfortable openly speaking your mind.

This is a brief scratch of the surface in terms of scuba advice. If you as so inclined poke around a bit more online, go to your local dive shop ask some questions and go have some fun!

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