Are you looking for a new and exciting adventure? When you become scuba certified, you are introduced to an entirely different world where you lightly float around and observe aquatic animals in their natural environment. Like any other sport/hobby, there are reasons to get into it and make scuba diving a part of your life. Here's some of the best reasons to get certified:

1. It's a lifetime certification. The PADI Open Water Diver program consists of academics, pool and then off to the Pacific for four ocean dives. Instructors take the time to teach you the safety aspects, escort you within the environment and accomplish performance requirements on every dive. Once you are complete and comfortable with the diving, the instructor issues you a certification card that is recognized around the world for life. You can refresh your skills as you see fit or continue along the learning structure to continue to enhance your capabilities over your lifetime! 

2. Spend your vacation scuba diving and not certifying. Some of you have realized that the location you might be traveling to offers scuba diving. Common destination weddings to Jamaica, the British/U.S. Virgin Islands, Belize, Mexico and many more offer beautiful, clear and warm waters. But, you are there to relax and enjoy the wedding or honeymoon. Not be stressed over getting your scuba certification! This is where a dive company like Beach Cities Scuba can step in and help! They will ensure you are ready and fully prepared to enjoy a vacation overseas! 

3. The more you dive.... It is no secret that the more you conduct an activity, the better you get at it. During the PADI Open Water Course, you will be introduced to an entire educational system. These training programs are designed to make you more skilled in the water and also focus on specific tasks while you are diving. Say you want to learn more about underwater photography? That's easy! We've got a course for that! These programs give you the opportunity to learn new skills under the supervision of a diving professional. What better way to learn new and exciting techniques than to continue along your diving career with more dives! 

4. Meet new people. One of the most social groups in any industry is the diver population. From the time you step into a program to learn, you'll meet new people and find friendships that will last a lifetime along the way. With dive clubs, you will experience social events, meet-up to dive and people with like-minded interests as you have. If there is one place to enjoy an adventure with quality humans, it's the scuba realm! 

5. Explore exciting places. From jumping into a flooded missile silo in Texas to exploring World War 2 wrecks in Micronesia, you will never find a more diverse adventure than being a scuba diver! There are dives all over the United States and the world. If you are looking to explore these amazing places both on the land and the sea, then getting certified is definitely for you! 

6. Eliminate Stress in your new quiet place. In today's hectic world, we experience work schedules, kid schedules, life balances and much more! If we aren't tied to our cell phones, we're out communicating across multiple channels to each other. It's an amazing human trait, but one that keeps our brain in hyperdrive and affects our sleep. Welcome to your new stress-free, quiet place! When you scuba dive, you'll experience the bubbles and see things floating along just like you do. It's amongst the most relaxing moments and satisfying to know you are one of the few that go out in the mornings or afternoons to explore. Whether you are looking for a great place to just look at animals, or photos, or videos, or hunting; whatever it is, you'll be relaxing! And that, is why it's a top reason to get certified! 

7. See animals in their natural habitat.  Yes, we can go to an aquarium to see animals in unnatural environments while we peruse around in dry clothes. But, what if you were going along a reef and a sea lion passed by to say hello? Maybe a Giant Black Sea Bass decides it wants to check you out while you check them out! It's amazing to see these animals in their natural environment. As you calmly breath and move slowly, you'll find that the life will return to normal and you'll see schools of fish passing by while other animals steadily clean off the reef systems. That is worth the price of admission to an aquarium! 

8. You'll actually lose some weight. This is true. If you become an active diver, you'll utilize your fins on a regular basis. This provides a method in which to create an active person. Many divers have experienced weight loss from becoming scuba divers. You'll find that being active and getting outdoors on a regular basis is great for your skin, great for your life and that salty fresh skin seems to radiate with happiness when you exit the ocean! 

9. It's a system of education and safety. The most amazing thing is realizing that its doesn't stop at the Open Water level. You can go on to explore new depths, new locations and experience things that no one has ever experienced. That is probably the most exciting aspect of becoming scuba certified. Getting the chance to try new things at such a high level that you may never complete everything! 

10. Learn waterskills! You'll be much more comfortable when you complete your PADI Open Water Program. You will learn how to self-rescue, how to help buddies if they ever experience an issue and you'll become a much better swimmer who is more comfortable in the water with every dive that you complete. If you decide to continue, you'll be able to complete courses like the PADI Rescue Diver program. In this course, you learn rescue abilities, swimming with patients and administering important life-saving techniques both in the water and on the land. When you become scuba certified, you'll realize that you will be much more water-skilled than when you started!  

These are just some of the reasons to get scuba certified today. As you continue to research, remember that this scuba life is amazing. You learn new skills and are much more confident and capable in the water environment. This lifetime certification will open up an entire world to you of adventure, excitement and fun. Now, get out there and sign up for a scuba certification today! 

About the author: D.J. Mansfield is a PADI Course Director that serves as the Director of Operations for Beach Cities Scuba Centers. He's been diving for 21 years, 18 of those years primarily in Southern California as a dive professional. When he's not in the dive shop, he's usually out enjoying some diving along the California Coast where he calls home.