A Whole World Awaits Beneath the Surface with Scuba Diving

The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet. Yet most people will only ever see it from the surface. Scuba diving changes that. For anyone who has wondered what it would feel like to breathe underwater, explore a sunken quarry or follow a reef through open water, the path from curious beginner to certified diver is more accessible than most people expect.

Bailey Kondos, shop manager and scuba instructor at Mars Scuba, has guided countless first-timers through that journey. She says the sport is far more inclusive than its reputation suggests.

“You can dive your entire life and continue to dive because it’s not physically demanding,” Kondos said. Her oldest student was 79 years old.

Getting certified

The entry point for most beginners is the Open Water Scuba Diver certification, the industry-standard credential that qualifies a diver to go to a depth of 60 feet with a buddy. The course is structured in three phases. The first is knowledge development, completed through an e-learning platform that students can work through at their own pace. The minimum age for this portion is 10.

From there, students move into a pool setting for at least three sessions, where they practice a minimum of 25 skills, from clearing water from a regulator to managing leg cramps or helping a tired dive partner back to the boat. Once comfortable in the pool, students complete at least four open-water dives, typically at a local quarry, to earn full certification. The total cost at Mars Scuba is $650, which covers everything, including rental equipment.

For those not ready to commit, a “Try Scuba” session offers a lower-stakes introduction of one evening in the pool paired with some e-learning. “It’s a dipping of their toes into scuba diving to see if it’s something they like,” Kondos said.

Physical and mental requirements

The physical requirements are modest. Students complete a swim test at the start of pool sessions as a practical safety check confirming they could return to a boat if they surfaced away from it.

“You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete,” Kondos said. “You just need to be able to pass the swim test and be able to carry a tank.”

Mental barriers are often the bigger challenge. Claustrophobia, the instinct to hold one’s breath and anxiety about extended time underwater are common concerns. Instructors work with each student individually to build comfort before moving forward.

That advice to relax is echoed by Dan Nalley, a 66-year-old diver who has been underwater since 1981. He got into scuba after years of snorkeling and wanting to go deeper. His daughter caught the bug, too, earning her certification at age 12 on a trip to the Bahamas.

“Try to relax. It’s a little intense when you’re first starting out. Most of the new divers that I dive with use a lot of air because they’re so excited and on edge. You just need to relax and enjoy the experience,” Nalley said.

He also emphasized technique over effort. Streamline your body, keep arms tucked in and let the fins do the work. “Think like a shark,” he said. “No arm movement. In tight at your chest and just move yourself with your fins.”

Medical considerations to know before you go

Health concerns are addressed through a standard medical waiver with 10 questions. Those who flag a condition can obtain a doctor’s clearance and still dive. But not every condition is a straightforward signoff.

Dr. Michael Apostolis, a pulmonary and sleep medicine specialist with Independence Health System, says diving places unique physical demands on the body that many prospective divers underestimate. Patients with some common conditions, including diabetes, hypertension or coronary artery disease, may be permitted to dive if they’re medically stable and optimized, but only after a careful discussion of the risks.

“Diving increases stress on the cardiovascular system and increases the work of breathing and overall stress on the respiratory system,” Dr. Apostolis said. “Any event that would render a patient even temporarily incapacitated or unconscious is potentially catastrophic underwater.”

At minimum, a diver should be able to sustain an exertion level of six metabolic equivalents of task, or METs — roughly equivalent to jogging a 14-minute mile. Apostolis recommends all prospective divers complete an initial screening through the recreational diving medical screening system, with additional testing or specialist input as needed.

Some conditions are absolute bars to recreational scuba. A history of spontaneous pneumothorax, pregnancy, and severe debilitating cardiovascular or pulmonary disease all categorically disqualify a candidate, he said. Any condition that raises the risk of sudden incapacitation — seizure disorders, syncope or arrhythmias that cause loss of consciousness — is also disqualifying.

“Any condition that increases the risk of pulmonary barotrauma may result in serious harm, including pneumothorax or arterial gas embolism,” Dr. Apostolis said.

Other conditions fall into a gray zone that requires case-by-case evaluation. Well-controlled hypertension is not an absolute contraindication, Dr. Apostolis said, but such patients should be carefully assessed. Patients with mild heart failure, a patent foramen ovale or nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy need review by a cardiologist and a diving medicine specialist. Those with an automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator face an additional step: the device manufacturer must certify it can withstand dive pressures.

On the pulmonary side, asthma that is poorly controlled or triggered by exercise or cold air is a contraindication, as is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the presence of pulmonary blebs or cysts. “Any pulmonary condition that may compromise exercise tolerance is a relative contraindication to diving,” Dr. Apostolis said.

Neurological conditions, unrepaired hernias, clotting disorders and severe psychiatric conditions, including uncontrolled anxiety and claustrophobia, also warrant evaluation. Divers with a prior history of decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism should not return to the water until cleared by a diving medicine specialist.

“Divers should possess the ability to exert themselves in the water and self-rescue if needed,” Dr. Apostolis said. “The goal is to make sure anyone who gets in the water can get back out safely.”

Gear, destinations and next steps

Beginners don’t need to buy anything to get started. Most training facilities and many dive destinations rent equipment. Kondos recommends new divers, at a minimum, pick up their own mask before heading into open water. Fins, boots and a snorkel round out the basic kit. More advanced gear, such as regulators and buoyancy compensator devices, can come later.

Nalley notes that quality equipment holds up well over time. He had a regulator for 30 years before it was stolen on a trip to the Dominican Republic. “It lasts longer if you’re diving in fresh water than salt water. It corrodes if you don’t get it clean and you’re diving in salt water,” he said.

One thing that surprises many new students, Kondos said, is how much diving is available in a landlocked state. Local quarries, the Great Lakes near Erie and group trips organized through dive shops mean certified divers have more options than they might expect. After earning an Open Water certification, divers can continue into advanced open water and eventually into technical or professional tracks, including becoming a divemaster or instructor.

For anyone still on the fence, Kondos offered a simple invitation.

“We’re always open to conversations. There’s no stupid question out there. You can ask me about sharks. You can ask me about what shoes to wear in the water. We’re here to help you and support you and make sure you’re enjoying the sport.”