Sure, you have a certification card, but that doesn’t always mean you’re feeling ready to dive. Especially if you’ve been hanging at home for weeks at a time. If it has been awhile since your last dive, you may be in need of a PADI ReActivate scuba refresher program. Here are seven signs to look for.
1: You can’t find your PADI card.
Sure, someone from the dive center can call PADI to confirm you’re certified, but if you can’t find the card, that’s a sign that perhaps too much time has passed since your last dive.
2:You finally have a trip away planned and you want to dive.
You could spend precious time at your destination catching up on skills — or you could do that work with your local Dive HQ.
3:It’s been a while since your last dive, and you will be diving with your kids.
“A lot of times, we are dealing with families that got certified together, Says Mike from Dive HQ “One thing I remind parents before they get in the water is that they are going to be responsible for another person, and I ask if they feel up for it.”
If the answer is no, consider a refresher course.
4:Six to 12 months have elapsed since your last dive.
“One of the first questions we ask someone who is coming in to dive is, “When is the last time you were in the water?”
As for the answer, some dive shops will suggest a refresher if you haven’t been diving in six months, a year or longer.
5:The thought of putting your gear together makes you nervous.
6: If you’re struggling to remember just how the gear fits together, keep in mind that the divemaster can assist you — but it might also be time for a refresher course.
7:You can’t remember when your last dive was.
If your last dive was more than a decade ago, you may need more than just a refresher course.
“We ask about the time before they stopped diving. I ask them to estimate how many dives they had before they stopped. For some people, it’s been 15 years and they guess that they had maybe 10 dives before they stopped,” says Mike,
If you identify with any of the above, it might be time to call your local Dive HQ Dive centre and schedule time for a PADI reactivate program or even a full PADI open water diving course.
Then, once you are refreshed, it’s probably time to book your next trip or join us for a social dive at one of our dive club dives.
We want you to enjoy diving and it’s important that we do this in a safe way. If you’re not sure if you need a refresher or to a PADI Open course- call one of your local Dive HQ to discuss what’s right for you and your family.
Safe diving