 DARE TO DIVE
In an age of extreme sports, activities such as scuba-diving, which were once thought to be dangerous, are now acceptable and accessible to the outdoor enthusiast.
One of the fastest growing sports in the world, diving is appealing to more and more young people. Anne Richardson of Scuba Arabia has observed this trend locally in the number of younger divers attending the Dive School she manages in Dubai. She has recently started training students from many of Dubai’s finest schools, and both the English College and Dubai College have active divers.
The diving revolution has become possible through advances in technology. This has made equipment safer and easier to use, and has led to better understanding on the effects of diving on the human body. This medical knowledge is programmed into extremely clever dive computers, the size of a wristwatch, which guide and advise divers on how long they can safely stay at their current depth, time between dives and the rate of ascent back to the surface.
 The PADI requires a minimum age of 12 (or 10 at the discretion of the instructor) to start an Open Water Course. To complete their training these young students are faced with the same physical and mental tests as the adults, including the theoretical and practical diving exams. To ensure the safety of divers under 16, there are restrictions on with whom and to what maximum depth they may dive. Full parental consent is also required.
Apart from safe, warm waters, the Arabian Gulf has a lot to offer. The main attraction is the large number and variety of shipwrecks, which can easily be reached by dive boat. These wrecks lie in relatively shallow water surrounded by abundant marine life, including huge schools of yellow snapper, barracuda and the ever-inquisitive batfish. Stingrays and eagle rays are also common, as well as the territorial turtles!
As if this isn’t enough, dive gear is cheaper here than in Europe, although all that is recommended for beginners is a mask, snorkel and fins. The other equipment can be hired directly from the dive operators. So why not pop down to your local dive school and discover the last frontier? It is right on your doorstep.
Peter Wright
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