Try dive vs full scuba certification: which should you do first?

TUREFF• •0

If you are not sure whether diving is for you, you do not have to commit to a full course straight away. Most dive centres offer a short supervised experience, often called a try dive or, in PADI's version, Discover Scuba Diving. This guide explains what it is, how it differs from certification and how to decide.

What a try dive is

A try dive is an introduction, not a qualification. A typical session looks like this:

A short briefing on how the equipment works, how to breathe from a regulator and a few hand signals.
Basic skills in a pool or shallow, calm water: clearing your mask, finding your regulator if it comes out of your mouth, equalising your ears.
An optional shallow dive in open water with an instructor right beside you the whole time.

In PADI's programme, the pool portion is limited to 6 metres and the open water dive to a maximum of 12 metres, under the direct supervision of an instructor. Other agencies have similar programmes with their own limits.

What it does not give you

You do not come away certified. You cannot rent equipment or dive with a friend afterwards; every future dive has to be another supervised experience until you take a course. Some agencies let you credit the try dive towards an Open Water course if you sign up within a set period, so ask.

The medical questionnaire

Both try dives and full courses begin with a medical questionnaire. It asks about things like heart and lung conditions, asthma, ear and sinus problems, recent surgery, pregnancy, diabetes and medication. If you answer yes to any question that requires it, you need a doctor to assess you and sign a form before you go in the water, and that can take time to arrange on holiday. Fill it in honestly, and if you have any health condition, see a doctor before you travel, ideally one with diving medicine experience. Some countries and centres also require a full dive medical regardless of the questionnaire.

Swimming

A try dive usually does not have a formal swim test, but you should be comfortable in water and not panic if your face gets wet. A full course does include a test: PADI's Open Water, for example, asks for a 10-minute float or tread and a 200-metre swim. If swimming is shaky, a few lessons before you travel make diving much more enjoyable.

Age

Try dives are often available from around age 10, but individual centres set their own minimums and some are higher. Children have additional depth limits.

Try dive or full course: how to decide

Choose a try dive if:

you are not sure you will enjoy breathing underwater
you have only one free day on a trip
you are nervous and want to test the feeling first

Go straight to a course if:

you already know you want to dive regularly
you have several days and are reasonably confident in water
you want to dive with friends or family who are certified

There is no shame in a try dive that ends in the pool. Feeling claustrophobic or anxious at first is common, and a good instructor will let you go at your own pace or stop.

Tips for the day

Do not fly within the following day without checking the waiting time; the same flying-after-diving guidance applies to try dives.
Avoid alcohol the night before and stay hydrated.
Tell the instructor about anything worrying you, before you get in.
If your ears hurt as you descend, stop, come up a little and equalise again. Never force it.

Have you done a try dive, or are you deciding between the two? Share your experience or ask a question in the comments.