Diving has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Firstly this was in the form of free diving without any apparatus. Using hollow reeds as a snorkel and primitive goggles to create clearer underwater vision followed this.

Diving suits were designed to allow air to be pumped down to the diver. This continued and allowed man to do tasks underwater and to explore the underwater environment.

In 1828 a patent application was lodged in France by D’Augerville for a diving apparatus similar in design to modern day equipment, but this faded into obscurity.

In 1943 Jaque Cousteau and Emil Gagnan invented the modern scuba equipment and this has opened up the underwater world to millions of people.

Advances continue to be made and these enhance the enjoyment of today’s professional and recreational divers.

If you are considering scuba diving this is something you MUST DO.

Locate and join a diving club. This is where you will get proper training and the best advice. Don’t just buy a snorkel and fins at your local sports shop, try it out at sea and think, “Hey this is easy!” then buy a used tank and regulator and think you are ready to go. This is a recipe for disaster.

A good club will not only teach you how to dive, they will teach you about potential hazards, what to do and what not to do. They have divers with 10’s of years of experience diving in many different conditions. They have access to the best equipment; know about good location for the beginner and the very experienced and they love to get new people involved.

You will find good clubs all over the world. You can even take a vacation with a “Learn to Dive” theme to start you off. Look on the Internet, all good clubs have a website that will provide you with the contact details to get you started.

Remember, you must get good training, being underwater is a foreign and potentially dangerous environment so get yourself off to a good start and JOIN A CLUB.

This is just the beginning. You are about to enter a marvelous world where you will discover as much about yourself as you do about the underwater environment.

Rex Reservoir - ex diver and submariner