In 2005 I tried scuba diving for the first time, on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Then in 2006 I took the PADI Open Water Diver course in Spain. That gave me a recognised qualification which means that I should be able to hire equipment and dive with organisations worldwide.
Now I want to get some experience and become more familiar and confident with all the equipment and the underwater environment. What I won’t be doing anytime soon is diving in a quarry or anywhere in open water in the UK. Spain in September was just right for me. I don’t do cold!
So now I’m investigating diving clubs in and around Manchester. Trouble is, I’m PADI trained, but some clubs are BSAC and I don’t want to go somewhere that looks down their nose at someone from a different approach.
I’m going to Spain later in the year with some friends who have also recently learned to dive so I’m looking forward to that.