10 points to bear in mind when you get serious about diving

10 Points to take your Diving to the Next Level

Recently certified as a PADI Open Water Diver? Want to take your diving to the next level? Enhance your skills or simply explore this Blue Planet a bit more. Here are 10 points that can take your diving to the next level

1. Sign up for PADI Specialties:
Whether you’re looking to simply improve your buoyancy control with a Peak Performance Buoyancy Speciality or straight out explore mysterious wrecks, PADI offers a massive range of Specialty options to choose from. Some personal favorite Speciality courses include EANx Diver (Enriched Air Nitrox), Digital Underwater Photography and the Night Diver Specialty. Check out the table below to figure out which ones call to the diver in you.

PADI Courses Flow Chart

2. Go deeper! Go for PADI AOWD
If you feel 18 meters is just a number, make sure to sign up for a PADI Advanced course. You must complete 5 different types of Adventure dives for this course out of which two dives are mandatory. A deep dive to 30 meters (100 Feet) is one such mandatory dive. The second is a Navigation Dive which sharpens our ability to successfully navigate underwater. For the remainder of the three Adventures dives, you have a bunch of options from learning more about Marine ecosystems to doing your first Night Dive. This is definitely a course worth doing if you have not yet.

Buoyancy Control Device

3. Get yourself some Personal Gear
With an adventure sport like SCUBA where your life depends on your Gear, it’s great to be able to trust it completely and there’s nothing better than having your own equipment. Start off with a Mask that fits your face well. Move on to getting yourself some Fins after trying a few types. Next, a wetsuit or drysuit for personalized fit and hygiene.  Take your time and ask for professional guidance while looking for a BCD, Regulator and Dive computer to make sure you get something that suits your style.

4. Learn to be an Emergency First Responder
It’s highly comforting when your dive buddy is trained as an Emergency First Responder. This course takes you through emergency responses like CPR and Rescue breathing as well as Secondary Care like managing cuts, fractures and choking. What’s awesome about this course is that it’s handy in non-diving related situations as well. Also, you don’t even have to be a certified diver to sign up!

5. Take some far out dive trips to more challenging dive destinations
It’s more than likely that beginner divers start off at slack diving conditions like a lagoon or a shallow reef. However, the Oceans and seas are diverse and as you clock more dives and confidence; it’s time to venture out to some of the more challenging and rewarding dive destinations. These places may have stronger and sometimes unpredictable currents but the landscapes, coral reefs and fish life are found in abundance. If you have not yet, plan a visit to places like Komodo, Deep south Maldives, South Egypt(Red Sea), the Galapagos Islands and Fiji among many others.

6. Stay in touch with SCUBA at your Local Dive clubs (If possible)
Unless you live by the Sea, staying in touch with your skills isn’t always easy, right? Wrong. Land-based dive centres and dive clubs often have equipment and training facilities where you can refresh, sharpen or learn some new skills. Try to find a pool with a dedicated diving well which has some depth to it like ours. Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Our training facility in Pune

7. Refresh your Dive Theory
Staying current with this highly theoretical sport and reading your Manuals often is one sure shot way to take your diving to the next level. A deep understanding of the theory behind the sport is what makes a diver safe and confident.

8. Sign up for some Technical courses
Feel limited at just 40 meters deep? Change your gasses and go deeper with Technical diving courses. This is a great way to explore other avenues of SCUBA and really reach places explored by just a few.

9. Try a Liveaboard
If you ready to step up your diving, a Live Aboard is a MUST! Experience dive locations that are far out and impossible to reach by smaller boats. Diving from a Life aboard promises some spectacular sights and sightings both on surface and underwater. It is not uncommon to log up to 4 dives each day on some of these trips and visit ecosystems that are out of reach for the land-based diver.

10. Go Pro!
Take the plunge and become part of a global community of dive professionals. The Dive Master course is challenging but extremely rewarding. Earn the chance to call the Oceans your office and live a life in communion with Nature. Check out more on the course here.
Where ever you are on the diving ladder, remember to stay sharp, fit and focused.  Also, stay away from the boat ladder when someone else is climbing up! Share your tips and tricks that you use to sharpen your dive skills in the comments section below.

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About Us:
Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in | +91 9860003456 | +91 9970983456

Some images are courtesy of the world wide web

India’s most popular Scuba Diving destination | the Andaman Islands

Scuba Divers life | Absolute Andamans

Stunning view from the beaches of Havelock Island

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are as "Typically Tropical" as they get. These emerald like gems shine against the aquamarine hues of the Andaman Sea and have been an eternal favorite as far as holidaying & Indian scuba diving destinations go.

Everything over the surface is as beautiful as it is under water. Lush green tropical forests with clear and expansive beaches make the Andaman Islands world famous. Its mangrove forests and marshy backwaters make marine biodiversity in the area abundant. The Andaman Islands seem to have it all. From protected Marine sanctuaries to the only semi-active Volcano of India! Not to mention miles of award-winning beaches & beautiful places to explore.

Anemone Clownfish

Scuba diving has existed on these incredible islands for over 3 decades and some of the most legendary Indian Scuba dive centres operate in the Andaman’s. A large community of diving professionals delight divers from across the world and showcase one of the busiest diving destinations in India through the season. The peak season for scuba diving the Andaman Islands is from December to April. The waters are clear, reefs full and divers delighted!

Mangrove forests sloping into coral gardens provide a unique ecosystem to the area.  From semi-amphibious creatures like mudskippers to reef sharks, mantas and more, the Andaman Sea never ceases to amaze. Visibility during peak season can go up to an astonishing 30 meters depending on the dive site and topography of the area.

Absolute scuba partners and dives with the best dive centres in unique islands at Havelock, Neil, Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair & Ross Island offering the best prices for diving experiences there.

About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Peace & tranquility at Kalapathar beach, Havelock Island

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

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For an avid water sports enthusiast, what does the Mask, Fins and do?

Scuba equipment: An Overview for Beginners - Gear up for an adventure!

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus: who would have ever thought SCUBA had a full form!

In 1943, the birth of the "AquaLung" freed divers from surface-fed breathing. Ever since, divers have been exploring our Blue Planet recreationally. So without further ado, let's gear up and dive right in.

Your Scuba diving equipment consists of the following:

1. Scuba Cylinder: contains a diver’s pressurized air supply. Mostly made from an Aluminium alloy, Scuba tanks come in varying sizes.

2. Regulators: reduce pressure from the Scuba Tank and allow us to use it for breathing & buoyancy control.

3. Instruments: Essentials like the SPG (submersible pressure gauge) help monitor air supply. Some may include depth gauges and underwater compasses as well.

4. The BCD (Buoyancy Compensator Device): has an inflatable bladder and fits like a jacket. Using the tanks air supply, divers can adjust buoyancy and maintain position underwater.

5. Weights: To counter-act the buoyant force of water, divers often use lead weights to help us sink.

6. Scuba Mask & snorkel:  have tempered glass allowing vision underwater at depth while keeping water out. A snorkel helps us conserve air while on the surface.

7. Fins:  enlarge our feet, boosting propulsion and saving energy.

8. Diving computers:  house intelligent algorithms which keep divers safe and provide useful real-time information

9. Wetsuit or Drysuit: provide for thermal protection especially needed in cooler waters.

10. Accessories like underwater cameras, writing slates, torches, reef hooks, dive knives among others are widely used as well.

Although this seems like a heavy load, immersion brings you to weightlessness and I realize the load we carry on land is inherently heavier. We divers sink under the surface to rise above ourselves. Enraptured and mesmerized by what a few pieces of gear on me allow for, I wonder if any other sport compares to SCUBA. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in | +91 9860003456 | +91 9970983456

Physical & mental preparation for Scuba diving

Absolutely Fit to Dive

While scuba diving is a recreational and non-competitive sport, it can only be truly enjoyed by understanding basic “fitness for diving” principles. The Ocean is dynamic and divers can be challenged occasionally by sea or diving conditions.

Here are 5 things that you can work on to dive safely and make your diving more enjoyable:

     1. HEART & LUNGS: Cardio-vascular fitness is important to maintain stamina, reduce physical stress and help in better breathing when needed while diving in challenging conditions. Swimming, running or even climbing up and down staircases are simple ways to build this kind of endurance
 

2. CORE MUSCLES: Carrying scuba diving gear on or off boats, swimming in a stable and streamlined posture and maintaining “trim” are all challenges that a strong back and abdominal muscles help with. Crunches, Planks & Yoga are the best here.
 
3. HIP & THIGHS: Have no doubt; strong hip and thigh muscles will save the day, every day! Shore Diving, getting on & off boats or boat ladders, finning effectively through a mild current – all of these will be a whole lot easier to deal with when the thigh muscles have been paid attention to. Squats and swimming from the hip and thigh are some easy ways to get strong thighs.
 
4. CALVES: Go diving in the Maldives and sample their famous “Channel Dives” which are all about handling some seriously strong current. A good diver will always use the calves as much as the thighs (knees and ankles being weak areas to Fin from). Many divers can suffer cramps in calves due to improper finning techniques, dehydration (a Big No-No while diving) or even mineral imbalances. Staying well hydrated&replacing essential salts is critical to happy diving.
 
5. THE MIND: A healthy body and mind go a long way in diving safely. Keep your worries away before Diving and don’t dive when you don’t feel like it, simple. This is a recreational sport, not the Navy Seals! Undue stress, mental or bodily fatigue is all avoidable when diving. Stay sharp, connected and aware so you not only react better to not OK situations but also truly enjoy Diving for what it gives best – peace of mind and happy memories.

We’d love to hear your fitness routine. Leave a comment in the section below.

About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Early morning jogs improve fitness and health

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Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

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Where can I start to Dive? PADIs Referral programme

Where can I start to Dive?
PADIs Open Water Diver Course Referral programme

Giant stride entry 

• Must I be by the ocean to begin my PADI licensing course?
•  Can I get my PADI SCUBA certification without taking time off from my busy work schedule?

Fear NOT! There may be SCUBA at a pool near you. For PADIs first licensing course, you find yourself taking baby steps.

Internationally, the PADI Open Water Diver course begins with understanding basic principles of SCUBA and developing skills in pool-like conditions generally conducted over two days. Thereafter, confident and comfortable aspiring divers head to the Ocean to apply their newly developed skills for 4 dives over 2 days. PADIs contortionist-like flexibility allows you an entire year to do this!

Let’s begin:

Step 1: Find a PADI centre in your locality.

Step 2: Build knowledge and develop skills at your local pool over your chosen weekend with your PADI Dive Instructor.

Step 3: Sink into the underwater realms of our oceans to cement your skills under the caring supervision of your PADI Instructor.

Learning new skills in a safe environment

So why start at your local pool?

• Practice and prepare before your holiday even begins!
• Save time and holiday expenditure 
• Build comfort and confidence at your own pace over comfortable weekends.
• Earn yourself a life-long valid and internationally recognized license over two flexible weekends of your choice! 
• A plethora of course completion destinations open up to you to choose from. Make your weekends count by developing skills and setting yourself a league apart as an explorer of 70% of our Blue Planet.

Simply put, it’s the smartest way to begin an explorer’s lifestyle. The only question that remains is “where should I go for Step 3?”

 I leave this to be answered by our many students to share their own experience and recommendations in the comments section below.

As for me, I finished my course in the Magical Maldives. What will you choose?

About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Divers giving the OK signal

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Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

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Cheapest weekend Scuba getaways | A trip to Netrani Island

Explore Netrani Island the Absolute way!

Beach Aerial View Murudeshwar

Finished part of your PADI Open Water Diver course but confused where to finish? Never dived before but want to take the plunge? Stressed with the week and need some relief?

Allow me to take you on a journey to “The treasure in our backyards”: Netrani Island.

Eager and excited, we depart on Friday evening and find ourselves at the gates of a small town in Northern Karnataka called Murudeshwar in time to watch the sun rise over the green hills.

Our dive sites lay around 19 kilometers off the coast where the water clears up and we find ourselves at an isolated and uninhabited Island. Lucky voyagers often spot dolphins en-route. Here, we descend on a lively reef with arguably the clearest water closest to Mainland India’s coastline. Suitable for PADI courses and fun divers, diving Netrani Island is simply a pleasure.

A turtle peeps above the surface to take a breath

Apart from having a healthy population of reef fish, turtles and eels, locals occasionally spot whale sharks & humpback whales on their migratory routes. Our surface intervals are filled with fresh cut fruits, refreshments and excited chatter about our sightings. After our dives, the captain heads back and we see Shivas statue steadily growing in the distant horizon.

Back on shore and refreshed with a sense of peacefulness, anticipation grows for Day Two. The following day calls for another immersive experience which remains in fond memory for weeks to come. Our journey back begins Sunday evening and some wish that the bus was just a boat taking us to our next dive site.

What can I say about Monday that you don’t already know? Well, let’s look on the bright side. The weekend is not so far away :) If you have ever been to Netrani Island, I’d love to hear your story in the comments section below.

Reach us to Dive the Netrani Island the ABSOLUTE WAY!

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About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Underwater fun at Netrani Island

Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

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www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in | +91 9860003456 | +91 9970983456

Diving the Lakshadweep Islands | Divers paradise below and above the surface

The mystic Lakshadweep Islands

Ariel view of Bangaram Island - Lakshadweep

The Lakshadweep Islands are a National Treasure. And are guarded as a State Secret by most visitors, diver or not. The lack of bustle in these idyllic atolls has maintained a charm that can only be described as “A step back in Time”. 

As one of the best-kept secrets in India, The Lakshadweep Islands needs to be on the bucket list for all scuba diving enthusiasts!  Almost everyone has heard of these islands but only a select few have truly discovered them. Those who have, swear by it as a "life-changing" & "surreal" experience.

The Lakshadweep is all of that; and so much more! Less is truly more as the Islands remote location and dramatic isolation truly make one feel like they have “stepped back in Time”. Find yourself walking its white sandy beaches staring up at a sky studded with stars. The Lakshadweep Islands truly enchants and allures many a traveler.

Far away from any piece of densely populated land, the Lakshadweep Islands boast unlimited stretches of aquamarine lagoons, undisturbed reefs and a welcoming and friendly population of locals. It’s taken for granted that you would be the only group diving the reefs and the marine life is as curious as for the locals on land. As for the diving, the Islands offer gentle slopes and textbook diving conditions. The islands offer a spectacular view each evening as the fiery sun sets over an expanse of ocean and millions of stars emerge each night as if only for us.

Happy campers of our Lakshadweep trip

It takes certain know-how & knack to get diving holidays in the Lakshadweep sorted and Absolute SCUBA has mastered this over our many trips and our extensive History with the islands. Our escorted trips to Lakshadweep are the best way to reach & explore this wonderful part of India with minimum hassle and maximum fun!

Stay tuned for the announcements of our return to Lakshadweep or reach out if you can’t wait! Overall, The Lakshadweep Islands is suitable for both beginner and advanced divers and is best for some seriously relaxed fun diving.

Reach us to Dive the Lakshadweep Islands the ABSOLUTE WAY!

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About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brainchild of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Want to experience SCUBA in the City? Book your spot here

Swim through at Little Canyon - Lakshadweep Islands

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Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in | +91 9860003456 | +91 9970983456

Scuba Diving Netrani Island : A treasure in our Backyard

Absolute Scuba at Netrani Island

Perfect for weekend diving getaways, discover the best &most popular diving destination off the coast of Murudeshwar, Karnataka with team Absolute Scuba!

Murudeshwar can be easily reached by flight, car or numerous buses that shuttle past the city. Apart from being famous for hosting a massive Shiva statue and a larger than life temple, a number of professional & reputed PADI Scuba diving centres operate from Murudeshwar. Absolute Scuba runs the best amongst them for seamless independent, group and corporate travel. Absolute Scuba's adherence to quality and safety promises you a diving experience like no other. Complete your PADI Courses with highly qualified PADI instructors and Dive masters with us. We primarily focus on SCUBA education and refine your techniques so you form correct habits right from the start.  

Divers getting PADI Open Water Certification - Time to Dive, Dive, Dive!! 

To top it off, we offer the best prices and offers to enjoy diving for all levels. With over 7 years and 45+ group trips, we promise a well-researched holidaying & diving experience as well as budgets to suit everyone.

Netrani Island is an oasis of thriving coral reefs, abundant fish-life and great visibility. The island, 20 kilometres off Murudeshwar's coast takes about an hour to journey to by boat. Easy access to this sleepy fishing town along with comfortable accommodation options allow time bound travelers a quick getaway from urban city life. The legendary Mangalorean food makes it an eternal favorite with visitors from everywhere in India.

Reach us to know more about: Introductory dives, SCUBA certifications for beginners & advance divers, Fun Diving (for certified divers) & snorkelling (for non-divers too). Whether you are a first timer, old timer or want to begin your adventures in the liquid world, we’d be happy to guide and assist you plan your perfect diving holiday. Join us for our own, escorted trips on comfortable weekends or reach us to plan your own Netrani getaway this season.

Scuba diver and Moray eel - Scuba in India, Absolute Scuba India

Our upcoming scheduled weekend getaways for the beginning of 2019 are mentioned below. You can travel by yourself or join us as we have organised group tours leaving from Mumbai or Pune.

• 23rd & 24th February, 2019
• 23rd & 24th March, 2019
• 20th and 21st April, 2019
• 4th and 5th May, 2019
• 11th & 12th  May, 2019

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About Us:

Absolute SCUBA is the brain child of two seasoned Dive Industry professionals, Seemant Saxena and Siddharth Pujari. Between them, they share a collective experience of over 15 years in the Dive Training, Scuba Certification and Dive Travel business.

Happy & Safe Diving always – Team Absolute

www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in  | +91 9860003456 | +91 9970983456

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