Scuba in a swimming pool? Benefits of starting your Scuba adventures at your city's own diving centre

SCUBA and the City: Get your PADI diving license at your local “City Dive Centre”

Shaun takes his students through their PADI Open Water Diver Course at Pune

I’ve been a PADI Professional SCUBA Diving Instructor since 2013. I’ve lived and worked by at least 3 different Seas for nearly 3 years. I tasted the salt of the Oceans, bleached my hair blonde with every day in the sun, and lived the picture-postcard life by the beach… I was living a beautiful dream.

Then, I made the decision to return to my hometown and spread the joys of SCUBA with my friends and family. A SCUBA Instructor in the city? How?! And why did I return to teach SCUBA in a land locked place like Pune? How can one even imagine SCUBA in Pune? 

Well, I think, it’s the best decision I’ve made! I may have confused you further but indulge me for a bit and I will tell you why. 

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the single largest recreational SCUBA diving federation which issues international SCUBA diving licences. What makes PADI so amazing is the fact that they make it easy and convenient to learn this wonderful sport. All “Beginner” SCUBA courses start in a “confined water environment” very much like pools (or shallow pool like areas at the beach). Initially, eager students need to master their skills and gain comfort in a safe & controllable manner. 

9 out of 10 dive centres, WORLDWIDE, will start these Beginner Courses at their resort or dive centre training pool; even if they are based out of the most exotic open ocean diving destinations.

All OK: Getting started with training and skills in the PADI Open Water Diver Course

Take the PADI Open Water Diver course for example. It comprises of three steps (or modules) to finish and get your International SCUBA license, FOR LIFE! Two of these steps must be conducted in pool-like (confined) and classroom conditions whether you begin your course in Pune or the Andaman Islands or Philippines even. This is where I fit in!

It was perfect for me to move back to my City. I now live amongst my family and friends and am happy to spread SCUBA awareness in places where it’s most needed (or even where most people don’t even think that SCUBA is an option). Our everyday and sometimes monotonous routines can do with a little shaking up every now & then. What better way to do that, than breathing underwater & finding a hobby for life, or getting a passport to another world altogether? Yes, that’s what your diving license is. a passport to 70% of your Blue Planet and an all-access pass to the Liquid World!

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Whether it is to begin a certification course, just experience SCUBA or refresh your skills (if you’re already certified), I’ve found people tend to learn quicker and gain more confidence starting off in the city.

What adds to their comfort is the fact that they’re not in a rush (on holiday, we are often short on days with multiple things to do). This gives me as an Instructor the ability to really give personal attention to each and every diver. Apart from saving money and time on holidays, students who lack confidence or need further training sessions often benefit from signing up for these sessions before heading to the Oceans for course completion (where all the skills & theory learnt at the pool comes together for practical application in the Ocean)

Having fun on the course is as important as mastering the dive skills

On the other hand, conducting the entirety of the course by an ocean often means that students who do not perform well at first, do not get the chance to improve their skills sufficiently. This leads to an inability to complete their course successfully OR WORSE, being certified even though they do not deserve it! It also means you have to do the same studying, theory reviews & exams in the middle of your holiday!

We’ve all had days when frustration builds up when we don’t get something straight away. I’ve noticed that performance based anxiety definitely reduces in city based pool training. This makes the atmosphere more learning friendly and ensures that, as an Instructor, I can give an education quality which is not rushed.

This doesn’t mean I don’t “See the Sea” at all. Travelling with groups of students aspiring to complete their courses and certified divers wanting to explore new diving destinations is a monthly routine:) Personally, I find this a lot more fun than meeting divers / students at the destination, finishing the course and then hardly ever seeing them again. Escorted travel to various beautiful diving destinations is what Absolute SUBA is also famous for. This allows a seamless transition to the oceans for our students and allows me (as an Instructor) to really share my love and knowledge of our Blue Planet to others.

Being a Scuba diver means exploring 70% of your Blue Planet

So look around for your city-based in-land Dive Centre if you have one around you. You’ll find them an easy bunch of people to speak to, hang out with and learn one of the greatest recreational sports in the world from! Getting your SCUBA diving experiences were never easier than today. So, what’s stopping You?

Reach us to claim your SCUBA certification or explore the underwater world with SCUBA diving in India or abroad.

About Absolute SCUBA

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

Team AbsoluteSCUBA

 www.scubaindia.in | www.absolutescuba.in | info@absolutescuba.in

+91 9970983456 |+91 9860003456 

Best Fishes as always from all at Team Absolute!

5 things you want to keep in mind when you go 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 the sea or diving conditions.

5 Ways To Get Yourself Dive Ready

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.

Follow us on Instagram here: https://bit.ly/2GnUPGV | Like us on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/2Grt93T

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

Get your passport to the underwater universe – become a SCUBA diving professional

Becoming a SCUBA PRO

Day-dreaming of fish in a mundane office routine and need to break away? Already a certified diver and want to take your diving to the next level?

Take the plunge & GoPro!

The path to becoming a professional SCUBA diver is studded with friends (both on land & under the ocean’s surface), wisdom and a growing connection with nature.

SCUBA begins in the safety of a pool

As beginners, we all start off with the same first step, the PADI Open Water Diver course. Eager with anticipation, we sink into a world alien to most of us. Luckily, PADI courses are easy to pick up as they layer information and practice in order to make learning effective and fun. Over 04 days, students are taken through three modules which impart Knowledge, build skills in the shallows and finally dive in open water as deep as 18 meters or 60 feet! This begins the journey as an explorer of places unknown to the land-bound masses, places reached only with SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus).

Now with an internationally valid license to SCUBA dive for life, it is time to explore paradisiacal destinations and immerse ourselves into thriving marine ecosystems that make up the oceans and the seven seas. As we desire to delve deeper into the blue, PADI Advanced training programs become the next step in the ladder to being a dive professional.

PADI course flow chart

With greater depth, comes greater responsibilities and so, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course builds comfort, confidence and introduces us to diving in new environments. This course takes us deeper to 30 meters or 100 feet & teaches us navigational techniques among a myriad of other adventure diving options. Some choose to search for treasures in sunken wrecks while some choose to drift along with the currents and watch the ocean pass by as if in a film. It’s up to you to pick and choose between the options. Earning your Advanced PADI certification opens up the proverbial door to some mind-boggling experiences like wreck, night and cave diving among others. Many choose to now follow their interests “in-depth” by signing up for PADI Speciality courses.

Rescue skills in practice

A few move on the next rung in the ladder, being trained as an Emergency First Responder and a Rescue Diver. Willing and wanting to be more able and ready for life in the sea, divers groom their abilities and ready themselves for emergency situations. Besides learning methods of rescue and resuscitation, divers are trained to be able to assess and anticipate situations prior to them becoming an emergency. Serious as the syllabus is, the PADI Rescue Diver course is perhaps one of the most fun courses I’ve ever taken. Compared to shining a diamond in the rough, this course ups the ante on what it means to be a responsible and aware diver and adds comfort & readiness to respond to any situation.

Is “Going Pro” the right choice for me? Here lies the crossroads. One path takes you to the pinnacle of a non-professional recreational diver by earning your Master SCUBA Diver license. The other begins your professional SCUBA life as a PADI DiveMaster.

Become a SCUBAPro

To summit as a non-professional recreational diver, the PADI Master SCUBA diver license requires getting to PADI Rescue Diver and completing at least 5 different types of PADI Specialities with at least 50 dives logged. Armed with knowledge, experience and an unquenched thirst for exploration, PADI Master SCUBA divers earn their right to dive & explore even some of the toughest destinations where conditions are tough but the rewards multiply.

If you are as mesmerized by the Seas as I was, “Going Pro” is the only option. The PADI Divemaster course initiates you into life as an Ambassador of the Ocean. Though the course is meticulous and takes a minimum of 3 weeks, each task completed leaves you brimming with joy, awe and sometimes even fatigue! Taken under the wing of PADI Instructors, aspiring students are guided through what it means to be a Professional, both physically and mentally. With the added responsibility of other divers’ lives in their hands, new initiates are carefully observed, corrected and even chastised to ensure they are up to PADIs international standards of safety & education. For those who make it, their PADI Professional license is like a new lease on a life full of Sun, Sand & the Sea!

Graduation time!

Being a PADI DiveMaster also allows one to be an Assistant Instructor; someone who can literally run an entire dive centre, assist the Instructor in training courses, take certified divers out for planned fun dives, maintain gear, train and supervise juniors in the Team. The last step in becoming a full-fledged Dive Pro is to eventually certify as a PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor (OWSI). This is a hard-earned rating after substantial experience in being an Assistant Instructor and passing a month-long Instructor Development Course (IDC). Instructors take their love for SCUBA and pass it on safely to others who can discover the beauty of what lies under the surface of our Blue Planet.

Take the Go Pro Challenge! Live fast, Dive young!

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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

How to get SCUBA certified between your local inland dive centre and an open water destination

A Whole New World:

I'll be honest, at 37 I was pretty set in my routine of home, parenting and professional life. It was all going on comfortably till I found myself lacking in confidence even in day-to-day activities. And yet, nothing motivated me to break out of my misery. I didn't want anything to disrupt my daily grind, which was pulling me further into a depressing vortex. I realized it was time to shatter the glass bubble, one way or another.

Around this time, my husband had found joy in SCUBA diving. His accounts of training and diving with Absolute Scuba were filled with fascinating anecdotes of underwater and surface experiences. I was happy for him but secretly envied his newly-acquired skills. Probably sensing my state of mind, he encouraged me to try it too, but my challenge was more basic – I didn't know to swim.

Starting my swimming training was like going back to being a kid and learning to stop being scared of water. Keeping aside all embarrassment, I decided to train along with my six-year-old son. His coach taught me too! Within a few months, I felt a change in my attitude as I acquired a vital life skill. Next challenge was to try a dive for real.

The opportunity presented itself on holiday in Andaman Islands with a PADI Discover SCUBA dive. The experience left me wanting more, and a certification lured me. It was not hard to decide my next step, but the follow-through was a challenge. From understanding the science behind diving to preparing myself mentally, I had now started dreaming in shades of blue.

It was a big relief that the training was in a city pool, an environment I was familiar with. Seemant, my instructor, knew I was nervous and tried to stay calm while handling my worries! For the first time in my life, I was involved in an activity that genuinely challenged both my brain and body, requiring me to be focused and free at the same time. The best feeling in the world was almost within my reach. How do I describe the feeling of being submerged (even if it was a pool) with an overcast sky and the raindrops dancing on the surface? Watching the ripples from underneath was almost poetic! The successful pool training was my gateway to the sea.

I grabbed my opportunity hungrily. Mind you, I was still a bundle of nerves because the certification required that I demonstrate my pool skills in the open sea. After 15 years, I was travelling on my own. That in itself was a big step for me. On the overnight bus journey to Murudeshwar, my son called up from home and said, Mom, you can do this. Absolute Scuba's friendly atmosphere eased my worries and helped me concentrate on the task at hand.

After four dives, of which not all were easy, I finally got certified. The feeling indeed sank in when I got the PADI card in a month. SCUBA had set me free, gave me the confidence to try new things and be open to new experiences. The big blue always allured me. Now, I was ready to respond to its calling and truly immerse myself into a whole new world! The ocean has opened its arms to me, I have the key to the secret underwater world, and it whispers its joys and pains to me now. I reciprocate the love by continuing to dive and thanking the sea for changing my life forever!

Follow us on Instagram here: https://bit.ly/2GnUPGV | Like us on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/2Grt93T

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

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

Want to see more? Follow us on YouTube

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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Absolute Pondicherry | Where Time Takes a Break!

Scuba Diving in Pondicherry

Dive into the best sites on India's East coast where some of the most legendary diving centres lie. Here, a rich history of diving exists alongside a quaint way of life.

Inspired by everyone from the Dutch & Portuguese to the British & French occupants, Pondy, as it is affectionately called still holds on to the older & slower ways as well as charms from a bygone Era.

The Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Auroville (City of Dawn), old and large 18th - 19th Century churches and long beautiful beaches make the surroundings enchanting and memorable. Popular eateries cover a wide variety of authentic cuisines including French, Indian, Italian,Mexican, Thai and Chinese. A City studded with Botanical Gardens, a plethora of ancient Hindu temples and our favourite, the Madras Crocodile Bank offer so much more to a Pondy holiday.

Then there's the Diving: home to one of the oldest & most experienced Dive Centres on the East Coast as well as India's only Scubapro distribution centre, Pondy has a surprising amount of diversity to explore& dive on. Abundant natural as well as artificial reefs, macro critters everywhere, 365 days of diving availability and easy air+road connections make Pondy a "must-do" on a diver's bucket-list. Some of the most experienced divers as well as involved marine-conservationists swear by Pondy and its abundance.

It also is perfect all level of Courses! From basic PADI courses going to professional; from Diving Equipment workshops to advanced Specialty's - there's something for all level of diver.Not to mention the Industry Dive Expo that is conducted here annually.

All this with some of the friendliest Dive Crews in the country (as famous for their fiery, scorching Spaghetti Sauces as they are for well-experienced & informed diving in the local waters).

Dive & explore Pondicherry - one of the quaintest corners of India.

Want to see more? Follow us on YouTube here

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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Stuck in traffic underwater – Only at Sipadan Island

Absolute SIPADAN - a league apart!

Absolute Scuba announces yet another winner for discerning divers who want to dive and explore "The Best Diving Destination in the World”!

After 10 trips to this beautiful destination,we are almost religious about Sipadan - an island where abundance can be seen on every dive. Imagine tornadoes of barracuda, rivers of trevally, hundreds of sea turtles, humongous gatherings of Bump-Head parrotfish and sharks are everywhere! It’s like a Metro like for fish.

The topography of Sipadan Island is stunning with its endless deep walls, lush coral everywhere and so much more.

Plus, our trips guarantee what few others can - 2 FULL DAYS & 6 loaded dives at Sipadan! Sipadan Island Marine Park allows only limited number of divers to dive its thriving waters per day. Getting your hands on a day’s pass is tough enough, let alone TWO guaranteed days.Why? Simply because day One always ends with a "Thank God, there's day Two" on our trips.

Our trip is loaded as usual: 6 days of fancy stay at the roaring Scuba Tiger Dive Resort, 12 dives over 4 days including 6 at Sipadan and 6 between Sibuan, Mataking, Mabul&Kapalai islands, all your local transfers and complementary Travel & Diving Insurance

To top it off, you have a day free to either sight-see on top OR do what we do, Dive, Dive, Dive!

As veterans of this bucketlist diving destination, an "Absolute" trip is meticulously planned down to the last detail and ensures that you get the most out of this fantastic holiday.

Want to see more? Follow us on YouTube here.

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 SCUBA

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