Scuba diving is a fun, relaxing activity, but it’s important for divers to be healthy and fit. Before getting in the water, students must complete a medical questionnaire — they’ll be asked to receive a doctor’s clearance if any potential medical issues exist. This way, they are safe to go full steam ahead with the dive course. It’s also important to be comfortable and competent in the water. Many courses have built-in tests to make sure you can handle yourself underwater and stay safe. Here are some of the physical skills tested:

• 10 minute float/swim without swim aids
• 200 meter/yard continuous surface swim without aids or a 300 yard/meter swim with mask, snorkel and fins

Congratulations! Sharks are amazing marine animals, and encounters with the graceful creatures are highly sought out by divers around the world. Despite what many people believe, sharks are not mindless killing machines, and attacks on divers are very rare. Mostly, sharks will swim quickly away underwater, but, if you’re lucky, you may get to see them in their natural habitats for an extended period of time.

The minimum age requirement for most training agencies is 10 — including NAUI, and SSI.

Of course! Having a friend or family member working toward a scuba diving certification with you at the same time can make the experience even better. You’ll have a dive buddy from the get go!

No. Most recreational scuba certifications do not expire. However, it is important to keep up to date with your knowledge and skills to ensure a fun and safe dive. Many operators will ask to see a log of your latest dive, and if you have not been in the water recently, you will have the chance to complete a skills check or refresher course.

No, assuming you have no irregularities in your ears and sinuses. The discomfort is the normal effect of water pressure pressing in on your ear drums. Fortunately, our bodies are designed to adjust for pressure changes in our ears – you just need to learn how. If you have no difficulties adjusting to air pressure during flying, you’ll probably experience no problem learning to adjust to water pressure while diving.

Not necessarily. Any condition that affects the ears, sinuses, respiratory or heart function, or may alter consciousness is a concern, but only a doctor can assess a person’s individual risk. Doctors can consult with the Divers Alert Network (DAN) as necessary when assessing fitness to dive. Download the medical statement to take to your doctor.