Dispelling 10 Popular Myths About Scuba Diving
This message brought to you by LeisurePro, a major diving retailer

Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

 
 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 2, 2007 -- Ben Teichberg, Scuba Diving Master Instructor for LeisurePro, one of the largest sellers of scuba equipment in the world, addresses Myths about Scuba Diving to encourage the growth of the sport.

Myth #1: Scuba diving is only for people who are good swimmers.
False: In fact, many divers are not good swimmers. Scuba equipment and the gravity-less nature of being underwater, make moving through the water less strenuous.

Myth #2: Scuba divers are prone to shark attacks.
False: Most animals are afraid of things they don't understand. The bubbles created by scuba equipment keep most underwater animals away--including sharks. In 2006, 31 dog attacks resulted in death, whereas only 4 shark attacks resulted in fatalities - none of whom were scuba divers.

Myth #3: Scuba diving is a male-dominated sport.
False: Today, 50% of all new divers are female. Scuba diving appeals to a diverse group of people -- regardless of age, gender or physical ability

Myth #4: Scuba diving is a dangerous sport.
False: Individuals engaged in recreational scuba diving (U.S. & Canada combined) had only 88 fatalities compared with 700 from boating, 3,200 from swimming, 33,100 from home injury and 44,800 from motor vehicles in 2004.

Myth #5: Scuba diving is an adult-only sport.
False: Sport diving imposes no legal limits on age, but most diver training organizations require candidates to be 15 years old for full certification. Of course, there is always the exception to the rule, and many 11, 12 and 13-year olds who are physically and mentally capable of handling the heavy equipment and the training can be taught to dive.

Myth #6: In the Northeast, scuba diving is a "summer-time only" sport.
False: Special diving equipment, such as "dry suits" enable enthusiasts to dive regardless of water temperature - and stay warm in the process. In addition, in the in the fall and winter, the Gulf Stream warms Northeastern coastal waters making visibility clear and very appealing. Summer beach pollution is also not an issue during these seasons.

Myth #7: People who care about the environment should not scuba dive.
False: The more people are aware of the underwater environment the more they can appreciate it. Seasoned divers often take up underwater photography as a way to greater appreciate nature's underwater beauty. Experienced divers also understand that touching the reef is not safe or good for reef life and take a "hands-off" approach.

Myth #8: Scuba diving is not for people who are claustrophobic
False: Some who are claustrophobic can still enjoy scuba diving. Others dive to overcome their phobia.

Myth #9: Divers need to spend a lot of money on scuba equipment.
False: LeisurePro recommends starting off slowly and, during training, only buying the (personal or basic) essentials, such as mask, fins and snorkel. Combined, these can cost less than $100. In addition, online scuba stores offer deep discounts to make the sport more appealing to the masses.

Myth #10: Scuba diving is not a sport.
False: Scuba Diving requires training, specialized equipment, a uniform (Wetsuit), concentration, skill, teamwork working with a dive "buddy", knowledge and practice.

Founded in 1989, LeisurePro.com is the one of the largest seller of scuba equipment in the world. The company is committed to growing scuba diving's popularity through making the sport more affordable and accessible to the general public. For more information on scuba diving visit www.leisurepro.com/info