Scuba diving: Enjoy a watery world, after some lessons in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — The ticket into the alien world where fish live comes in the shape of a card stamped "certified."

With it, people can, within limits, go anywhere fish go ... or go anywhere other underwater life goes, as well.

The card certifies the holder is able to swim underwater by means of SCUBA — Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus — to include fins, mask, tank and breathing gear.

Or, as is commonly understood, go scuba diving.

To most, scuba is a word in its own right that simply means spending time underwater — with the fish.

What makes scuba unique in the sporting world is that it does require some training, which is recognized with presentation of the card.

People can buy a mountain bike and go riding, or buy golf clubs and go golfing, but they can't buy a tank and fins and immediately go diving.

Or, at least, it's not very advisable.

"Diving is like being a pilot. You need a license to fly, and you need to be certified to dive," said Dave Mohowski, master instructor and manager of Dive Utah, one of the diving schools in Salt Lake City.

Once certified, the card is good for life.

"The hope is, however, that the individual will continue to dive. ... We encourage people to remain active and keep diving," he said.

The first step for students is to get the open-water certification or entry-level card. This involves going to a class and a pool twice a week for two weeks.

It is there they learn the do's and don'ts of diving — vital information about depths, regulators, gauges, decompression sickness and nitrogen narcosis.

Then they enter the swimming pool, where they learn about diving tools such as mask, fins, depth gauge, buoyancy compensator, harness, regulator and tank.

At the end of the class and pool work, the student must show his or her water skills by completing a 200-yard swim, or 300 yards with fins and snorkel, and float for 10 minutes.

Those students who have the easiest time learning to swim underwater are those who are most comfortable in the water. That would include those who enjoy other water sports, such as swimming, wakeboarding, water skiing or tubing.

The final step in certification is an open-water dive.