Earning a scuba diving certification prepares divers to explore the world under the water. In Towson, Maryland, there are several facilities that train divers of all experience levels. These facilities can help everyone, ranging from those who have never even snorkeled to previously certified divers looking to earn a specialty rating or their master certification.
Types of Certification Centers
The scuba diving certification centers in Towson are also dive shops. These full service facilities not only provide Professional Association of Diving Instructors-certified training, but also they sell the dive gear you'll need out in the water. Some dive shops also offer dive-related travel, arranging group dive trips, both locally and internationally, for their customers. Divers Den arranges several trips each year to some of the best dive spots in the world, such as the Dry Tortugas.
Open-Water Certification
The open-water certification is typically the first certification a new diver will earn and is taught by the various dive shops in the Towson area. There are three phases of this certification: knowledge development, confined water dives and open water dives. The knowledge development portion is taught either in the classroom, online or through home study. You then learn basic scuba skills in confined water environments, typically pools. Open-water dives, in lakes or oceans, are then conducted to certify skills. Upon certification, you are then able to rent scuba equipment and explore the undersea world.
Advanced Open-Water Diver Certification
Earning an advanced certification is the next step in diving certification. It helps you gain more confidence in the water and increase your scuba skills. You must complete five specialty dives to earn this certification. Two of the five must be underwater navigation and deep water diving. The other three can be any of the following: digital underwater photographer, coral reef conservation diver, cavern diver, boat diver, AWARE fish ID, altitude diver, enriched air diver, dry suit diver, drift diver, diver propulsion vehicle diver, wreck diver, underwater naturalist, semi-closed rebreather, search and recovery diver, underwater videographer, project AWARE specialist, peak performance buoyancy, night diver, National Geographic diver, multilevel diver, ice diver or equipment specialist.
Equipment Needed
The equipment needed for diving consists of several items. A dive mask, fins and a snorkel are the basic equipment that most divers own. Other equipment includes a buoyancy control device, regulator, cylinder, submersible pressure gauge, alternate air source, compass, dive computer, and whistle. In certain water temperatures a wet suit or dry suit may be necessary. Most dive shops in the Towson area rent out equipment, so you don't have to purchase it. This gear is typically provided by the dive shop, such as Atlantic's Edge, for your training.
Places to Dive Near Towson
There are a variety of places to dive around the Towson area. Mislak Divers conducts open-water certifications in nearby Bainbridge Quarry and Guppy Gultch. It also offers chartered dives to Ocean City and the nearby bay areas. Atlantic Edge conducts checkout dives at Hydes Quarry in nearby Westminster. The Chesapeake Bay is a wreck diver's paradise, with more than 1,800 wrecks. As an example, in just 90 feet of water, you'll find the U-1105, a German Type VII-C submarine.
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