Scuba Diving Around Tampa Bay: Suit Up

April 1, 2019

Scuba diving allows you delve into another world and see parts of our Earth you would otherwise not see. Vibrant colors, fascinating life forms, plants that dance along with the waves. The Tampa Bay region is blessed with many fantastic dive spots for new and experienced divers to enjoy. Diving also happens to be great exercise. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors estimates that diving burns roughly 600 calories per hour. Let’s take a dive into what you’ll need to get under the sea with scuba diving around Tampa.

Scuba Diving Tips:

Get Your Gear

You need reliable diving gear. This is not your average swim, after all. The basics of a proper scuba diving equipment setup include: a mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit, buoyancy compensator (an attachment point for gear and tanks that floats you at the surface and helps you reach neutral buoyancy as you descend), regulator (reduces the pressurized air in scuba tanks into ambient pressure air that is easy to breathe), dive computer (a device tracks your bottom time and depth so you can safely ascend and avoid decompression sickness), dive markers and flags, and you may want to add cameras, lights and knives. Scuba gear packages are available for purchase or rent, and diving classes are essential as well as fun.

Find Your Friends

Get yourself an adventurous group of pals together for your diving trip. The more, the merrier. Plus, there’s some safety in numbers if you are exploring unfamiliar sites. Check online for shops that foster dive trips to both local and far away spots. It’s a great way to make new friends, expand your network of dive buddies and learn from others.

Remember the Rules

Scuba diving is regulated. Be sure you know the applicable laws that you need to follow in your diving area. For example, Florida has specific regulations (and penalties) for not following dive flag rules. These rules are for your safety and that of other divers, as well as preservation of the environment you’re enjoying.

Pick a Purpose

Your purpose for diving may be as simple as having a new experience. As you spend more time in the water and get comfortable, you might expand into snorkeling for scallops, diving for lobsters, wreck-viewing, or photography. Either way, it will be a blast.

Lastly, jump into diving with scuba gear packages and you may just find a new passion. Head over to our scuba diving section of our website to learn more.