Scuba Diving Honor

Recreational Activities

Requirements

1. Have the Swimming Beginner I Honor.

   Answer: To begin Scuba Diving (created in 1967 by the General Conference), you must first have earned the Swimming Beginner I Honor as a mandatory prerequisite, proving that you have basic aquatic skills — floating, breathing, basic swimming in shallow water — without which it is dangerous and technically impossible to safely operate scuba equipment (tank, regulator, mask) in deep water. — Diving requires mastery of the aquatic environment before adding the complexity of the equipment; Swimming Beginner I is the minimum accepted level because it covers floating, breathing, and basic swimming — fundamental skills for managing panic, pressure equalization, and underwater movement safely.

2. Pass a standard course and be certified at an international level.

   Answer: You must take and pass an official diving course taught by an internationally recognized institution, receiving international-level certification. The main certifying bodies are: PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors — the largest in the world), SSI (Scuba Schools International), NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors), CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques). — PADI has more than 80,000 active instructors in 180 countries and has issued about 25 million certifications since 1966; the Open Water Diver is equivalent to an aquatic driver's license — without it, it is prohibited to rent equipment or dive at commercial sites worldwide.

3. Have an up-to-date medical certificate for the practice of diving.

   Answer: You must present an up-to-date medical certificate (issued within the last 12 months) declaring fitness for the practice of scuba diving. The exam must be performed by a hyperbaric medicine physician or a general practitioner familiar with the activity, evaluating: the cardiovascular system (blood pressure, electrocardiogram), the respiratory system (chest, lung function, sinusitis and ear infections), the neurological system (epilepsy is a restriction), controlled blood pressure, and the absence of uncontrolled diabetes. — The hyperbaric medicine exam is required by the international WRSTC standard (World Recreational Scuba Training Council); the water pressure at just 10 meters already doubles relative to the surface, requiring normal respiratory function and the absence of circulatory problems to avoid barotraumas and decompression sickness.