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Scuba diving provides a range of physical and mental benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, increased strength and flexibility, stress relief, and an opportunity to connect with nature.
You should be in reasonably good physical condition to ensure a safe and enjoyable scuba diving experience. Gone are the days when diving was limited to military trained professionals, and dive gear manufacturers have continued to find ways to make the experience easier than it used to be.
However, diving still places demands on our bodies, including carrying heavy gear; controlling our breathing and having good gas exchange in the lungs; elevating our heart rate; using flexibility to control our positioning and propulsion through the water; and dealing with the effects of increased pressure on various parts of the body. Added to that, being able to respond effectively to situations that can arise is aided greatly by being in good physical condition.
Prior to any in-water training, each student is required to complete a medical questionnaire, and depending on the answers to that form they may need to be cleared by a physician before taking the class. You owe it to yourself and the others around you to be honest when completing the questionnaire.
Also, before completing the Open Water Diver Course your instructor will have you demonstrate basic water skills to be sure you're comfortable in the water, including:
The maximum depth for recreational scuba diving is generally considered to be 130 feet (40 meters). However, this depth is only recommended for experienced divers who have been trained in deep diving techniques. The beginning Open Water Certification has a depth limit of 60 feet (18 meters).
If you're just starting out and wondering what dive equipment you should get, at a minimum you should plan on getting your own personal dive gear-mask, fins, snorkel, exposure protection (rash guard or wetsuit) and a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB or DSMB).
There are two reasons that you should plan on getting these: safety and comfort. Having a mask that doesn't fit your individual face means that you'll spend much of your time underwater with a flooded mask. Fins that are too tight, loose, or stiff can lead to cramps and discomfort, which impacts your enjoyment of the dive and can get in the way of learning effectively. Protecting your skin from the sun, cooler water and the underwater environment are all good reasons for exposure protection, and a Surface Marker Buoy is important for making sure that you're visible to others while you're on the surface.
All of these items can be rented or provided for you by your instructor or dive shop, but having gear that fits you personally is a major benefit over rental gear.
On the other hand, it is best to wait until after you've had a chance to try out the other pieces of gear-regulator, BC, Dive Computer, etc.-in the water before deciding which models to purchase.