Taking the Plunge: Getting Certified to Scuba Dive

 A few years ago, I took a trip to Egypt with my best friend since high school, Brittany Turner. After sunny days of camelback riding through the dry dessert, walking like an Egyptian in front of the pyramids, crouching in ancient tombs, and sailing down the Nile on a felucca, we made our way to Dahab—a city near the Red Sea. Brittany, being the fearless woman that she is, would not settle for snorkeling, so she went for a dive in the salty waters instead.
With a small group of people and an experienced instructor, Turner sailed into the sea and dove into the depths below. She considers this experience to be one of the highlights of her Egyptian excursion. “It’s very hot in Egypt, so it was fantastic to be in the water,” exclaims Turner.

And although she was certified to scuba dive in New Zealand, Turner believes that diving in Egypt was an experience like no other. The water is salty, which creates a surreal feeling of buoyancy. The Red Sea is also warm, allowing divers to wear swimsuits instead of a full wetsuit.

“I would definitely recommend it to other travelers,” she enthuses.

Although snorkeling in the Red Sea among vibrant corals and exotic fish was fun, I still wish I had taken the plunge—especially since I have visited some great dive sites since then. With a future trip already in mind, I thought about getting certified. So naturally, I looked into Harry’s Dive Shop, Greater New Orleans’ main source for scuba diving.
Harry Caldwell opened the shop in 1970. A pioneer of the sport of scuba diving, Harry Caldwell was a lively man with strong family values and morals. After World War II, almost anyone could purchase scuba diving gear from an army surplus store, but they lacked the proper education on how to use the equipment. Harry felt compelled to share his knowledge about scuba diving (and his love for the sea) and soon began teaching lessons to the public. 

Now Harry’s shop stands complete with a large showroom floor, a classroom, and an indoor heated, 16 ft. deep, AAU Olympic size pool. With a trained and expert staff that carries Harry’s same ideals, students will undoubtedly receive an exceptional diving education and experience.

When I arrived at the shop, I met with Harry’s daughter, Cindy Caldwell. Cindy, the owner of the shop, did not want her father’s legacy to disappear, so she runs Harry’s with the same knowledge, energy, and unbridled enthusiasm for scuba diving. In addition to helping with events that promote diving, she assists students with their skills, and encourages them to further their diving education.

Caldwell, who has been diving for nearly 43 years, has covered the globe through underwater adventures. Some of the countries she has visited include Belize, Dominica, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Bali, Guam, and Honduras. But there are still many more stops on her bucket list.

When listing the slew of locations where she has been scuba diving, Caldwell quickly adds, “I want to dive in Antarctica and Alaska.” Though some may shudder at the thought of diving in such frigid temperatures, Caldwell is no stranger to cold water diving.

While on this subject, Caldwell recalled the time she went diving in Port Hardy, British Columbia. Since the water was so icy, they wore dry suits which had the effect of a Ziploc bag. The suits prevented them from getting wet while keeping them warm. They were nice and toasty with sweaters and jackets underneath their suits.

Port Hardy is home to some interesting sites. “We saw wolf eels,” Caldwell shares. “They’re probably about four feet long and its head is about as big as a human’s head. It’s so ugly it’s beautiful!” Caldwell laughs before adding that “A giant eight foot octopus was there too.”

Caldwell’s love for scuba is obvious and she effortlessly offers her reasons. “Scuba diving gives you a chance to get back to nature,” she explains. Caldwell believes that it provides people the chance to see the world, and not just necessarily underwater. When traveling to other countries to dive, it gives them the opportunity to experience other cultures. And usually, it’s a much simpler way of life.

Also, with scuba diving, Caldwell believes that humans learn to get down to the basics.

“Professionals with titles strip down to being people. They learn to get in touch with themselves and with each other.” Without the constant buzz of cell phones, text messaging, and emailing, divers can experience a feeling of escape and calmness. As Caldwell puts it, “There’s no gravity pulling down on you.” 

When I relayed my snorkeling experiences to Caldwell and expressed my interest in scuba diving, she encouraged me to give it a try. 

“Snorkeling is like window shopping and scuba diving is like test driving a car,” Caldwell believes. Because when you are swimming into the depths below, you get to be a part of sea life, rather than seeing it from up above.
With scuba diving, she adds, “You get to sit right beside an octopus and watch him pick up shells or crack open oysters. You can admire an assortment of colorful fish up close.”

But, before taking the plunge and enjoying all of this aquatic life, she notes that there is plenty to learn.
“You gather comfort through repetition and you get safety through education,” says Caldwell. For certification, divers can either take a three week course, with two lessons a week, which ends with a destination dive. Or they can opt for an intensive weekend certification course. Divers can also choose to do their certification dive on their own. The certification course enables divers to work closely with an instructor and other classmates. By practicing and traveling with a group of people, divers are able to offer help to each other.

Even after certification, amateur divers will face obstacles. Caldwell notes that a couple of the biggest challenges are learning how to see and breathe underwater. Also, she doesn’t believe that divers panic about going too deep. “They just fear the unknown,” she says.

And as for sharks, they do not bother divers. “They are the least of your worries,” Caldwell states. Sharks receive much of their bad rep from the horror movie, JAWS, but they are oblivious to scuba divers. They can be a problem for snorkelers and swimmers, however. Besides the splashing, people on the surface “create a silhouette that resembles a seal, which confuses sharks.” Caldwell explains.

Despite talk of shark infested water, I’m still eager to take my scuba diving course. To get an idea of what it entails, I took an open water introductory course. I climbed into my wet suit, which was provided by the shop, and had to stifle a giggle because of the way it awkwardly suctioned to my body. I shyly walked out to the pool, ready for my lesson.
My instructor, David Orgeron, went over the basics and explained each piece of equipment. I was shocked to discover that I would be swimming with such a heavy tank strapped to my back, but David reassured me that I would not plunge to the bottom of the five foot pool.

The next challenge was learning how to breathe underwater, along with clearing my mask. After a few practice breaths beneath the surface, laughing, and blowing bubbles from my nose, I was ready to swim. For the rest of the course, we scanned the bottom of the pool, sticking to shallow areas. This was a great way to become acclimated to the gear and settle into my comfort zone. 

After taking the course, most prospective divers will know if scuba is indeed for them. As for me, I’m ready to dive right in.

But besides the fun and adventurous aspect of scuba diving, it gives people the chance to make lifelong friends. “For the most part, everyone is trustworthy,” Caldwell says. “You have all walks of life, from children age ten to age seventy. We travel the world and dive together.”

Caldwell encourages anyone considering diving to go for it while they can. “We put things off for tomorrow, but for some people, tomorrow may never come.” Caldwell’s father passed away before he had the chance to dive in Palau and Truk Lagoon, which was a dream of his. 

Palau and Truk Lagoon, two of the Pacific’s most famous diving destinations, are home to an assortment of WWII wrecks and artifacts —and amazing marine life. Palau hosts an abundance of sharks, manta rays, and Mandarin fish. In Truk, there is no current, so all of the WWII artifacts remain intact. Caldwell warmly remembers this trip.
“That’s where he said he wanted to go. So I went for him. He went with us in spirit and heart.”