Do you need to be certified before you can enjoy scuba diving in Cebu? The answer is no. That also holds true in many parts of the world. Yes, you can engage in diving without having to go through courses and schools.

However, you will be severely limited. You can’t have as much freedom as far as diving is concerned. You won’t be allowed to be on your own, and you’re most likely to be denied to go deeper into the open waters. Many shops don’t rent gear and equipment to non-certified divers.

Besides, getting certified is for your own good. It increases your safety and health. It reduces your fear and anxiety, so you can have a better presence of mind when underwater.

In the Philippines, you can enroll in different courses. Right now, I am going to talk about SSI certification.

SSI stands for Scuba Schools International, and it has been around for more than 35 years. It is often compared with PADI since both of them are two of the most popular types of diving certifications, but this might enlighten you on their subtle differences.

To begin, you need to sign up. Cebu diving under SSI certification is not a problem since there are many centers that can help you out. In Alcoy, for example, you have Divespot Asia.

As a beginner, you are most likely to begin concepts through lectures followed by training in the pool to get you more comfortable with the gear, equipment, and longer duration in the waters. Once this is completed, you can proceed with open water diving, which you should do for at least 4 times. This is the period when you apply everything you’ve learned in the pool training. Don’t worry, a diving instructor will still be with you. If you’ve done both, you are now a certified SSI diver!

You now have the option to try specialty certifications, which can add more adventure and fun during your marine explorations. I suggest that you begin with Diver Stress and Rescue. Not only will this help you increase your safety but will also give you the skills to help others during an underwater emergency. For those who looking for adventure, you can try shark, night, and wreck diving. You can also go more technical with navigation, buoyancy, and enriched air nitrox training.

But what if you’re already in Cebu, you wish to dive, but you don’t have an SSI certification yet? That’s okay since SSI gives you another alternative: scuba dive first! You will still be under the supervision of an instructor, but you can already go as deep as 40 feet. You will receive a certification in the end, and you can use it to credit your SSI open water diver certification later.

Certifications can be pretty expensive, especially if you choose to undergo more training. But consider it as a wonderful investment to yourself. After all, learning something new and exciting makes your life more enjoyable.