Myths Of Diving
FAQ
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Q. Are their any local diving
opportunities in Arkansas?
A. Arkansas is blessed with several wonderful lakes and streams to
dive & explore. While most of our local diving is at Lake Ouachita just
west of Hot Springs,
or Heber Springs which is north off Highway 5 or lake Lake DeGray just
outside of Arkadelphia, and last but not least, our northern lakes of Bull Shoals, Beaver Lake, & Table Rock.
There are also a number of beautiful Rock Quarries throughout Arkansas.
Most are private and you may need to get permission to dive some of these
quarries but, don't miss out on this opportunity. Another "MUST DO" is
diving & snorkeling in the first National River
in the United States, the beautiful "Buffalo River" in northern Arkansas
off Scenic highway 7". While the river isn't deep, their are lots
of fish and things to see as you meander slowly down the river to enjoy the scenery
which is second to none in
the US! Don't miss this opportunity right here in Arkansas!
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Q. What about more Advanced Diver
Training?
A. The best way to become a better diver
is to continue your diving education and GO DIVING. Rick's staff offers
a myriad of continued diving opportunities such as our PADI Advanced
Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and many
many specialty classes such as Night Diving, Deep Diving, Nitrox, Cavern
Diver, Ice Diver, Boat Dive, Enriched Air, Underwater Crimescene
Investigation and many additional diving opportunities
all the way up to our Divemaster or our IDC Instructor rating. The choice
yours! Be sure to visit our Educational Director about any questions you may have about continuing your diving education at
Rick's. Speaking of continuing your diving education, you certainly want
to join us on our Florida Springs dive trips where you can have
unlimited dive time and visibility over 100 feet. These trips are offered in the
Winter/Spring as
the water temperature is a nice 68 degrees year round.
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Q. What if I wanted to be an Instructor?
A. While this is an ambitious
progression, each of our current Instructors went in "head first" to be
the best they could be at Rick's and have enjoyed every moment watching their
students progress through the PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and
additional programs to make them a better diver. You can do it!
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Q.
How long does it take to get certified ?
A. Learning to
Scuba dive properly, takes time, patience and understanding on both parties to make
sure you learn safe and correctly. Ricks has several formats to fit even
the most hectic schedules, but generally speaking, our courses are scheduled on
Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday evenings from 6-10 pm for two
consecutive weeks. (Maximum 8 students in each class) For those that may have already experienced scuba
diving, or who are proficient at snorkeling, simply don't have the time,
or live too far to commute, our weekend format may be your best option.
Classes meet on a Friday evening 6-9 pm, Saturday/Sunday 8-5 pm.
each day. (Maximum 8 students) Rick's also offer Private
or Semi-Private courses and our new
E-Learning Program for those who would
like a more "one on one" environment or or a shorter time frame.
(Ricks can recommend local hotels close by if necessary). This
option will allow you to complete the course in as little as TWO days. Once you complete one of these options above, the
final phase of your Open Water certification is completed in one of
these options below:
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Lake Ouachita
- Local certification diving begins May through October
from our dive boats on beautiful Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
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The Florida Springs -
November through April The Florida Springs becomes our
winter training grounds. These beautiful gin clear freshwater
Springs are located about an hour east of Pensacola in DeFuniak,
Springs, Florida. (we're talking about 150' visibility here folks).
-
Caribbean Adventure -
Rick's group dive trips are escorted by one of our
professional PADI Instructors which allows you to complete the Open
Water training dives while traveling with us to the destination of
your choice at NO extra charge other than the trip price.
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Letter Of Referral
- If you already have a vacation trip planned to the islands,
this option allows you to complete your four Open Water training dives
with another instructor. Rick's will be glad to assist you with
a "Letter of Referral and one of our staff members will explain the
certification process and charges for this service.
The
time to become a certified diver at Rick's Dive 'N Travel Center can be
summed up in as short as 2 days, over two weekends, or about two weeks in a group class depending on which program you prefer.
THE
CHOICE IS YOURS !!!!
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Q.
How do I make sure I like diving before investing in the recreation ?
A. If you have never tried scuba diving or participated in a
"Discover Diving" activity, we strongly recommend that you
call our Center to schedule a "Discover
Scuba" before enrolling in ANY dive certification. One
of our friendly staff members will set up a time, usually 30 to 45
minutes, for you to try scuba diving to make sure this is something you
want to pursue. With our own heated indoor diver pool we don't
have to depend on other OFF site premises to conduct our diving programs. While
this may not seem like a big deal, learning in a cold 3 to 6 foot
outdoor lap pool isn't the way we feel you should learn to dive. The
convenience of having a deep heated pool "on site" should be a strong
consideration for deciding where you learn to dive, especially for
returning to refresh your skills down the road or to check out your
equipment considerations. Our Discover Diving fee includes a private Instructor
and the use of all equipment for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. This
fee is totally applicable to one of our beginning scuba courses. After completing our "Discover
Diving" session I'm sure you'll be excited to learn to
scuba dive at Ricks.
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Q.
What if I run out of air ?
A. These and other questions like this are covered during your scuba
training. Our certification course is structured so that your questions
are answered and you feel comfortable with your equipment before
becoming "certified". About running out of "air". You will have
instruments that tell you exactly how much air you have at all times.
Finally, a few interesting statistics: recreational scuba diving has a
lower incidence of injury than American football, baseball,
water-skiing, soccer, snow skiing, volleyball, racquetball, tennis,
swimming and bowling and as mentioned earlier, the minimum age to lean
to dive is 10 years old So, what are you waiting for.
Come
on, lets go diving !!!
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Q.
I've heard that scuba diving is expensive.
A. Comparatively speaking, diving isn't any more expensive than any
other adventure recreation and somewhat less than most. Getting started with your snorkeling
equipment could run between $200 - $400 depending on your taste and
budget. Scuba diving equipment can vary anywhere from $800 for a basic diving system
to an average of $1200- $1500 for all the "bells & whistles". You could cut this in half for an occasional
diver or double it if you became a diving enthusiast who dives more than
two or three times a month and has the desire for dive travel or
continue your diver education. Rick's rents most any
equipment you would need if you prefer. Truthfully, owning is YOUR
best option, as comfort & fit are paramount in underwater adventure.
Fifty feet isn't the time to find out you purchased the "cheapest
or used stuff
out there" Thankfully, we don't have products that fit that bill. When you are ready to make that
decision, our staff of professional instructors will assist in
finding out what's "best for you" and your budget. If you
asked most divers, was it worth it? ... We think most would say:
"for
the experiences, excitement and fun at Rick's, its a bargain"
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lets
go diving