Diving · For first-timers
Try dive or real dive?
A try dive is a one-off experience in which someone with no training goes underwater on scuba for the first time under an instructor’s supervision; it does not give you a certification. On PADI’s Discover Scuba Diving programme the maximum depth in the sea is 12 metres, and afterwards you cannot dive without a professional. To dive on your own with a buddy you need to complete a certification course such as Open Water.
Side by side
| Try divePADI Discover Scuba Diving | Certified divingPADI Open Water Diver | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | No certification | A certification |
| Minimum age | 10 | 15 (Junior Open Water for ages 10–14) |
| Maximum depth | 6 m in the pool, 12 m in the sea | 18 m (12 m for ages 10–11) |
| Who you dive with | In the sea, an instructor stays with you from start to finish | Your dive buddy |
| Afterwards | No diving without a professional | Independent diving with your buddy |
Not every try dive is the same
“Try dive” is a shared name, and the rules depend on the programme. SSI’s Try Scuba, for example, takes place only in a pool or confined water, to a maximum of 5 metres, and is open from age 8. Dive centres in Turkey may work with the PADI, SSI or CMAS/TSSF systems. Asking which programme you will dive on before you book makes it clear from the start what to expect.
Pool, shore or boat?
How much you enjoy a try dive depends largely on where it happens. A try dive in a pool or in the shallows in front of a hotel is good for getting used to breathing and staying balanced in the water, but there may be little to see. On try dives that go out by boat to a dive site, your chances of seeing rock, fish and marine life are higher. Ask in advance which one it will be.
Medical form
Before the dive you fill in a medical form. The one in common use is the “Diver Medical” form, prepared in 2020 together with UHMS and DAN. If you answer “yes” to certain questions, you need a doctor’s approval before diving. If you have a health concern the form does not ask about, or you feel unwell that day, do not dive.
Flying after diving
If you are planning a try dive for the last days of your holiday, take your flight time into account. According to DAN’s recommendation, after a single dive that needs no decompression stop you should wait at least 12 hours before flying; after several dives in a day the wait is at least 18 hours.
What to ask the dive centre
- Which programme will I dive on (PADI Discover Scuba Diving, SSI Try Scuba or another)?
- In a pool, from the shore or by boat? What is the maximum depth we will go to?
- How many people are there per instructor?
- Do you ask for a medical form?
- Is the centre authorised by TSSF? The list of authorised centres is at the link below.
If you enjoyed it
The next step is an Open Water course. With PADI, a try dive can count towards the Open Water course if you tell the dive centre in advance and start the course within 12 months. With the tools below you can see what wetsuit thickness the month you dive calls for and how much weight to carry.
Sources
- PADI — Discover Scuba Diving FAQs (14 April 2023): age, depth, instructor, medical form, 12 months
- PADI — Scuba Diving Restrictions (27 February 2024): try dive and Open Water limits
- SSI — Try Scuba: minimum age 8, confined water, maximum 5 m
- PADI Pros — new medical screening system (2020; UHMS, DAN, UCSD)
- DAN Europe — Flying After Diving (12 / 18 hour recommendation)