Scuba Diving in Pondicherry

Pondicherry is the growing favorite of many lovers of scuba diving, both the professionals and the ones willing to learn this adventurous experience of a lifetime. PADI, the international authority that regulates scuba diving in the world has strict rules and regulations for a place to be qualified for recreational diving, and the places in the list of Pondicherry scuba diving that qualify as per them are-

• 4 Corners
• Temple Reef
• Coral Shark Reef
• Aravind’s Wall
• Ravines
• The Hole
• PADI Dive Center
  

Although Pondicherry proudly boasts that there is no certain best time to experience scuba diving here, there are many factors that affect the overall experience like calmness of water and visibility etc. The best time for scuba diving in Pondicherry as per that are the months of February to April and September to November with an easy 20 to 30 meters of visibility.

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The minimum age for scuba diving in Pondicherry in the sea is 10 years with no maximum age as long as the participant provides all documents required to prove them fit for the strenous activity.

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With a variety of options available here, the courses range from 1 day to 16 days with a fixed number of dives in each course. The duration for dives ranges from 20 minutes to 2.5 hours. The cost for Pondicherry scuba diving also varies as per the same. Starting from INR 5000/- for a day’s dive excluding training, to INR 82,000/- for a full-fledged 16-day course.

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Yes, even non swimmers can join in for the fun in Pondicherry scuba diving.

When you are diving in Pondicherry, you will be guided by professional experts so nothing goes wrong with you. But there is only so much that they can do and there are a few things that you must take care of on your end. These are-

• Make it a thumb rule to never hold your breath
• Take your ascents in the water slow. Panic can ruin things
• Gear Check
• Always dive within your limits
• Maintain your fitness
• Do not consume alcohol or any other intoxicants before diving. That includes smoking
• Always stick to the plan
• Learn the rule of thirds when it comes to air supply management
• Practice your skills in safe regions

Although not openly, but scuba diving is now evolving as an adventure sport. And where there are sports, there is definitely going to be injuries. In such cases, never lose your calm as panic can only elevate situations, not alleviate them. With that said, common injuries and disorders include

• Barotraumas - Pressure related injuries
• Carotid Sinus Syndrome caused by tight suits
• Pressure Immobilization
• Decompression Illness
• Heart Attack
• Cardiac situations when diving after installing a Cardiac Pacemaker
• Heat Injuries
• Carbon Dioxide Toxicity
• Carbon Monoxide Toxicity
• Hypothermia caused Diving in Cold Water
• Immersion Pulmonary Edema meaning Diving with Poor Heart Conditions
• Lung Ruptures caused by extreme pressure changes
• Oxygen Toxicity (CNS)
• Salt Water Aspiration Syndrome
• Sea Sickness and Pelagism
• Shock
• Marine animals bites and stings
• Vertigo brought on by imbalance in the inner ear

Yes, because the depths that you will dive to in an open sea, there are definitely chances that your ears will hurt when you go scuba diving. But the smart way here is to involve your professional trainer in the loop as they will give you the correct advice on a small procedure called equalization, to help stop the pain while diving.

If you wish to embark on a Pondicherry scuba diving expedition, the scuba divers never to do checklist is divided into three parts, namely, before, during and after the dive

Before diving, never-

• Plan to dive without certification
• Dive without a plan and a buddy
• Skip a gear check
• Forget to get a person above water
• Forget to breath
• Drink
• Eat food right before the dive. Keep a gap of at least 2 hours between a dive and a meal

During the dive, never-

• Dive beyond your limits
• Dive if you feel sick
• Hold your breath
• Deviate from the plan

After the dive, never-

• Fly
• Zip Line
• Drink
• Go climbing
• Get a massage