Do I need to be able to swim?

Yes. You should be comfortable in water and able to swim a short way unaided. Being relaxed matters more than being fast.

It has an excellent safety record when you train properly. The basics are simple: keep breathing, ascend slowly, and dive with a buddy.

Do I need a qualification to try it?

No. A try-dive lets a complete beginner breathe underwater under instructor supervision, with no certification required.

How deep will I go as a beginner?

Try-dives stay shallow. An Open Water course typically qualifies you to around 18 metres, with more unlocked as you progress.

Is the equipment provided?

Yes, courses and try-dives provide all the kit. Many divers buy their own mask and fins first once they are keen.

A wetsuit or drysuit keeps you comfortable, matched to the water temperature.

Diving in Scotland

Diving is your way into everything that happens below the surface. For most people that means scuba: a tank, a regulator, and the strange first-time thrill of breathing underwater. From there it is reefs, wrecks, walls and marine life you will not see any other way.

It is more welcoming than its reputation. A try-dive gets a complete beginner underwater in a pool or sheltered bay in a single session, and an Open Water qualification opens up dive sites worldwide. Buoyancy is the skill to nail, and it comes from your breathing rather than your fins.

The instructors on adventuro run try-dives, certifications and guided dives for every level. Everyone underwater started as a nervous beginner blowing bubbles in the shallow end.