Grupo Mayan Resorts: An Introductory Brief on Recreational Diving
July 2nd, 2009
Sport or recreational diving is a specific type of diving that primarily uses scuba equipments. The objective of the diving is plain enjoyment and leisure. However, the term recreational diving is variously used similarly to technical diving. Technical diving is essentially, according to the Grupo Mayan experts in water sports, a more demanding diving sport requiring great levels of experience, training and specialized equipment.
Recreational diving originally developed from related activities like snorkeling or underwater hunting. Before the mid 20th century, recreational diving and other underwater excursions had been limited by lack of breath sustenance methods. In 1943 however, the aqualung was developed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, say the Grupo Mayan experts, followed by the wetsuit designed by Georges Beuchat in 1953. These equipments have greatly been developed in subsequent years thereby gradually causing great revolution within the recreational diving.
In the 1950s and 60s, recreational diving sport was only accessible to the rich, those who could afford to have or buy a kit. It was also necessary for one to undergo a very intensive training before he or she could use the kit. Soon enough, the sport became very popular, say the Grupo Mayan experts. Manufacturers saw a potential market and rushed to design and produce recreational diving equipment that was reliable, easy to use and at the same time affordable.
SCUBA technology evolved and has advanced to enable such diving equipments as buoyancy compensators, wet and dry suits, diving regulators, and dive computers. Such technology has increased the diving safety, the comfort and even convenience when it comes to the gear, say the Grupo Mayan professionals. The effect has been phenomenal: Thousands of people all over the world relish to be trained as divers and to use these diving equipments.
Navies and private organizations concerned with professional diving provided diver training exclusively to their own personnel. Actually, the pioneer scuba diving training school was established in France. The second school of diving was established in 1953 at Melbourne City Baths, Australia. Neither of these two schools, say the Grupo Mayan experts, was international nor for civilians. Trevor Hampton, a Brit, established the first British scuba diving school at the famous British Underwater Center in 1954. The US had its first diving school established at Los Angeles County also in 1954, as an Underwater Instructor Certification Course.
Professional diving instruction began in 1959, when NAUI (a non-governmental organization) was formed. NAUI split 1966 to form a profit making PADI. Today, PADI trains and graduates thousands of divers every year. Last year, according to the experts within the Grupo Mayan, PADI solely issued over 950,000 certificates to professionally trained divers.