Refresh or ReActivate your Scuba Diving Skills with Aura Divers

Has it been a while since you’ve been diving? Want to get back in the water but don’t know where to start?

PADI offers two different courses to help you refresh your scuba diving knowledge and skills: the PADI ReActivate Course and the PADI Refresher Course. The PADI ReActivate Course is a course for certified divers that want to refresh all the diving skills they learn during the Open Water Course. The course consists of online theory, confined water session and an optional open water session. The Refresher Course can be done in a few hours and before open water dives. It consists of a quiz and practicing in-water skills.

To do a Refresher or ReActivate course, you need to have an entry level certification from any organization. Whether to do a PADI Refresher or ReActive Course depends on how long you’ve been out of the water and your certification level. It’s recommended to do a PADI Refresher if you’ve been out of the water for longer than a year. If it’s been longer than 2 years’, the PADI ReActivate Course is the way to go. If you haven’t been diving since your initial course, it may be better to consider the PADI ReActivate Course. Both of these courses are useful for people that are a bit apprehensive about scuba diving.

PADI ReActivate

The PADI ReActivate Course is part eLearning where you can watch videos on how to perform the necessary diving skills. It helps you relearn dive theory. If you have any questions, write them down and make sure to ask your dive instructor when you see them. You’ll go over the content from your initial course like: dive planning, equipment assembly and safe diving practices. With your instructor, you can do an in-water session in a pool or confined open water. During the in-water session, you’ll go over ALL the skills from your Open Water Course.

PADI Refresher

In comparison, A PADI Refresher Course is slightly different. It goes over basic diving practices, including alternative air source use, how to clear a mask, setting up and disassembling dive gear, and how to recover your regulator. At the start, complete a quiz which you’ll go over with your dive instructor which covers dive theory and safety practices. There is no eLearning as part of this course.

At Aura Divers, we offer both Refresher and ReActivate Courses. Give us a call to discuss which is the best for you!

by Cassie Riddell

Snorkeling vs scuba diving: which is better?

The long debated question: scuba diving vs snorkeling, which is better?

Snorkeling is a popular activity whereby the person swims at the surface with a mask, snorkel and fins. While diving, you have added equipment including a BCD (buoyancy control device), tank, dive computer, wetsuit and weights. Using this equipment, you can go down to a given depth. On a Discover Scuba Dive, the maximum depth is 12 meters, Open Water Divers can reach 18 meters and Advanced Open Water Divers can plunge even further to a depth of 30 meters.

Snorkeling at Daymaniyat Islands

You can snorkel with little experience of being in the water. Whereas, diving can take some theory and practical experience before getting the hang of it. If you aren’t confident in the water, you can wear a life jacket to keep you afloat while you snorkel. It’s also possible to gain experience snorkeling to build your confidence before going diving. You don’t require a certification and snorkeling can be done nearly everywhere. On the other hand, diving requires you to get certified and when you dive in a new place you should ideally dive with a professional diver to be on hand at all times to act as a guide.

Scuba Diving in Oman

To start scuba diving, it’s important that you have the right equipment and perform pre-dive safety checks. You need to learn the theory behind diving safely and then put it into practice. For instance, how to perform safety stops for three minutes at five meters, conduct buddy checks, and be able to remain neutrally buoyant. While this sounds complex, divers from their second dive are able to do this successfully.

Diving allows you to immerse yourself in the underwater world for an extended period of time. Most snorkelers can get tired easily and will remain in the water for shorter than an average dive. While it takes longer to start to dive and is more expensive, the rewards are immense. When it comes down to it, when comparing snorkeling vs diving, it will mostly depend on personal preference.

At Aura Divers, we’re here to help you with all your diving and snorkeling needs in Oman. Contact us for more information or to book.

by Cassie Riddell

close-up macro photography of mantis shrimp taken while diving in Oman

Macro Diving in Muscat Oman

Number of dive sites: 25
Boat ride: 15 minutes
Good for: All level divers, Macro photography lovers

Did you know that there are great dive sites for macro diving in Oman?

A trip to Bander Khayran in Muscat is where you should go if you want world-class diving with warm water, dense live coral reefs, many macro organisms, and a diverse range of megafauna, as well as uncrowded dive sites.

Coral reefs

Bander Khayran is one of Oman's must-see treasures, with over 25 diving spots featuring stunning rock formations, cliffs, and reefs teeming with vibrant corals and tropical fish With essential features like staghorn, orange cup, cabbage, and whip coral, this is a fantastic environment for macro photographers. The majority of the rock falls are surrounded by colorful soft corals and sponges, as well as enormous gorgonians that aren't seen on any other Muscat island.

What can you see

We are lucky to have warm waters free of currents majority of the year, this coupled with our nearshore reefs—many within swimming distance of the beach or a 15 minute boat ride from our dive centre these top dive sites are perfect for offering macro seekers ideal conditions and ample time to go on a hunt.

Moray eels, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, pipefish, lobster, scorpionfish, lionfish, octopus, squid, and cuttlefish can all be found in between the rocks and crevices.

Fish fish and more fish!

And let not forget all the other exciting marine life to to swim alongside. Snapper, batfish, jacks, and barracuda may all be found during your dive, in addition to schooling fusiliers. Oman is home to six turtle species, eagle, mobula, and manta rays, as well as reef, guitar, leopard, and the occasional whale sharks, are among the megafauna highlights, which are topped off by dolphins and pilot whales, and a few fascinating wrecks.

Go the the right places

It's all about location when it comes to macro diving in Oman, and we've got you covered. Contact us now for more information and to book a trip with us.