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Do you dream of deep-sea diving but can't tell a snorkel from a regulator?
We have prepared a collection of frequently asked questions and answers about diving, just for you.
Q&A About Diving
Are you dreaming of deep-sea diving but can't tell a snorkel from a regulator? What is a star or how to arrange a diving insurance?
We have prepared a collection of frequently asked questions and answers about diving, just for you.
1. At what age can one start diving?
From age 12 one can qualify for one star and even junior two stars qualified to dive to a 12 meters depth with adult diver supervision. This certificate can be replaced with a regular two stars certificate at age 15 for 120 NIS.
2. Can one begin the course before his/her 12th birthday and receive the certificate later?
The Israel Diving Act stipulates age 12 at the course start date.
3. Is the course dangerous?
Diving is an adventurous sport with inherent risks. Staying in a new and unaccustomed underwater environment requires definite rules of behavior. During the course you learn and practice all the risk-avoidance rules of behavior. It is safe to say that adherence to the safety rules makes diving perfectly safe but straying from these rules holds life-threatening dangers. Therefore, mental maturity is one of the per-requisites for safe diving and one of the reasons for diving with adult supervision until the age of 15. The course is considered very safe and the trainee's level progress is monitored by a skillful dive instructor.
4. How long is the course?
Open-water diver course (single star) takes five days.
Advanced course (two stars) lasts two additional days, until and including Saturday.
5. When do we start?
Please arrive on Sunday, 9 AM to the Manta Diving Club at the Isrotel Yam Suf Hotel, on Eilat southern beach. Late comers will have the opportunity to catch up with the program later on the same day. When prearranged, courses with 4 or more participants may be opened every day.
6. How many hours every day?
The course starts at 9:00 AM and ends in the early afternoon. The evening is free for rest, recreation and other independent activities.
7. What is the daily schedule?
On the first day we will train and practice at the club's private swimming pool and have theoretical lessons at the air-conditioned class combined with DVD demonstrations. In later stages we will have two daily sea dives that will go deeper and get more complicated in accordance with the diving level progress.
8. Is the medical test required?
Participants must fill in and sign a medical questionnaire on the first day of the course; you can receive this form in advance. If the trainee is under 18 years of age, the parents will sign the form and provide a written approval for the trainee's participation. If any medical problem is indicated in the questionnaire, the trainee must provide a medical certificate signed by a diving physician or undergo a medical examination that costs 150 NIS in Eilat.
Course candidates over age 45 must provide a diving course fitness certificate, under the authority's instructions; the candidates must present ergometry test results from the current 12 months to the certifying diving physician. For an explanation regarding the required tests you may contact Dr. Elias Dekel at: +972-(0)50-4838333.
9. Can any physician sign for me?
Only diving physicians may sign a medical certificate for diving course for candidates who have indicted a medical problem in the medical questionnaire and/or for those over age 45. The club can provide you the updated list of all diving physicians approved by the Israeli Diving Authority.
10. What may be considered a problem?
Asthma, sinuses, heart and lung conditions will always require medical examinations. Other medical problems such as diabetes or regular medicine consumption require medical monitoring and approval.
11. What do I get from the course?
Open water diver (single star) is qualified to dive to a depth of 18 meters with a partner who has at least two stars. Advanced diver (two stars) is qualified to dive to a depth of 30 meters with a partner of any level.
12. What do we learn in the course?
First, you'll learn about full diving gear that includes scuba tank, suit, buoyancy compensator, and breathing set. In the practical stage you will learn how to use and control the equipment, how to calmly and efficiently move underwater, rules of behavior in an underwater environment and safety rules. Nature protection and the integrity of the underwater environment are also integral parts of the program. The theoretical part includes study materials that will be applied underwater. Such as, the physiological and physical effects of underwater environment effect on the diver, problem and their troubleshooting. The material is delivered in a learning-friendly manner employing the best learning aids and knowledge tests aimed at producing a confident, safe and professional diver by the end of the week. The instruction is carried out in small groups by a personal dive instructor who will be always available to answer any question and solve any problem that may arise, assisted by the office staff and the club management.
13. Will I receive any professional literature?
Yes - the course text book (available in most languages), a dive logbook to document the dives and a dive chart. The book is one of the learning aids during the course and is yours to keep for future revision and knowledge refreshment.
14. Where will we dive?
Diving on the first day of the program takes place in the club's private training pool (heated during the winter). That greatly helps with getting used to the equipment and staying underwater. As the course advances, we will dive in the Coral Beach among colorful fish and corals. During the advanced course we shall also dive in several of Eilat's most attractive diving sites such as the Destroyer site to a sunken boat at 20 meters depth.
15. Why do we start at the swimming pool rather than in the sea?
The initial swimming pool phase has a great instructional value; it alleviates unnecessary pressure from the trainees and helps them to get used to the equipment and practice using it and to absorb the new experience in the easiest and most convenient way. In terms of diving conditions, the water are not saline and are at standing depth, therefore providing a sense of security which is of great importance at the basic and very important phase of the program. The trainees acquire their skills in completely safe and relaxed conditions, securing higher skill levels as they proceed to sea diving.
16. Why should I continue to the two stars level?
In addition to the course, which is enjoyable and instructive by its self, you get to see interesting diving sites, to scuba dive to a depth of 30 meters, see sunken ships, learn how to navigate underwater and more.
Since the basic certificate is limited in terms of diving depth and the requirement of diving alongside an experienced diver, most diver proceed to the second qualification, whether directly following the basic course or shortly after, because those who complete the second star program are exempted from 6 complement dives.
17. Why necessarily choose the Manta – the Isrotel Diving Club?
Manta, the Isrotel Diving Club, has a 30 years record and is the largest and most advanced club in Israel. This is the only club that has a dedicated department-level diving school, located in the club (on the 2nd floor) and directed by a senior instructor. The school uses 3 modern, air-conditioned classrooms fully equipped with the best multimedia aids. The school meets the highest standards and owns the most modern and expensive diving gear, new breathing sets and dive computers. This is the only club that has a private divers' pool where every trainee receives training before diving in the open sea.
The club is large and spacious and provides all the additional requirements that define a perfect customer service such as: all-around hot showers, winter sauna, lawns and open grounds, attached snack-bar/cafeteria that serves hot meals, unlimited parking and lockers for the diving gear. PADI created the most advanced course program in the world, backed-up with an international instruction system that qualifies 80 percent of the divers worldwide – approximately 900,000 divers every year. Being an Isrotel service, the course is conducted with great emphasis on service, responsibility to your purchased product and the most comprehensive insurance coverage in Israel. We consider our diving course trainees as the backbone of the club's activity and do our out-most to make the course experience enjoyable, amazing and unforgettable. We are proud that every year, thousands of customers choose us to share the might of diving and the love of sea and its creatures. When diving is the issue – there can be no compromises. Rather than being exposed to the weather, our customers study in air-conditioned classrooms, they enjoy the advantages of a private diver pool, use the best and most modern diving gear and are trained by well-paid instructors who are proud of their work place. These conditions lead to an uncompromising result as reflected in the final level of our various course graduates, and that is the source of our pride and honor.
18. What is PADI?
PADI is the worlds and Israel's largest diving organization. Most of the divers in the world were qualified by PADI dive instructors according to PADI training programs. The certificate is recognized all around the world and the learning standard is identical in all the PADI schools worldwide. We belong to the organization's quality control system, and some of you may receive by mail in addition to the certificate, a short questionnaire about the quality of the course in which you participated.
19. Do we learn anything different than in other diving organizations?
The courses’ contents are not different – all the organizations teach diving, however, the training method is unique and is the most student-friendly available. This organization is the one that paved the road for recreational diving in the world and created the motto: Diving is Fun. The training system fundamentally changed the attitude towards diving instruction for everyone including children and women and serves as a model for imitation for the entire diving sector. Holding a PADI diving certificate means sharing a common language with most diving clubs and dive instructors in the world. Although we recognize certificates issued by other organizations, ours is the most widely recognized and acknowledged certificate in the world. When issuing the certificate you are welcome to make a small donation towards the PADI environmental awareness project [AWARE] and receive a special prestigious certificate that indicates your involvement in this project.
20. Why choose Manta if other clubs also qualify for PADI?
Isrotel - Manta is the Israeli center of PADI diving organization and is ranked as a five-star club. The club's director is also PADI’s regional director and the organization's offices are also located here. There are various implications: even if you already hold a PADI diving certificate and you were qualified in another club, we direct all addresses to the organization. We hold all the data bases and all the qualification details. While taking a course at Manta, you will gain introduction to PADI's grand system and dive in an international-level club. The club is ranked five-stars, which means it has a guide's instructor who is responsible to train dive instructors and lead all the senior courses such as closed-system course, technical courses, and specialty courses and instructors programs. All the courses are available for you at the club in case you wish to advance your underwater world skills.
21. What should I bring along?
Pack suitable clothes for one-week stay in Eilat (you can consult over the phone about the weather), a swimming suit (of course), towels (in case you're not using our accommodations), a bath robe is also recommended, 2 passport photos, sandals, a camera to record the experience (you can also rent an underwater camera at the club or hire an underwater cameraman).
22. What is a diving insurance?
According to the Israeli law, each qualified diver must have a personal diving insurance that covers evacuation and hospitalization costs deriving from a diving-related incident. During the course you'll be insured with the club insurance for all the activities you will perform. Upon qualification, you must purchase personal diving insurance to continue diving. The club's office will help you choose the appropriate insurance and you will pay the insurance company directly. You can purchase diving course packages that include one-year diving insurance policies.
23. What is the Diving Authority?
All the diving centers in Israel operate, are authorized and supervised by the Israeli Sport Diving Authority that is responsible to practically apply the provisions of the Sports Diving Act, the regulations and the safety rules.
24. What are completion dives?
One of the Diving Authority's regulations is a kind of a “new driver” period of 6 dives for graduates of one-star (open-water) course. The completion dives' goal is to ensure that the diver will gain additional experiment diving with an instructor / group guide before taking independent dives with the partner. This regulation is only valid in Israel and does not affect any eligibility for qualification certificate. Divers that proceed to the second star course directly following the first star are exempted from obligatory dives.
25. Where do we stay?
The diving club's affiliation with Isrotel Chain allows purchasing course packages that include bargain price accommodations in all the Chain's hotels, ranging from the luxurious Royal Beach Hotel to the Riviera Hotel that offers conveniently priced family rooms. Our host hotel is the Yam Suf (formerly the Ambassador) hotel where the diving club is located. A package combining accommodation at this hotel is the most convenient for the diving club's guests. In case you have purchased a deal at another of the chain's hotels, don't worry... in the morning we will pick you up on our way to the club and get you back there at the end of the daily activity, this service is free of charge.
26. What is the 'Club Member' card, and what does it entitle me?
The Red Sea Club Membership Certificate is your ticket to further diving. The ticket provides various deals and discounts not all limited to diving but for other attractions as well accommodation prices at the Isrotel Chain hotels. In addition to the fixed discounts listed in our website you get to participate in special club member deals published from time to time.
Price for annual membership card is 400 NIS; card renewal price is 300 NIS.
Customers, who purchase sequential one star and two stars diving courses, receive a free membership card for the first year.
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