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The surface of the planet is 71 percent water and scattered with hot dive spots like the Red Sea, the great barrier reefs of Belize and Australia and Sipadan, off Borneo. You can find kaleidoscopic tropical reefs, ice dive in Rocky Mountain lakes and the very sub- zero waters of Antarctica, explore deep freshwater caves in Florida's Ocala region, and "muck dive" (skimming silty-bottomed waters in search of strange critters) in northern Sulawesi. "Divers are like hunters-looking for the next great place," says Robert Young Pelton, author of The World's Most Dangerous Places and an avid diver. The geographical, geological and biological are what to look for in a dive spot. Personal interest, budget and time are key factors in picking a dive trip. "If you don't have a lot of time, the Caribbean is a good option for Americans," says dive master Jenny Collister. Easy access and good infrastructure make the famous aqua waters of the Caribbean relatively affordable options-from quintessential dive spots such as the Caymans (good for begin- ners) to more serious action: the blue holes in the outer barrier reef of Belize, Saba Island (Netherlands Antilles) pinnacles and the wall dive on the east side of the South Caicos. are typically one class a week for six weeks followed by two days of open-water testing. Or get certified at a diving locale in four or five days. By getting certified at home (courses are offered everywhere from the local high school swimming pool to urban YMCAs) you can maximize your underwater time at a dive desti- nation. On the other hand, it's often cheaper to be certified out- side North America. This is a good option if you have time to burn and don't mind spending travel time with your face in the pages of a manual. Diving's technical and gear-oriented nature keeps it from being a mainstream, come-one-come-all activity. Being submerged, a small creature in a vast expanse of water whose life depends on a small apparatus in the mouth, does not appeal to everyone. We've all heard about the The surface of the planet is 71 percent water and scattered with hot dive spots. "Macrophotographers-underwater photographers look- ing for large marine creatures-head to open water spots like Cocos Island," Collister says. The marine reserve, 375 miles west of Costa Rica, is a choice place to get shots of mantas, whale sharks and schooling hammerheads; it will put you back around $2,500 for a week. On the other hand, if you want to get up close to psychedelic explosions of reef life, Sipadan, Malaysia, and Namena Island, Fiji, are top destinations. Divers swim the chilly waters off South Africa for encoun- ters with great white sharks. While on the other side of the globe, cold-water divers hit rich Pacific Northwest waters in Washington's Puget Sound to see wolf eels and giant octopuses (their tentacle span can reach 16 feet), or the coast of Alaska, where they might run into Pacific white-sided dolphins, orcas and humpback and gray whales. The Atlantic coast of North America is a hotspot for wreck diving-including the fabled Andrea Doria (for experts only), which sank about 60 miles south of Nantucket in 1956. First you need to get certified through organizations such as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) or NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors). Courses dreaded bends and nitrogen narcosis and seen jaws. But as with any adventure, many of the inherent risks can be avoided if you have respect for and knowl- edge of the water and the activ- ity itself. "Mishaps are usually due to human error," Collister says. "Do your homework and listen to the dive briefing. Familiarize yourself with a particular dive site's dangers." If you don't, a strong current could slam you into a reef, resulting in nasty cuts; you might touch something poisonous; you might forget some cru- cial piece of equipment. Decompression sickness, or the bends, is most often caused by surfacing too quickly. Nitrogen in the blood- stream forms bubbles that block circulation. Other risks such as nitrogen narcosis (also called "rapture of the deep"), oxygen toxi- city and simply running out of air are due to a diver's own negli- gence. Safety depends on your being organized and well-informed. As adventure sports go, diving requires less physical fit- ness than, say, mountaineering or surfing, but being in good con- dition will enhance your experience and is safer too. "If you dive once a year, even suiting up can be draining. Be honest with your- self," says marine biologist and dive master Tundi Agardy. Cardiovascular workouts to develop stamina will prep you for sit- uations that might cause shortness of breath. When it comes to choosing a dive operator to head to your destination, don't just look at the excursions they offer-be sure the staff divers have current NAUI or PADI certification.-Lesa Griffith

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