We had a few reservations about diving with the "gentle giants" at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Their four whale sharks are between 20 and 26 feet long - pretty much the size of a school bus. We were intrigued when we first learned that as certified scuba divers we would be allowed to dive in the huge Ocean Voyager exhibit at the state-of-the-art aquarium in downtown Atlanta. We would even be able to earn the PADI Whale Shark Distinctive Specialty Certification at the onl

Once you’ve completed the PADI Open Water Diver certification course, you are eligible to take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course. Even though you technically could take the course immediately after your Open Water certification, I’d suggest getting in some dives before jumping right into the advanced class. Before I took the course, I had about 25-30 dives under my belt, and for me this was the perfect amount of practice to have before taking the plunge into the dep

1. Removing your mask underwater 2. Sharing air with your buddy 3. Having your air shut off by the instructor 4. Rolling into the ocean backwards off the boat for the first time 5. Descending to 60 feet underwater I think this picture says it all - Mark is giving the o.k. sign and posing for the camera while the rest of the class is in seeming disarray. No one was really panicked. We were just nervous because we were being tested on the required skills. Yes, removing your mas

We learned to dive years ago when Mark was earning a master's degree in Underwater Archaeology from Texas A&M, but hadn't tried the sport in years. We found that diving is much more accessible to beginners now. The equipment has been streamlined and the course that used to take weeks of study at the local YMCA can now be done almost completely online before arriving at the dive resort for in-the-ocean instruction and testing. The tedious classroom hours are completely replace