Full Face Masks for Diving: Ocean Reef vs OTS A full face mask seals your whole face and lets you breathe through your nose, no mouthpiece required. The first time you breathe through a full face mask, the whole dive changes. Your nose is insi.. Read More

Lake Pleasant is the closest open water dive site to Phoenix, about an hour from Queen Creek. New divers should plan for cold water below the thermocline, visibility that swings from 40-plus feet in winter to under 10 in summer, and altitude adjustme.. Read More

  Open Water Certified, Now What? The Dive Arizona Roadmap for New Divers The card is the start line, not the finish. What you do in the next few weeks decides the kind of diver you become. You just got Open Water certified in Arizona, so what c.. Read More

How to Choose Your First BCD Written by Amanda Krugen Your first BCD is a bigger decision than most new divers expect, because it is the one piece of gear you wear on every dive. It holds your tank, controls your buoyancy, and keeps you balanced and .. Read More

<h1>Nitrox 101: Is It Worth It?</h1> <p>Written by <a href="https://divearizona.com/staff/amanda-krugen">Amanda Krugen</a></p> <p><strong>For most divers, yes, and it&#39;s about the cheap.. Read More

What It Actually Costs to Get Scuba Certified in Arizona, No Surprises Written by Amanda Krugen If you have started pricing out scuba certification around Phoenix, you have probably run into the same frustration. Half the shops give you a number, the.. Read More

How Often Should You Dive After Getting Certified? Written by Liz Robinson Most new divers should aim to dive every 4 to 6 weeks during their first year, then settle into a dive every couple of months after that. The exact number matters less than th.. Read More

How Arizona Veterans Use the GI Bill to Get Scuba Certified (And What to Know Before You Enroll) Written by Liz Robinson If you've got unused GI Bill entitlement, you can put it toward scuba certification, from your first Open Water dive to a pro.. Read More

What It's Like to Dive San Carlos, Mexico (A Weekend Trip from Queen Creek That's Worth Every Mile) Written by Amanda Krugen I've been on a lot of dive trips. Long-haul flights, layovers, sleepless nights, the whole production. And I love.. Read More

Why Buoyancy Control Is the Most Important Skill in Scuba Diving (And How to Actually Master It) Written by Amanda Krugen You can spot a diver with good buoyancy the second they hit the water. They move like they belong there, slow, deliberate, effor.. Read More