One of the leading Scuba Diving Sites of the World - Grand Bahama Island

One of the fastest growing of all water sports in the world today appears to be scuba diving.

It would be a logical and correct assumption that this is probably by and large down to the increased transport links around the globe making the more obscure destinations now easier to get to.

In this article I really want to take a basic look at Scuba diving but also take a look at one of the world's leading scuba diving locations in Grand Bahama Island.

Swimming underwater whilst using a Scuba Set is known as Scuba Diving. Divers are capable of staying underwater for much longer with the usage of scuba equipment.Scuba equipment gives divers the ability to stay underwater for periods way in excess of normal usage.

The additional advantage to all of this as far as the diver is concerned is that it frees them up from being hindered and attached to some form of surface powered air system.

It is more common to see scuba divers propelling themselves around underwater by the usage of flippers on their feet. That having been said it is not uncommon for divers who are undertaking large scale explorations' to actually use a DPV (Diver propulsion vehicle). Commonly known as a scooter divers occasionally use sleds which are attached to surface boats to help them with moving large distances.

The original equipment from which modern day scuba equipment was developed came from the use of oxygen rebreathers developed and sued by US Navy frogmen in World War II.Most people now recognize the term as being made popular by the equipment developed by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan.

For the technically correct amongst us the term SCUBA is actually an acronym for the phrase 'self-contained underwater breathing apparatus' but as with other technical phrases such as the word 'laser', the term scuba has now entered into normal linguistic usage and usually refers to scuba equipment, scuba diving etc.

So to Grand Bahama Island. The reputation of Grand Bahama Island as a diver's paradise has been growing ever since the earliest episodes of the TV Series "Sea Hunt" were filmed there.The surrounding seas off the coasts of the Island boast such a wildly diverse range of diving attractions that there are very few types of diving that the Island cannot accommodate.

Grand Bahama Island is of course also famous for its "blue holes" ' these are spectacular azure portals in the reefs through which you can descend, surrounded by reef wall on all sides. Depending on which way the current is going at any one time these holes can be 'blowing' or 'sucking' and the currents here can be quite strong and as a result quite dangerous if you are not an experienced diver.

The geographical sub structure on which the Island is based is a massive limestone base and tied into this is also one of the other major reasons why people flock to this area of the world for diving and that is the massive underwater cave network that exists here.

The underwater cave network that is located by and large within the Lucayan National Park is the second largest of its type in the world.

The caves are still being explored, and there are numerous special dive programs that can take you into them (provided you are cave certified).

Stephen Morgan writes regularly about leisure activities and if you want to find out more about Scuba Diving Sites then visit http://www.divemaster.com