How to learn to SCUBA
It made me
amazed 
"The world underwater is a fantastic secret."
How I did it:
Did the classroom and pool (confined water) training with Underwater Connection in Colorado Springs, Colorado right before graduating from college to prep for diving at the Great Barrier.
On my trip to Australia this US summer right after graduation, I flew to Cairns from Sydney. Booked my open-water referral training (because I did all the other training in Colorado; I didn't need to repeat it) with Scuba Pro Cairns through my hostel. Pro Dive picked me and my luggage up and provided storage. Very friendly staff. I did the liveaboard so was at sea for 3 days 2 nights. How many people can say they've slept at the Great Barrier Reef??
Lessons & tips: Do it. Do it. Just do it! It is amazing and getting certified once means being certified for LIFE! Totally worth it. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do some of the requirements during the training just because I didn't know what we were going to do. But don't be afraid of the unknown. If the instructors are really passionate about their job then they will take all the time in the world to help you get through your training. Find a good dive shop and they will almost have good instructors. That being said, you get what you pay for--there are cheap dive trip, but there may be some trade-offs that come with that. Do your research!
