Besides being a goby aficionado, shark lover and underwater photographer, I am also, of course, a scuba diving instructor! So, I get to see a lot of people who want to start diving. Some do really well right away, others not so. What makes the difference? Here are some thoughts on what you could do before you sign up for diving lessons. The people who do well often seem to have done all four of these things; usually because these activities are parts of their lives anyway; but you might as well start doing them now if you plan to start diving.
“What better place than here; What better time than now?”
– Rage Against The Machine
Swim a bit.
You don’t have to be 2 seconds behind Michael Phelps over 100 m freestyle to be able to dive. But you need to be able to swim. And the better you can swim, the better for your dive training. Just going to the pool for a few times will get your body to remember being in the water and the right swimming technique, especially the breathing rhythms. You will get fitter, too.
Go snorkeling.
Snorkeling is cheap for anyone who lives next to any body of water, lake or ocean. Or, you can go snorkeling on your seaside vacation the days before you start your dive training. Get your own mask, snorkel and fins (which you can then later already use for scuba training), put your head in the water with the snorkel mouthpiece between your teeth, and swim a few rounds. If you are in a nice place then you’ll already see interesting marine life. But even if it’s your local quarry you are snorkeling in, you will get used to wearing a mask, and to breathing through your mouth with your head underwater. You will be half the way to coping with the psychological challenges of scuba diving.
Surfing, ocean swimming, kayaking or paddle boarding will not teach you the “head underwater” part, but are 1. great fun and 2. give you a sense of ocean-savvy which will also help you when you start to dive. Mid-sized waves will not scare you anymore.
Don’t smoke or Stop smoking!
That’s generally a good idea. It’s an especially good idea if you plan to use your lungs to breathe air at pressures of up to 2.8 bar. That’s 2.8 times the pressure at the surface, and the water pressure in 18 m, the maximum depth you will reach during your open water course. That breathing might also happen in colder water, and you will breathe a bit heavier from swimming at times. All of that should make you want to have the healthiest lungs you can have! I know that nicotine addiction is hard to break, but maybe the diving can be a motivation?
Relax!
I know, easier said than done. If you have done suggestions 1 to 3, you can be fairly comfortable that you will be able to learn how to dive. You can hence relax. If that’s still hard, focus on the pretty fish you will see and not on fearing your fears.
Realistically, recreational scuba diving under the supervision of an instructor is a safe adventure. In 2015, well serviced scuba gear does not catastrophically fail. Diver error or panic can lead to dangerous situations, but these are much less likely if you … relax.
Any more questions? klaus@savedra.com
My friend Captain Russell, a role model for relaxed diving.
