Training Tidbits

by Bond Lux, Rescue Diver

At some point in life, you need to break out of the "I'll only go diving with Saralynn" mode. Go ahead, have a little adventure (Saralynn is great at arranging those trip activities!).

When you do go to some resort and take on a few dives, have fun...relax... and don't get upset when things don't exactly go right. No matter how much or how recent you have done any dive training or refresher course, be ready mentally for things to happen. But remember, all those little things that really good instructors like Saralynn & the ED staff go over with us, are really to help make diving safer and the experience memorable.

On our recent trip to the Bahamas for spring break, I put in several mornings of diving. Here are a few of the simple things that didn't go quite right on the dives (some were to me, most were to others).

Check your tank strap BEFORE the giant stride! It's amazing how far back your head will go when you are biting down on the regulator to breathe and the tank is dangling between your kneecaps.
Make sure your air is ON (physically turn the valve, not just draw a breath or 2). I saw a guy get down about 15 feet before he ran out of what was in the hose.
Make sure you have air in your BC and hold onto your mask & regulator when entering the drink (giant stride or back roll)...seawater is not very tasty nor is it compatible with your lungs. It's also really hard to cough and choke underwater with your regulator out of your mouth.
Check that your fin straps are securely clipped and the strap is comfortably tight. There is nothing worse than trying to catch one that is sinking.
Make sure that what is in your mouth is the regulator, not the snorkel. Snorkels only provide air AT THE SURFACE.
If you do a back roll entry, check your mask strap before descending (they don't stay on real well unless the strap is around the back side of your noggin).

In each situation, how would you have reacted? Would you panic or would you calmly resolve the situation? Would you react decisively and instinctively or would you fumble and thrash around? Would your actions or reactions endanger yourself or others?

Now I have to admit to a episode of the tank strap, fin strap, and mask strap problems. Folks on the boat alerted me to the tank strap and mask strap problems as I gave the "ok" signal so I just had to do a contortionist move to fix the tank strap...but I also was mentally prepared to descend to the bottom (about 40 ft down), remove the BC, fix the problem, & continue on. Could you do that calmly?

On one of the dives, the Divemaster did one of those no-fun 15min out & back routines. No sightseeing, just finning...how boring. Everyone came up with 500lbs or less air...one guy wasn't watching and sucked his tank dry while playing at the wreck under the boat after the swim. On the boat when he was laughing about this, he said his buddy was nowhere around and had to do an emergency ascent. Where would your buddy be? Would you have frolicked around at the end of a long swim with your air in the "red zone"? Brains and gauges are there for a reason!

Now for the fun part. On paradise dives, SLOW DOWN! Reefs and wrecks have a lot to see if you will just slow down, relax, and enjoy the show. Underwater photography forces you to slow down & watch for the unusual.

TIP YOUR CREW WELL! Particularly if you are doing multiple days of diving with the same operator, the divemasters, boat captains and staff photographers will remember those that pad their pockets. Each time I was with a divemaster or boat captain I had a previous day, I felt I was treated better than the newcomers. Underwater, the divemasters and staff photographers started playing tour guide pointing out life that I missed - banded shrimp, rock fish, etc.

Here's the bottom line:

Make sure you are in good mental and physical shape. Don't be surprised if paradise ain't perfect, but enjoy it, anyway (you could always stay stuck behind that desk!).
When things go wrong, be calm, but decisive in your actions. There aren’t any skills being taught that are unnecessary. As I saw on this trip, some of those basic OW skills were used (or should have been). The more you practice those skills, the easier they become and the more you can enjoy the trip when you must use them.
If you screw up, somebody else has probably already done it so laugh at yourself, get over it, learn from it, and try to not do it again. Enjoy the short time and rare opportunity you have to experience the underwater world!