Here’s a list of some of Scuba Diving Pet Peeves as well as some not so intelligent advice from us, on how to overcome them-
Choppy seas
Despite choppy seas being an unavoidable occurrence we still rate this high on our pet peeves list. A choppy ride on the dive boat to reach your dive site is simply a terrible way to begin your dive. It’s unsettling, uncomfortable and puts you in a foul mood for the days diving. Additionally rough seas and bouncy boat rides are a perfect recipe for sea sickness, and the last thing you want is to witness your fellow divers blow chunks off the side of the boat, or even worse still, you having to perform the Technicolor yawn off the side of the boat! Choppy seas also mean sea spray and waves crashing over the bow, which translate into a cold wet journey. While we know that scuba diving requires you to get wet, it’s still miserable getting wet on the boat ride to your dive site when you’d prefer to stay dry.
Aquaviews recommendation:
If the ride gets to choppy, put on your wetsuit, at least you won’t mind it getting wet! Your wetsuit will keep you insulated and warmer than wearing wet clothes in the wind. Carry along a dry bag with a spare change of clothes and a towel incase the seas get calmer, you may want to change out of your wet ones if you start shivering. Another Aquaviews top tip is to carry along with you a windcheater or rain jacket on the boat which will keep you nice and dry underneath, it’s something most of us don’t even think about doing, but wish we had when we see someone with the sense to bring a jacket along. To avoid sea sickness follow our seasickness guide here or play the revoltingly entertaining game of “guess what I had for breakfast?”
with your fellow sea sick dive companions; at least it will clear your foul mood!
Long boat rides to the dive site
Let’s face it; we all want to simply don our dive gear and jump into the water, do our dives and then return to our favorite watering hole after, to down some cold & frosty ones. Unfortunately we often have to endure long boat journeys to reach our dive sites which can be unbearably agonizing at times, with nothing to do but stare out into the horizon or engage your fellow dive buddies in conversation which is hard to do over the roar of the engines. What bugs most divers about long boat rides is that fact that you get to the boat all charged up and excited about the days diving, and this excitement wanes and vanishes as you realize the time its going to take you to get there. Even more annoying is the realization of the return journey post-dive when you’re really hankering to sink those teeth into some food.
Aquaviews recommendation:
True to the saying that “the best things in life are worth waiting for” the same applies for the best dive sites are often the ones that take the longest time to reach. Be patient young grasshopper, try and relax and enter a Zen –like place to calm yourself before the dive. Carry along your portable MP3 player (see our article on waterproof options) or if the seas are calm, read a book; and if all else fails try and catch up on some zzzzz’s!
Having your Mask Kicked off your face by a fellow diver
Yes, most of us have been there either as the diver whose mask has been kicked off or the diver doing the kicking. Accidents happen when you swim in tight formations, but if you’ve ever had your mask kicked off your face you’d know how annoying it is, and if it’s happened to you more than once on the same dive, with the same person kicking your mask off again, then you’d perhaps be familiar with the murderous impulses that surge through your blood as you do your best to scowl at the other diver unsuccessfully underwater. You know its perhaps your fault for not keeping your distance, but that doesn’t stop this from being any less annoying.
Aquaviews Recommendation:
Don’t dive in such tight formations! It’s the ocean for crying out loud or another large water body like a lake. However if you are diving in an overhead environment such as a cave, cavern or even a wreck, its unavoidable not to stay close behind the other divers. In such circumstances you may want to swim with your arm extended in front of you, Superman style. If your fellow divers in front of you keep starting and stopping in open water, signal your buddy and overtake them. It’s no sense losing your cool underwater; you’ll only end up ruining your dive. Oh and don’t carry a dive knife with you…Just in case
Photos from flickr by: ShaneRobinson, ar.obrien
