The ability to take it easy and stay as calm as a sea turtle underwater, no matter the conditions, is one of the most prominent quality’s you’ll see in good and experienced scuba divers. While there aren’t really any direct training tips or steps as such to follow in order to achieve that level of that comfort in the water and with all your scuba gear and any possible situations you can face, there are some things you can do to be better prepared and build up that confidence slowly to improve your diving.
An important thing to remember is that diving stress can be of two types- physical and psychological. One can lead to the other and they can feed off each other. An uncomfortable BC with the wrong fit, carrying too much weight, cold waters making you shiver are all causes of physical stress. Whereas, low visibility, peer pressure, fear of the unknown, pressure to kit-up too quickly are all psychological stresses. Here’s a look at ways you can tackle to eliminate stress underwater-
Know your gear well: Your scuba gear underwater is your lifeline underwater. When you’re not comfortable with the gear you’re wearing and can’t trust it completely, its not possible to be stress-free underwater. Knowing your gear inside out is will give you confidence in it. So whether you are renting or you own your own scuba kit, take the time to really know everything about every piece of diving equipment you are using, ask your dive shop for help if you’re unfamiliar with a new different style or type of gear that you are used to. This will help you when you need to adjust anything underwater to do so without stressing that you don’t know how.
For eg: In your BC (Buoyancy Compensator), you should know where the inflate and deflate buttons are, where the oral inflate is situated, how many and where the dump valves are. If it’s a weight integrated BC, it’s crucial to know how the release the weights incase of an emergency, how many d-rings and clips are on the BC for hooking your other gear, so that ultimately when you’re in the water you’re not searching for anything or stressing out cos you can’t dump the air out of your BC fast enough.
Know your dive site and conditions: Always pay attention to the dive briefing you are given before a dive. The dive guide will always point out if there will be currents, the landscape, max depth and overall conditions of the dive. Ask questions about the site if you have any, which entry and exit methods that you’ll be using and any boat rules or guidelines if boat diving. This will help you be better prepared about the dive itself. And if you feel uncomfortable about the conditions prevailing at a particular site, it’s best not to do that dive rather than have a situation arise where all you can think of is ‘I didn’t want to do this!’ rather than calmly assessing and trying to resolve the issue.
Dive with a good dive buddy: Diving with a dive buddy whom you trust and share good communication which includes everything from understanding each others hand signals, to facial expressions, gestures and feelings through eye contact automatically builds up your own confidence and comfort on a dive. In an emergency it’s you should be able to rely on your dive buddy for help and if you know and trust him and his skills, it’ll put you at ease rather than having a buddy that puts you in a situation that is outside your comfort zone.Think twice about going on any dive trips with those who have tried to pressure you into dives you weren’t comfortable with, pushed decompression limit times or descend and ascend at speeds you consider risky, or someone who attempts maneuvers, dive in strong currents and unsafe conditions and other signs that go against a good dive buddy description. (Read: What Makes A Good Dive Buddy)
Know your marine life: You’d be surprised at how many divers actually freak out and stress when faced with certain marine creatures. If you actually read up your marine life and knew a little about them you’d see how silly this nervousness really is and more importantly you’d know what to definitely avoid touching., although you shouldn’t really touch anything in the first place. Two things are certain: firstly that almost all creatures described as man-eaters are nothing of the sort, and secondly nearly all aggressive behavior by animals is in self-defense.Many people are nervous around eels, despite them being one of the most timid creatures in the ocean. The same goes with sharks. Apart from a few species won’t even venture close to a diver and should not be feared. It’s a good idea to know what to do incase a shark gets too close or how to deal with them.
The best way to beat the stress in diving is to always make sure you dive within your own comfort zone. Only you really know its limits. Don’t attempt any thing your not ready for. Prepare well before a dive and dive safe!
Product featured above- The Genesis Complete Scuba Kit for Women from LeisurePro.com
*Photo credits: photos by Tom Weilenmann, Scuba_thib on flickr
