Perhaps one of the main aspects why so
many people choose to scuba dive is the fact that, besides being enjoyable,
it is one of the few sports which you can truly relax in a peaceful and
tranquil environment.
In scuba diving there is no need to hurry things up,
you are not in a race against time, far from that.
The trick in how to scuba
dive is to be one with the environment where your main aim is to relax while
at the same time being aware of what is going on around you.
Have you ever noticed or wondered why your
buddy surfaces with more air supply left in the tank than you. Or how you
buddy seems to thread through the water with far more ease. At the end of
the dive most probably your buddies seem to be more energized whilst you may
feel completely exhausted. I know as I have been there, most divers have
been at the same stage you are in. It just takes some practicing and by not
so long you too will have mastered the skills on how to scuba dive.
There are some simple scuba diving basics
which I will explain to you within this article and that you will need to
learn so that you may become a great diver. Once you have mastered these
scuba diving skills, the pleasures of scuba diving will be greatly enhanced
and much more rewarding.
So let us begin...
The most basic form of scuba diving skill
you will need to learn in how to scuba dive is to control your body movement underwater. For
a great dive, it is important that you know how to move without the risk of
becoming breathless or fatigued as these will onset other types of scuba
diving hazard which you would want to avoid when underwater. Let us see what
is happening each time you go in the water.
As you already know water is much denser
than air and as a result, resistance to movement underwater is greater.
Should you apply the same energy in moving your body underwater as you do on
land, you will soon find out that you will tire yourself out more rapidly
than if you were on land.
To overcome this increased resistance
during your dives, you will have to conserve your energy by moving at a slow
and steady pace. Take your time and learn how to pace yourself and take it
easy when scuba diving. Attempting to work harder or swim more rapidly will
only cause you to loose more precious energy. Try to avoid excessive
movements that will cause you to tire more quickly. On the other hand try to
streamline yourself so that you can effectively thread your way through the
water.
Try to keep your arms to your sides and
thread through the water with your fins. Contrary to what you may believe,
trying to thread underwater using arm movements, will actually reduce your
momentum underwater. So keep in mind to avoid any excessive arm movements.
Another point in improving your scuba
skills is to thread through the water in a horizontal position. Try
and avoid changing directions to quickly. Try and maintain the same depth
and direction bearing as that of your dive leader.
Maintaining your position underwater is
another important skill your will have to master. Buoyancy control is one of
the most important skills you will have to master as a scuba diver. You
should have learned the principle of buoyancy within the initial stages of
your diver’s course. It is important that during every scuba dive, you are
able to maintain your buoyancy at will.
Breathing underwater
Breathing underwater is an important step
in adapting to the underwater environment and in learning how to scuba dive. Since you must take air supply
with you when you venture below, you must learn the best way to breathe so
that you may conserve more air when diving. By understanding the basics on
how you breathe underwater, you can master the proper method of breathing
during scuba diving. Your goal to efficient breathing underwater is to
continuously breathe slowly and deeply. Never hold your breath when diving.
First lets us talk about what is really
happening each time you breathe underwater.
You have to understand that your body has
what is known as dead airspaces. This is the air passage between your lungs,
throat and your mouth. Each time you breath in and exhale, some air which is
rich in carbon dioxide is left in this air passage. This is something that
naturally exists within every one of us. Obviously because of the increasing
volume of air passages, regulators have the effect of increase the volume of
this dead air space. To compensate for this you will have to breathe in more
air into your lungs.
Should you breathe in shallow breathes,
you will be essentially re-breathing the air from your dead air passage. In
this case each breath you breathe will contain a relatively high amount of
carbon dioxide because you will be inhaling proportionally little or no
fresh air.
If on the other hand you were to breathe
deeply, you will inhale in much needed air. You will have a much greater
proportion of fresh air reaching your lungs on each breath.
So remember that when you are scuba diving
you should inhale more slowly and deeper than normal.
Fin technique
Your scuba fin technique also plays a major role is
improving your skills on how to scuba dive. Remember, the idea of diving is
not to overexert yourself. As we have seen, working your body harder
underwater will, at the end, only work out against you. Attempting to fin
rapidly won’t get you too fa, you will only waste up more precious energy.
When finning during your scuba dive, try to conserve your
energy by maintaining smooth fin stroke movements.
Maintain your legs in an extended position so that your fins are pointed
behind you. Slightly bend your knees and using your hip, kick slowly and
powerfully. Keep your arms against your
body to reduce drag and lengthen your fin stroke with a slow kick. The right
finning technique is for you to direct the power portion of the stroke
downwards and not upwards. Try to avoid using fin stroke movements generated
by the power from your knees, as this will only waste your energy.
Remember this tip during your fin technique:
Kick farther down and less upwards whilst arching your back upward to force
your legs downward.
Well that's about it...hopefully you will have found
this article on how to scuba dive useful in developing your scuba diving
skills.
