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7 Secrets to Better Diving
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If you
want to dive better and safer on your next trip,
it's time to shake things up a little. Tomorrow
morning you can be a more confident, more relaxed
diver. You can stretch your tank longer, maximize
your bottom time and feel sharp, alert and full of
energy for the whole day. Tomorrow you can cruise up
and down the water column as easily as a fish and
forget about getting lost: you'll always know where
you are and how to find the boat again.
In your dreams? No, it's real, if you follow these
seven rules.
RULE #1: Dive Solo
Well,
dive as if you were solo. We don't mean you should
abandon your buddy mid-dive. By all means stay close
to your buddy and be ready to help him. But, as far
as your own safety is concerned, pretend he's not
there--or won't be when you need him, which is often
the case.
In any emergency, your closest and most dependable
rescuer is you, so become a self-reliant, as-if-solo
diver. It may require some different equipment. You
may want your own completely redundant air source,
like a pony bottle, instead of relying on your
buddy's octopus. You may want several cutting tools
instead of just one, mounted so you can reach at
least one with either hand.
But more important than gear is anticipating what
could go wrong and rehearsing how you would deal
with it alone. If the wheels come off your dive
plan, you'll start thinking through and acting on
your problem immediately instead of wasting time
looking for someone else to rescue you.
By thinking solo, you'll plan smarter, too. Ask
yourself, "Would I do this low-vis, high-current
dive solo?" If not, maybe you shouldn't do it at
all. |
