Diving can be challenging & exhilarating or a relaxing escape from everyday life. Whichever sort of diving you are looking for, have you tried these ways to make scuba diving easier? Stay shallow & stick within limits Obvious, but frequently overlooked. Deeper and more challenging diving comes with more risks and increased stress, particularly when done before the diver is ready. Limits of depth and … Continue reading Ways to make scuba diving easier
Could you be holding onto a block … a feeling of something distressing, challenging or outright traumatic that seems to pop out of nowhere? Maybe you know that it is linked to an accident or other problematic diving experience, or perhaps you have no idea why it happens, just that you feel stressed by a specific scuba skill or situation. These mental blocks can really … Continue reading Removing mental blocks to diving with a new approach
A rare guest post, thoughtfully provided by Yvonne Press, Dark Horizon Diving. Yvonne is a TDI Instructor Trainer and Technical Diving Instructor who offers bespoke technical diving and courses in North-East of Bali. Presently following the measures for Covid-19, in this post Yvonne passes the time with a little bit of philosophizing … I regularly get asked by non-tech divers or not-yet tech divers what … Continue reading Does self-isolation feel like a never-ending decompression stop?
If you are looking for a way to improve your scuba skills, consider learning effective techniques to mentally rehearse any skills. You can read our brief introduction on the PADI blog below. If you would like to learn this skill more deeply, and be aware of how to avoid the pitfalls, please check out our course. The course guides you through this accessible way to … Continue reading Improve scuba skills from your sofa
When we do something new, we often benefit from rehearsing the skills and getting familiar with the situation. To actually do this, we need to be in the real-life situation. In scuba diving that usually means underwater, with all of our kit and people to dive with. But we don’t have to be! We can also practice skills using mental rehearsal for scuba diving. What … Continue reading Mental Rehearsal for Scuba Diving
There are lots of things you can do to improve your scuba diving. Finding effective learning environments, diving to gain experience at your current level, dedicated practice, working with an instructor to develop skills and confidence …. all useful things to do. But isn’t it a bit odd that the focus is often on the outside, when so many of the problems we experience in … Continue reading Improve your scuba diving with skills no one can see.
Six areas you can change to help use less air when scuba diving Below are six areas that influence what you do, and your experience as a diver. Click on the area to read more about changes you can make to use less air when scuba diving. .. your thinking Thinking about air consumption on a dive? Don’t! It increases stress a little. Heart & breathing increase, so you use a little more air. Accept your air consumption for what it is; it WILL improve. … the situation Consider what can be changed. Dive sites that are shallower? Less affected by strong current? Or change your kit, proper weighting & trim can reduce how much air you use. … … Continue reading How can I use less air when scuba diving?
Your ability to flood and clear, or remove and replace your mask is an important part of being a scuba diver, and essential to be a calm, safe diver. However, these scuba mask skills are sometimes a bit of a challenge. In this article, explore some of the issues divers have with mask skills and how psychology can help you be okay with, and without, … Continue reading How can I get more comfortable with the scuba diving mask skills?
The aeroplane accelerated along the runway and as it lifted off I heard “we are going to die, we are all going to die!”. Nobody had said anything, everything was fine. The sudden appearance of this phrase in my head is what is known as an “intrusive thought”. The mind wants to protect us from danger and every so occasionally provides these unwanted and (largely … Continue reading What are psychological skills and how can they be useful in diving?
Like any extreme environment, being underwater has a profound effect on how we behave and think. Psychology is the study of the mind and behaviour, often described as both an art and a science, it provides insights into why we do what we do. But what can psychology do for scuba divers? “There is magic in human behaviour and there is an artistry to understanding … Continue reading What can psychology do for divers?
