Browsing Tag leisure dives
2 ways you’re wearing your wetsuit wrongly
How do you put on your wetsuit?
This might seem to be a simple enough thing to answer, and you might be wondering, “doesn’t everyone know this already?”
However, you’d be surprised how often I see people having trouble wearing their wetsuit.
Either punching themselves in the face or turning red from the exertion of getting their wetsuit on.
In fact, there’s a common saying that wearing your wetsuit is the most tiring part of going diving!
Let me try to dispel this myth by giving you a method of wearing a wetsuit that I’ve found to be super easy and useful.
I’ve always found that people miss one very vital and critical step in putting on their wetsuit.
Sure, there’s a lot of pulling still, but immediately after the pull, most of the time the lower part of wetsuit is resting on top of the upper part of your wetsuit, which is exactly the part that you’re going to be pulling up next.
This makes it that much harder to pull up the second part of the wetsuit because the lower portion is pressing down on it and making it tighter.
Once you realise this, then the cool trick is to fold down the wetsuit immediately after you’ve pulled it up.
This brings the upper part of the wetsuit OVER the lower portion, and when you do pull this section up, it’s going to just slide over itself, making it really really easy to pull it up.
Rinse and repeat these steps and soon you’ll have your wetsuit nice and snug!
Have a look at this video to get the full idea.
And by the way, this works for wetsuit legs too.
Try it out and see if you start to like wearing your wetsuit again!
I’d love to hear how you get on with this, so please let me know if it works for you in the comments.
Bonus tip no 2
Another major thing that I see people getting wrong is they pull up the wetsuit too far from the fold.
In order to make it easier, always pull the part of the wetsuit that’s just higher than where it stopped.
Just watch the video above to get an idea of where to hold and pull on the wetsuit.
If you pull too far from the fold, then you’re just stretching the wetsuit material and not putting it on.
Always work from the ends (your wrists and your ankles), get this in place first and pull towards the body.
It only takes a few pulls with this process to get the wetsuit on, it’s definitely a much easier process!
How can I communicate effectively underwater?
There are 5 main ways that divers communicate underwater.
What are they and how can we use them most effectively?
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Light
A handheld torch which you can signal and get attention with.
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Hand signals
Divers all know basic hand signals from when we learned open water.
Sign language for divers.
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Touch
Touch contact is also a way that we can communicate.
Holding on to another person’s arm or hand, or tapping them on the shoulder are both effective ways of touch communication.
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Sound
Tapping on your tank, or making a sound with your hands is another common way of getting attention.
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Writing
Writing on a slate or wet notes, provided you have these kinds of equipment with you, is also a very effective and unambiguous way of communicating.
Breaking it down
Now, each of these methods has it’s pros and cons. Let’s explore them all.
- 3 of the above methods are visual in nature (light, hand signals, and writing)
- 3 of them require close proximity (hand signals, touch, and writing)
- 2 of them allow communication over a distance (light and sound)
- And only 1 is unambiguous (writing)
Attention seeking divers
One of the most common communication types required is getting another diver’s attention.
After which you can continue to elaborate with other forms of more unambiguous types of communication.
Over a distance, only light and sound work for this purpose.
However, sound is non-directional, whereas light is highly directional.
For me, I think a torch should always be available as a communication tool, for this exact reason.
Sound travels well, but unless you are already in visual range, it’s not going to work so well.
I’m sure you’ve had the experience of being in the water when someone is banging their tank, and you have no idea where it’s coming from.
In bad visibility, sound communication is definitely not as effective as a light.
Awareness, always awareness
However, if a team is diving well, with good diving etiquette, maintaining good relative positions and line of sight, then a good dose of awareness is all you need to get someone’s attention.
A good habit I always teach my students regardless of certification is to constantly look around at the other divers in the group.
When driving a car, you should be checking your mirrors every 20 secs.
Similarly, you should be doing the same thing while diving.
If we can all adopt this habit, then I won’t need to worry about getting someone else’s attention.
I’d only need to keep staring at that person, and I know that in 20 secs or so, she will look right over at me!
Now, how much more comfortable would that dive be?
Knowing that you can count on your teammates looking out for you every minute!
The 5 main trends in decompression
Decompression theory has a reputation of being complicated and hard to learn.
In my experience, it doesn’t have to be!
We can reduce the complexity if we just keep in mind these 5 main trends of decompression theory.
*Note: this article isn’t meant to be a thorough understanding of decompression theory. The main goal is to simplify decompression theory in layman’s terms.
Trend 1 – The deeper you go, the more nitrogen you take up because of the higher pressure of the gas you breathe.
Whenever you scuba dive, you are breathing gas at ambient pressure.
This means that you are breathing more molecules of nitrogen for every breath that you take when deeper than sea level.
The deeper you go, the more molecules of gas you take in, even though the volume of gas in each breath doesn’t change.
This extra nitrogen is absorbed into your body and eventually, will need to be released when you ascend to the surface.
Trend 2 – The longer you stay, the more nitrogen will get absorbed into your tissues.
If you spend longer in the water at depth, then the more breaths you will take and more nitrogen will be absorbed into the body.
Trend 3 – If the gas you use has a lower nitrogen content, then there will be less nitrogen available to be absorbed into your tissues.
Let’s compare two gases, one with a lower nitrogen fraction than the other.
Which gas will cause more nitrogen absorption into the body given that all else is the same (number of breaths taken, depth and duration of dive)?
I think the answer would be fairly obvious.
This basic idea is the reason why Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) gas mixes exist.
A commonly available EAN mix is 32% oxygen and 68% nitrogen.
This provides an 11% reduction in nitrogen content as compared to normal air.
Choosing an Enriched Air Nitrox mix is always a good idea for reducing your decompression obligation.
Trend 4 – The slower you ascend, the more excess nitrogen will leave your body.
A less commonly known trend would be how fast you surface from each dive.
By ascending slower, you’re allowing time for the nitrogen in your tissues to leave your body.
A faster ascent rate also causes any gas bubbles in your body to expand.
It will also cause the release of excess nitrogen as bubbles instead of being transferred back to the lungs for exhalation.
By slowing down our ascent rate, we can control the size of these bubbles and at the same time allow nitrogen to work its way out of our tissues.
Trend 5 – The longer the surface interval, the less nitrogen you will have before your next dive.
Once on the surface immediately after a dive, there will always be some excess nitrogen in your tissues. This is the concept of residual nitrogen.
The more residual nitrogen you have in your system, the more conservative you should be on your subsequent dive.
Thus, the longer you stay on the surface before your next dive, the more time the excess nitrogen has to leave your body.
The less nitrogen in your system, the better it is for your decompression obligation on your next dive.
Putting it all together
So what does this mean for divers?
How can we navigate the complexities of decompression while staying safe?
The 5 main trends in decompression
General rules
Once you understand these trends, then how do we put everything together?
I consider these 5 trends as adjustable variables in my overall decompression obligation.
I can tweak or adjust one or more while leaving the others in place, allowing me to ‘adjust’ my decompression obligation based on the dives I’m planning to do.
Planning a day of diving
Keep the number of dives per day to 3 (roughly 9 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, with a break for lunch).
You can add on a dawn dive and a night dive as these would extend the beginning and end of your diving day.
Let’s look at how this relates to a decompression table.
Let’s look at a PADI RDP table and trace a line that follows a surface interval of 1 hour and 2 hours.
The PADI RDP table showing a 1 hour and 2 hour surface interval line
We can notice that we end up with a pressure group of J and C respectively if we have a starting pressure group of Z.
With a more realistic pressure group of between G and M, you would end up with a pressure group between A to E after a 1 or 2-hour surface interval respectively.
With a 2-hour surface interval between each dive, 3-day dives are all that you have time for anyway.
What about if you happen to miss a safety stop?
If you do happen to miss a safety stop, then change up one of the other parameters on your next dive.
You could do a longer surface interval, do a slower ascent, stay shallower, or dive for a shorter time.
You can still change the depth and length of your dive if you are on a fixed dive schedule.
Always ascend slowly
For ascents, I would always take my time to ascend, limited by the gas that you have remaining.
However, I only do this after I’m shallower than 6m. Any deeper than that and you would still be taking on nitrogen into your system.
If there’s a nice shallow reef with things to look at while you are at your safety stop, and you also have plenty of gas left, then why not stay and enjoy the view?
Personally, I would ascend slowly (9 m per min) to half of my depth, then move at 3 m per min up to 6m.
Once at 6m, provided the team has gas, I’d take my time and enjoy the sights until everyone’s computers have cleared or we get bored!
We’ve been known to hang around at 6 m for 15 to 20 mins!
And always dive Nitrox!
As for gas choice, if you ask me, there’s no reason to dive air if there’s nitrox available.
If I can reduce my decompression obligation just by changing the gas I dive with, it’s a no-brainer.
There’s so much benefit in diving nitrox, and these days it doesn’t cost much either.
There you have it!
Some simple and easy to remember rules for planning a day of diving while keeping yourself safe.
Now, get out there and know your decompression obligation!
Why does my finger get cut on bolt snaps?
Almost everyone who’s had any experience doing a course where drills and bolt snaps are involved ends up with fingers and thumbs cut up like in the photo above.
Why does this happen, and how can we prevent it?
Rushing is never a good thing
Bolt snaps, while great for attaching to dive gear, is terrible on fingers when used incorrectly.
The skin on our fingers gets softer when diving for a while.
This delicate skin is easily scratched and torn when rubbed on a sharp surface.
A badly torn up thumb from using a bolt snap incorrectly.
Be careful where you put those fingers!
Gloves aren’t really the answer, as always, I’m more in favor of dealing with the cause of the problem, rather than fixing a symptom.
The proper method for managing bolt snaps then is to place the side of your finger on the trigger, and not press your flesh into the sharp edges of the slot.
The proper way to hold a bolt snap open.
The sharp bit of a bolt snap is the slot that holds the spring of the trigger, not the trigger itself.
By placing your finger further out, you’ll reduce the risk of the two sharp edges slicing your skin.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
Get a good finger position on the trigger, then position the gate next to the D-ring before applying pressure. The bolt snap should slip right into the D-ring at this point.
Too often, I see divers trying to ‘catch’ the D-ring with the gate while holding it open.
Or they would apply too much pressure on the trigger because they are stressed out and trying to get the drill done quickly.
As with anything in life, rushing is never a good thing.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast!
What should I focus on now that I’m certified as a diver?
Congratulations on being a diver and joining the club as an adventurer!
After getting certified as an Open Water diver, the choice of courses, trips, and equipment seems endless.
What’s the next adventure you should embark on? And what should you spend on to maximize your enjoyment?
More diving?
Getting more diving done is always a good choice.
Your enthusiasm for diving is still running high, and there are so many places to go and things to see.
There are a lot of different types of diving out there, like strong drift dives, altitude diving, muck diving, liveaboard diving, underwater photography, etc.
Divers preparing for a boat dive
Gaining experience in all of these different diving environments is necessary to make a well-rounded diver.
However, with heavy travel expenses, and expensive resorts and boats, perhaps being more equipped would help with your overall experience?
More equipment?
What about buying new dive equipment for your next adventure? Would that be a wise way to spend your resources?
I think personal dive equipment is important when the fit is a primary concern like wetsuits, booties, and masks.
These can be purchased early on, as long as you find something that is suitable for where you plan to dive.
These items are not very expensive, and with a good fit, they will ensure you remain comfortable on your trip.
However, with bigger items where the function is more important, like BCDs, regs, and fins, buyers should really understand how they dive before taking the plunge and spending.
Different brands and models are designed for specific purposes and dive techniques.
If you’re not informed, it’s easy to make a bad purchase on equipment that will either not grow and scale with your diving, or will not last long with regular use.
The second-hand market for dive gear is huge, and most of the time, people are selling old gear to upgrade to better gear that will better serve how they dive.
In the interest of not creating any more waste than we need to, I believe that being better informed about dive gear will allow divers to make a purchase once with good gear that will last you your entire diving life.
More courses?
What about spending on taking more courses and increasing your dive knowledge?
Certain courses will teach you to be more comfortable in the water, and increase your dive skills.
I believe strongly that improving this has a positive effect on all your future dives.
Once you are truly comfortable and can manage your position in the water well, then all dives you do will be more enjoyable dives.
Less fear, less confusion about what to do, and ultimately, more enjoyment!
I firmly believe that getting to this point in your diving is the first thing you should invest in, as this has the biggest benefits to your diving.
Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.
– Anthony J. D’Angelo
I do think that gaining more knowledge through courses and experiences make one a better diver.
It also provides a path to understanding yourself and dive gear better too, leading to better and more informed choices about the kinds of gear that you want.
Make an investment in yourself today!
When should I use a reef hook?
Umm, how about never?
Reef hooks… Such a pet peeve of mine…
It’s hard to agree with the general idea of reef hooks in the first place if you are concerned about the health of a reef, but some people swear by it!
How strong the current is, is the wrong question
Any sign of a strong current and divers start to bring out their reef hooks. Sigh…
I think that’s the wrong question though, not all current is strong enough that you need to hook onto a reef.
Where are you going, is the correct question
It’s more important to have an idea of why you are staying in place and not drifting with the current.
Some sites, like shark watching or manta cleaning stations, require you to stay in one position while you’re watching the show, so that you don’t drift forward and interrupt the animals.
However, I think that’s putting a band-aid on the symptom and not solving the real problem of why people can’t hold their position in the water.
Is it any wonder that Makassar Reef in Komodo (mantas) and Monad Shoal near Malapascua (thresher sharks) are full of coral rubble, and there’s barely a reef left?
Kick you must, or drift you shall
In places like these, I’ve found that the current is never strong enough that you can’t really kick against it.
If the current was really that strong, the animals wouldn’t be able to stop and hover at the cleaning stations either.
Learning to kick efficiently and maintaining a streamlined trim position is the correct solution.
Rather than relying on tools like reef hooks and pointers to hold your position.
Patience you must have, my young padawan
As divers, we should be patient when at these cleaning stations.
Observe what we came to observe, and leave when the time is right.
After all, how long do you really need to see a manta be cleaned?
Be like the water, and flow
In certain cases, sure, the current can be stronger than you can handle.
In those situations, I would recommend just putting a finger down on a rock or the sand.
It’s much less intrusive and damaging than a piece of metal that doesn’t have any feelings.
You’ve no idea how many times I’ve seen a reef hook dragging through a reef like a plow through wet mud.
I’ve even seen a metal pointer get broken in half because it was stabbed hard on a rock.
I shudder to think how many other corals died along the way.
Once it’s time to go, then be like the water, and flow.
Drift on, my friend…
Should I set up my own gear or trust the resort to do it for me?
Sadly, the current state of the South East Asian dive industry has devolved into operators who pander to their divers every need. Setting up equipment before the dives, changing tanks between dives, and even putting on fins for their customers.
Some divers have come to expect this level of ‘service’ and being spoilt with this lazy way of diving, have forgotten completely how to set their gear up themselves.
I am personally against this, and will not allow it in the operations that we have. It’s not that we can’t do it, but a matter of principle.
Who’s really responsible for your safety?
If divers can’t take personal responsibility for their own safety, then who is really at fault when an incident occurs?
The scuba equipment that we use is critical to keeping us alive underwater. If we don’t even understand how it works, then if and when something does happen underwater, does that diver know how to react and how to deal with that situation?
Should we be faulting the operations at which these incidents occur?
Or should we be faulting their Open Water instructors for not training these divers well?
Or is it the diver, who gets complacent and fails to check their equipment prior to getting in the water?
The practice of signing liability forms and waiver forms before any dive doesn’t negate the responsibility that operators have in keeping divers safe.
However, when we continue to produce divers who can’t even remember how to set up their gear, who is really at fault?
Blame, blame, everywhere blame
This is a chicken and egg situation, and I’m afraid passing the blame from one party to another is not going to change anything.
Ultimately, individual divers should and must have responsibility for their own safety.
Dive operators are there to provide the logistics for diving, and to provide a safety briefing of the common local conditions found at that location.
Divers should take primary responsibility for their own safety, and not rely entirely on a dive guide or Divemaster.
If a dive is risky, or uncertain, divers should not be afraid to speak up and ask questions, rather than just trust that everything is under control and follow blindly.
It’s not just about setting up equipment, is it?
I know this question is about equipment setup, and maybe some people will think that it’s not a big deal, but to be honest, I think it’s not just about equipment setup. This leads to other skills and knowledge that most divers take for granted.
Personally, I do think that this is symptomatic of a larger problem in the diving industry.
As individual divers, always look to get better training, even if you think you already have the relevant certification, as no two dives are ever the same.
We never know what Mother Nature is ready to serve up to us, so all we can do is to be as prepared as we can be.
Is sidemount diving relevant to open water dives?
Sidemount diving is slowly becoming more common and gaining some popularity.
More and more divers are seen diving sidemount in open water environments.
However, is this just a fad and is it relevant to the diving that we normally do?
Where did it come from?
Sidemount diving, which started with exploratory cave diving, was created so that cave explorers could access tighter and more restrictive holes, allowing exploration further into cave systems.
The benefits of sidemount include the freedom of not having large double tanks on your back, the feeling of being free and less weight to cause backaches, easier logistics from carrying smaller tanks to boats instead of larger doubles, etc.
However, do these benefits apply when diving in the open ocean? IMHO, not so much.
Sidemount from shore
In ocean diving, you would traditionally either dive off a boat or from shore.
Shore dives do see a small benefit from sidemount. Mostly from when you have to transport tanks to the waters’ edge, which may not necessarily be a comfortable beach entry.
There could be large waves or rocks that make carrying a large set of doubles tricky if not dangerous to the diver.
In this situation, yes, you would see some benefit from ferrying the tanks to the water in multiple trips, but this would still mean having to make several trips up and down the beach.
Me personally, I’d rather fight the waves once and get into the water quickly, rather than have to struggle multiple times.
Sidemount from a boat
What about diving from a boat?
There’s no requirement to move tanks around, but most divers will have to put on their tanks in the water next to the boat to prevent having to stand with tanks bouncing on your sides while the boat rocks in the waves.
Of course, it’s possible to put on the sidemount tanks on the boat and backroll with them between your legs. But anyone who has ever had a stage tank bash your head on impact with the water would think twice about this.
What happens if there’s some current on the surface?
This would make the process of clipping off the tanks one by one very troublesome while needing to hold on to the boat as well. In choppy seas, this is not an option I would even consider.
Carrying doubles on your back is a much easier option, as you would be way more stable with the weight on your back.
The water entry will be much easier too because you are free to move away from the boat once in the water.
What about during the dives?
Does the sidemount configuration provide any benefits while you’re diving? Well, there is a sense of freedom and increased maneuverability from not having a large mass on your back.
However, you do have to remember to keep the tanks streamlined by checking periodically that they are clipped on the appropriate D-rings as the tanks get lighter.
Plus, you also have to balance the tank usage by breathing from different tanks every once in a while.
This added task load is unavoidable in sidemount, and an additional task when compared with diving doubles.
I haven’t found a restriction in open water yet
In conclusion, there are some benefits to diving sidemount, but sadly, most of them don’t really apply to diving in the open water environment.
I would say that the configuration is an important one to practice with and get good at before attempting to dive a cave system, so practicing in open water makes sense.
However, I personally don’t think diving sidemount as a default configuration in open water really provides enough benefits to outweigh the added complications.
Do GUE people only dive with other GUE people?
A lot of GUE divers, upon getting certified, will want to plan a trip with other GUE divers and go diving. Whilst diving more is always a good thing, what happens when GUE divers only want to dive with other GUE divers?
The Natural Attrition rate of GUE Divers
For me, this situation is not unsurprising. Who wouldn’t want to dive with a team that has the same training, protocols and thinking as you? Why wouldn’t you want to dive with someone whom you know has your back, and can keep you safe? This is in contrast to the ‘instabuddy’, who first meets you on the boat before the dive. You have no idea the level or experience that this person has, and no way of knowing what he’s like underwater. Generally, this doesn’t inspire confidence…
If we all think that way, then what next?
However, I don’t think this is good for the industry and for GUE in general. Firstly, there’s an impression that GUE divers are elitist, making them seem unfriendly and uptight when it comes to dive parameters. Keeping to oneself and not interacting with other divers definitely doesn’t help that impression, but this sticks even though some GUE divers are well meaning and not elitist by nature.
I say help if you can!
Secondly, I feel that as more skilled divers, we have a moral obligation to help and assist others. After all, can we stand by while the environment and other divers get injured and do nothing to teach and educate them about a better way of doing things?
Most diving incidents and environmental damage are entirely preventable, through better training and an increased awareness. By seeing GUE divers lead by example, my hope is that this thinking slowly permeates through the industry, regardless of agency or affiliation. Our greatest obligation is ultimately to the environment that we’ve all grown to love as divers.
So get out there and let other divers have the benefit of your presence in the water! Let them have a safer dive, just by being there. Wouldn’t you want to do this for all your friends who dive?
Let’s lead by example!
What tools do I need for a dive trip?
It’s always good to have a small set of tools when you dive. Better yet, have them on hand in the boat! You never know when you might need to repair something just before a dive.
Here are items that are useful to have, but of course, not all are always necessary. I’ve listed them in terms of two levels of preparedness: An essential set of tools, and a hardcore-fix-almost-anything set of tools that would serve you well if you wanted to dive at the end of the world with zero logistical support.
The Essential 14
- Adjustable spanner, one small and one medium sized – For regulator hoses and SPG removal
- Screwdriver, one Philips screw head and one flat-blade – For canister lights, hose clamps, etc.
- Cable tie, 5 to 10 pieces – For miscellaneous attachments.
- Nylon line, 1 to 2m long – For tying bolt snaps and other miscellaneous attachments.
- Lighter – For burning ends of nylon line.
- Bungee, 1 to 2m long – For replacing necklaces and other attachments.
- Scissors or cutter – For miscellaneous cutting.
- Duct tape, 1 roll – Never leave home without this! Duct tape is useful for Nitrox labelling, holding stuff in place, and other general uses.
- Allen key set containing multiple sizes of keys – For port plugs on first stages.
- Scuba Multi-tool – Some multi-function scuba tools combine a few of these tools in one small, compact package, and these normally come with screwdriver heads, various Hex key sizes, and an O-ring pick.
- O-ring pick – For removing O-rings. (Note: A small one should be sufficient.)
- Spare O-rings – For port plugs, regulator hoses, and SPG spindles.
- Grease – For lubricating parts like the O-rings (Tip: Instead of bringing out a large tube of grease, a simple solution would be squeezing some grease into a small ziptop bag. It’s also convenient to use – just pop the O-ring in the bag, seal and slide it around with your fingers. Voila, the O-ring is greased!)
- Spare mouthpiece – In case you get so excited that you accidentally bite through the mouthpiece on your regulator.
And here comes the list for total preparedness at extreme dive locations where you’d want to have everything on hand, except the kitchen sink!
Fix-it-all
- Tank knob tool – Larger dive operations like dive shops and liveaboard boats should have this tool, but it’s good to have your own as you never know when or where you’ll be when a tank knob gets stuck!
- DIN or Yoke adapter – For times when the boat operator doesn’t have the type of tank valves that you need for your first stage.
- Spare inflator assembly – Good to have replacements on hand as inflators are fickle; the button spring is a salt sink that gets sticky from just missing a single wash.
- Spare double enders and bolt snaps – Infinitely useful, these little things make carrying equipment underwater very manageable.
- Small metal parts like washers, wing nuts, LP and HP port plugs – These are useful if something breaks and you need to plug a first stage. Small washers and spare wing nuts for your backplate system are also useful. Place these in a small ziptop bag to keep them safe and secure.
- Seasick pills and Charcoal tablets – These are typically classified under medication, but these meds are needed so often, there’s no harm stashing them in your tool kit AND first aid kit.
Storage
Keep these tools in a small-sized waterproof box that you can stow in your dry bag. Avoid leaving them around, especially wet surfaces, as tools tend to get rusty real quick around seawater! To absorb moisture trapped within the box, place a small silica gel bag or unused cat litter (inside a tiny sock) inside.