What preparations are needed for diving and what problems will you encounter when diving?

There must be many friends who want to learn to dive, but do you know? Learning to dive also requires homework. Where to sign up, what to prepare before learning, and the problems you will encounter when learning are all of concern to everyone. Diving organizations

The main recreational diving organizations are as follows: China Diving Association (CUA), World Diving Federation (CMAS), Professional Diving Instructors Association (PADI), International Association of Diving Instructors (NAUI), Alliance of Diving Schools International (ADS), Scuba Diving School International (SSI)

Technical diving include:

PSAI (International Professional Diving Association), GUE (Global Underwater)

Explorers), TDI (Technical Divers International), IANTD (International Association of Nitrox Diving and Technical Divers), ANDI (American Nitrox Divers International)

Free diving organizations:

AIDA(AssociationInternationalepourleDeveloppementdel'Apnee)

SSI also has free diving courses. What is scuba diving

Baidu tells us that scuba diving is also called SCUBADIVING (SCUBA-full Named "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing

Apparatus"), refers to diving activities carried out by divers carrying their own underwater breathing systems. There are open-circuit breathing systems and closed-circuit breathing systems. The principle is to use a regulator device to convert the compressed gas in the cylinder into a pressure that can be used by the human body for normal breathing.

To put it in human terms, it means changing from the usual habit of breathing through the nose and mouth at the same time to using only the mouth to breathe through the air cylinder.

It is not difficult to master this step, but there are some friends who find it difficult to switch over in this regard. I went to test a girl in the same class before. Maybe she couldn’t switch the channel at that time. Choking, the coach later asked her to hold her nose on the shore and take slow, deep breaths only through her mouth. Slowly her mouth adapted to the breathing rhythm, and then she let go of her nose to feel the feeling of breathing only through her mouth. It really worked.

So if you have the same problem when taking certification, you can refer to this method!

Scuba diving is generally divided into three categories:

Recreational Diving (Recreational Diving) ), technical diving (TechnicalDiving), industrial diving (CommercialDiving).

Recreational diving generally refers to recreational diving activities, usually with a depth of no more than 40m.

Technical diving generally refers to challenging diving activities, such as deep diving, cave diving, wreck diving, drift diving, etc.

Industrial diving generally refers to diving activities of an industrial nature, such as underwater engineering, shipbuilding industry, etc.

At present, the most popular and well-known recreational diving organization with the highest market share in the world is PADI. For general recreational diving needs, everyone will choose OW or OW AOW diving courses.

The difference between the two is: those who have taken the OW exam regret not taking the AOW exam together, and it is even better to take the Nitrox exam as well. Then 90% of the world’s diving spots are available to you!

Diver Level Chart

By the way, experience diving without a diving certificate has a depth limit of no more than 12 meters. The cost of two dives in a single day ranges from 300-800 yuan depending on the area.

Certified diving only costs 100-300 yuan, but you must follow the buddy system and cannot dive alone (some places require a diving guide to follow you, such as Semporna and many famous dive sites in the Philippines) dive site).

Recreational Scuba Diving Course Prerequisites: (Refer to PADI Standards)

If you have always wanted to take a scuba diving course, experience unparalleled adventure and see the world beneath the waves. It starts with the Open Water Diver course, the most popular and widely recognized scuba diving course in the world. Millions of people have learned to scuba dive and discovered the wonders of the aquatic world through this course.

To take the PADI Open Water Diver course (or Junior Open Water Diver course), you must be 10 years or older. You will need adequate swimming skills, be in good physical condition, and have no previous scuba diving experience.

Physical and mental health is a prerequisite. It is required to have no diseases such as otitis media, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cataracts, severe sinusitis or epilepsy, especially the heart and lungs, which are related to breathing underwater. The two most important organs are the two most important organs. Friends with the above-mentioned diseases are best to consult a professional doctor before deciding whether they are suitable for diving.

PS: Myopia and physical disabilities do not affect scuba diving. If you are nearsighted, you can wear contact lenses. Just buy daily disposable ones. Or get a myopia mask. Generally, people with myopia of about 200 degrees don’t need to use it. The refraction of light in the water will magnify and bring objects closer. How to choose an ideal certification site

Southeast Asia is an area with developed diving, and Koh Tao is one of the best. Diving teaching started here when it was a small fishing village more than 20 years ago, and now it is the world’s A popular resort for preparatory divers from all over the world. Because the waters of Koh Tao are relatively calm all year round and the underwater environment is very suitable for diving teaching, it has been developed into a large diving factory over the years.

Ko Tao itself is a very charming island. Most of the people who can stay and teach really love this place and the career of diving, regardless of the quality of the teaching and the overall atmosphere, or the fact that they come here. It is a good choice for vacation and leisure.

Of course, many friends may think that among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines or Malaysia are also good for certification, but when comparing the air ticket price to the cost of certification and local consumption levels, Koh Tao is also clearly dominant. I believe it is the best choice. Friends who have prepared before traveling have done this calculation just like me.

There are many good diving spots in the Philippines and Malaysia, but there is a chance of encountering currents. Friends who have encountered them can raise their hands to say this, because I have heard divers talk about it more than a few times.

For friends who cannot swim and are afraid of water, if they encounter even a slight current during the examination, they will be frightened and choked underwater and directly rush to the surface of the water with full BCD. Most coaches will do this. It’s 1 with 4. The water rises so fast that it’s difficult for the instructor to catch you. The consequence of rushing directly from the sea to a few dozen meters is that you are extremely susceptible to decompression sickness. If you are lucky, you may be fine if you get oxygen on the boat and then stop the subsequent diving course; if you are unlucky, it may cause damage to the skin, musculoskeletal, nervous system, circulatory/respiratory system, blood vessels, etc. Rescue must be followed up in time to determine the extent of physical damage. It varies from person to person. There are people who rush up and nothing happens, and there are also people who rush up and fail to get timely help but die.

If a similar situation occurs, no matter whether you feel unwell or not, you must carry out emergency rescue after boarding the ship.

So from the difficulty level of the certification to the overall comprehensive consideration, it is recommended that you first complete the certification in Koh Tao and then go to these places to find a diving guide to take you for fun

dive, or complete the certification First, sign up for some introductory liveaboard itineraries where you can eat, sleep, and drink bottles, such as Similan Manta

Queen’s liveaboard. The more you dive, the more experienced and better your skills will be, so you can go to Malaysia, the Philippines or Saipan to have a great time diving. Personally, I think this is the best arrangement. Preparation before the certification trip

Jellyfish suit:

Because the intensity of ultraviolet rays underwater will be amplified, both men and women must prepare a set of long-sleeved and long-trousers jellyfish suits, otherwise they will be afraid of sunburn. If you just learn to dive, just buy a set of more than 100, which can basically provide a certain degree of sun protection.

Sunscreen:

In order not to damage the marine ecology, do not wear ordinary sunscreen. It is best to buy professional marine sunscreen. I recommend a brand, Reefsafe from the United States, more than 100 A large bottle is not expensive and can be used for daily sun protection.

Mask and snorkel:

Generally, diving schools will provide it, but if you are a bit of a germaphobe and don’t like to use others’ used ones, you can buy a set and bring it with you for more than 100 yuan. The response to the research is sufficient. If you plan to dive for a long time after getting the certificate, you can buy a professional brand mask, which will cost about 500 yuan.

Diving socks:

You need to wear fins for diving. If you wear shoes by yourself, your feet will be easily scratched. It is best to buy a pair of inexpensive diving socks, or bring a pair of thick cotton socks to deal with this. For a moment, it still hurts after rubbing my feet underwater.

Headgear: For girls who are seriously afraid of tanning, wearing a headgear can provide physical sun protection for the face and neck. Secondly, it can wrap the hair to prevent it from floating around underwater and blocking the view. Finally, The important thing is that some headgear shapes are very cute and eye-catching when taking underwater photos! They will catch you at a glance! Pay attention to choosing the style with more white space around the eyes, so as to leave a space for the mask to fit the face. Avoid water intrusion.

There are many cute styles on the Internet for you to choose from. The pictures are from a certain treasure.

PS: Girls can also dive depending on their physical condition during menstruation. It is best if they usually have severe menstrual cramps. To avoid the menstrual period, like my friend who came to visit the aunt, she took her ob and went down without hesitation. I also convinced her

Also, you can’t bring your GoPro with you during the examination period. Oh, because you are in the process of learning, and you go to take photos underwater before you have mastered the underwater skills. You can't watch the photos. No responsible coach will allow you to take the GoPro with you during the certification test. If you want to record the certification process, you can book an underwater photographer with the diving school. Generally, larger diving schools have this service. Common complications in diving courses

1. Breathing and buoyancy:

Many friends who can swim will switch to mouth-only breathing after biting on the breathing tube. It is inevitable that there will be some discomfort at times, and most friends who are used to breaststroke have difficulty correcting their kicking posture. The correct kicking posture has an important impact on controlling buoyancy and speed underwater. Here are some exercises you can do before going, especially those who can’t swim and are afraid of water. If you practice according to my method first and get used to it, your fear of water will be reduced a lot when you get to the diving school. These are all personal tests. of experience.

Solution:

Practice breathing only through your mouth when you have nothing to do. At first if you can’t feel it, you can hold your nose and try it. Then slowly let go of your nose and do slow and deep breathing with your mouth. Breathing, this is very important, must be slow and deep breathing, otherwise it will be easy to hold your breath if the breathing frequency is wrong underwater. If you hold your breath, your lungs may suffer, but it is easy to master as long as you find the feeling and practice more.

It is recommended that you go to the swimming pool to practice floating before going. Put your hands on the shore, relax your body and take a slow and deep breath. Take a deep breath and your body will slowly float, and then the breath will become a long breath - —Exhale quickly and inhale quickly (a bit like the feeling of sobbing when crying), alternate long inhales according to the floating height of the body—exhale quickly and inhale quickly. Try it a few times and you will find that floating on the water is not difficult.

Exhale through your nose underwater and inhale through your mouth above the water. When you see this, practice it to find the feeling

2. Kick practice - for people who can't swim

Go to the swimming pool and place your hands on the shore. When your body floats after breathing, Try to straighten your legs as much as possible and alternately kick your legs up and down. Remember to use your thighs to drive your calves. When your legs are pressed down, your calves may bend slightly due to resistance. This is okay.

If you have bought your own mask and snorkel, take them to the swimming pool, bury your face in the water and use the snorkel to practice breathing and kicking. You can use the mask to Pay attention to your kicking posture and the height of your body due to buoyancy underwater. Only if you can see it can you know whether you have practiced well enough. Remember to keep your entire body as straight as possible and avoid putting your head on top and legs on the bottom. Otherwise, your body will be tilted and it will be difficult to control your buoyancy when you go into the sea.

As long as you master breathing and kicking, friends who can’t swim can quickly learn to swim after taking the test. Like me, you will learn to swim quickly from being afraid of water!

3. Putting on and taking off water equipment:

It should be noted that it may be easy for you to do it when practicing in the swimming pool, but when there are waves on the sea and the water surface is not so calm, if you are not strong enough, you may He would struggle for a long time on the sea surface to put on his equipment.

Solution: As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you practice this skill a few times in the swimming pool and you can easily master it, you can practice it a few more times and master the entire skill implementation process. No matter how old you are, you will never panic enough to forget every step.

4. Removal and retrieval of the breathing tube:

Remember that when removing the breathing tube, you must slowly exhale and blow bubbles from your mouth (this is to change the breathing head underwater) When practicing skills in the swimming pool, try to enjoy the feeling of blowing bubbles. There will be no difference if you follow the instructor's steps. After taking the mouthpiece back, quickly press the exhaust valve of the breathing head at the same time. Blow hard to drain out the excess water, then take a deep breath to adjust back to slow, deep breathing.

Then when you are caught by the camera in the water, you can take off your breathing head and make a face, but don’t get too excited and forget to blow bubbles, otherwise your body will protest against you.

Look at how I, who is afraid of water and can’t swim, learned how to become the only one who dared to remove the mouthpiece underwater during the certification process. If you feel that you have learned a solid lesson in the course and have tried it many times in the swimming pool, it will be no problem. You can try it in the sea

5. Putting on, taking off and draining the mask:

This step has many friends. It is easy for them to choke on water, which is mostly caused by nervousness. However, in fact, when the instructor demonstrates carefully, he carefully switches between nose and mouth breathing, and he can't choke on a sip of water. In fact, just close your eyes nervously, breathe normally through your mouth, and keep your nose as it is. When draining water, take a big breath through your mouth, open about a 5 cm gap in the mask with both hands, use your head from bottom to top with your nose to squirt out the water, put your hands back into the mask, and then repeat a few times to remove the mask. The water can basically be drained.

Keep in mind "when wearing and taking off the mask, breathe through your mouth, drain the mask and breathe out through your nose"

6. Balance ear pressure:

The pressure level of ear pressure underwater It varies from person to person. For example, I definitely suffer from tinnitus and ear pain when flying. I would like to recommend Sony’s Hearon2 anti-dryness headphones, which are the most cost-effective among similar products. They are effective in preventing dryness and treating tinnitus when flying, and they do not press against the ears.

When you go into the water, remember to gently relieve the pressure in your ears every few seconds, because when you are in the sea, you will go down to a few meters or ten meters without realizing it. Don’t forget to relieve your ears because you feel that you have no feeling in your ears. pressure.

Keep in mind "Don't forget to remove ear pressure when going into the sea. Release it gently and it will not hurt your ears."

There are two ways to remove ear pressure:

One is to pinch Puff your nose and mouth to let the air escape from your ears, don't use too much force; second, swallow the saliva in big mouths. Both methods are equally applicable to tinnitus on airplanes.

6. What should I do if I can’t swim?

Although diving has a fatal attraction, you’d better have certain swimming abilities (such as being able to kick) or have snorkeled before. The most important thing is not to be afraid of water!

I didn’t know how to swim and took the test. With the help and encouragement of the coach and my good mastery of skills, I didn’t even feel the jump down to 17-18 meters! I was also very excited when I was in the sea! I even dared to take off my mouthpiece and make faces at the camera while underwater. This has a lot to do with overcoming my psychological fear of water after studying and practicing before taking the exam, so I make more mental preparations for myself before going. If I have the chance, go to the swimming pool and practice according to my method. Besides, there is a coach to teach you. , don’t be afraid!

In fact, most people are afraid because they are unknown about the sea and have not received systematic training and learning. As long as you master the skills related to diving, it is not difficult to go deep into the underwater world.