Fish swim and act underwater like a fish. Therefore, humans who go on technical dives should never swim, act, and think like a human on land. Divers must realize that the water environment around them is completely different from being on land. When in the water they just can’t go up to the surface if a problem occurs. They must solve the problem underwater.
Foremost, a technical diver needs to be focused and attentive to the surroundings. Being underwater may be fun, but mostly it can be fraught with danger. Just remember that technical diving means going to really deep depths, and the depth alone is a danger.
Second, you need to breathe like a fish. Start with a long slow inhalation, a short pause, and then a long slow exhalation. Also, when a fish stops swimming it doesn’t sink, lie on the bottom, or grab something for support. Neither should a human technical diver. Buoyancy should be perfected when neutrally floating.
Third, when ascending to the surface, go up slowly and controlled. When deploying a marker buoy for the boat, don’t use it as a crutch, but simply as a guide. When moving through the water, remember to move like a fish. Streamline your movements by streamlining your gear, especially your technical dive computer. Conserve energy in your fin strokes. Use your movements to propel you where you need to go, whether forward, sideways, or backwards. Never use fins strokes for buoyancy. The name of the game for your movements is efficiency and duration. Again, act like a fish.
Lastly, like most fish, they don’t stay in shallow water for long. This means that if you are really serious to be a technical diver you need to really dive deep. This means learning better diving skills, learning better safety skills, and learning to use your dive computer flawlessly. Technical diving means mastering the skills of swimming like a fish.
Foremost, a technical diver needs to be focused and attentive to the surroundings. Being underwater may be fun, but mostly it can be fraught with danger. Just remember that technical diving means going to really deep depths, and the depth alone is a danger.
Second, you need to breathe like a fish. Start with a long slow inhalation, a short pause, and then a long slow exhalation. Also, when a fish stops swimming it doesn’t sink, lie on the bottom, or grab something for support. Neither should a human technical diver. Buoyancy should be perfected when neutrally floating.
Third, when ascending to the surface, go up slowly and controlled. When deploying a marker buoy for the boat, don’t use it as a crutch, but simply as a guide. When moving through the water, remember to move like a fish. Streamline your movements by streamlining your gear, especially your technical dive computer. Conserve energy in your fin strokes. Use your movements to propel you where you need to go, whether forward, sideways, or backwards. Never use fins strokes for buoyancy. The name of the game for your movements is efficiency and duration. Again, act like a fish.
Lastly, like most fish, they don’t stay in shallow water for long. This means that if you are really serious to be a technical diver you need to really dive deep. This means learning better diving skills, learning better safety skills, and learning to use your dive computer flawlessly. Technical diving means mastering the skills of swimming like a fish.