Six Things: Reasons to Expand Your Dive Horizons

First of all I want to say thanks to all of my faithful blog readers who let me know that they missed my post last week!  That makes me feel so good!  Anyway, this week’s blog has to do with pushing your personal scuba envelope and to expand your expertise.

A customer stopped in the shop the other day and we chatted about dive gear, travel bags, equipment we considered essential for diving and other stuff.  As I talked about the upcoming summer schedule and the planned trips to Curacao and Utila, he told me that he always dives in Cozumel.  I asked him why that was and he told me that he was used to it, had found a dive operation that he liked, and always had a good time there, etc. Though these are valid reasons for returning to a dive destination, I reminded him that there are a lot of islands and dive spots out there and he should consider trying something new, but as he said good-bye and left I figured that he will probably never take that suggestion.  Since this conversation has bothered me for the last several weeks, here are my 6 reasons to expand your dive horizons.

#1: See how different dive operations conduct their dives.  

I did a lot of drift diving in Cozumel, Cancun and Grenada, to mention a few places, but each operation had a little different way of doing things.  How do you know that the first place you dove follows the best safety practices?  How do you know if there is an easier way to do one thing or another?  For example, I thought that every dive operation had divers drop off the boat, descend, and then drift along the reef while the boat captain watched the bubbles as they came to the surface.  Now, I always marveled at the ability of the boat to find the divers, but what happens if another group is diving by my group?  Whose bubbles should he follow?  When I went to Grenada, I saw a different way.  There, the divemaster towed a Dive Flag as a surface marker.  In addition, all divers were required to have their own surface marker buoy (SMB) in case they were separated from the group.   This left no doubt for the boat captain as to where the group was.  In addition, as divers became low on air and wanted to ascend, they could do their safety stop next to the dive flag, assuring that they would not be run over by the boat, or that they would surface and the boat would not know where they were.  The fact that each diver had his own SMB gave even more security in case the buddy team somehow was too far from the dive flag to ascend next to it.  

#2: Experience a new kind of diving.

Early in my diving career, I did not do much local diving.  I was intimidated by the low visibility and lacked proper exposure protection.  Today, I see that there is plenty to see in fresh water and regret that I did not do this sort of diving more often.  I also feel that the challenge of lower visibility has made me a better diver and dive leader.   In addition, when I am in an environment where the visibility is great, I am even more comfortable.  You may have tried some night diving or wreck diving in your Advanced Open Water course, but doing these types of dives in a new environment, can really expand your knowledge.   Don’t make these experiences a “one and done” sort of thing.  It take a few dives to really pick up on what it takes to be proficient in a particular type of dive.

#3: Meet new people

I often comment that I have met some of the most interesting people on dive trips, from the mine owner who sells wooly mammoth tusks that he finds when digging in new areas, to the inventor turned underwater photographer.  Not to mention the friends who actually live in our back yard that we first met on some Caribbean island 1500 miles home.  Picking other diver’s brains is a good way to decide where your next dive trip will take you!

#4: Compare different ecosystems

Not all lakes are the same, just as not all reef systems are the same.  In fact, it has been my experience that when coral heads are separated by sand, they often have different fish populations. In fact, it was quite funny on our trip to Cayman Brac to see that the grouper that was following us around one coral head was chased away by the grouper on the next.  I found Honduras to have the most colorful reefs, and Bonaire to have the greatest population of fish.  When we did our northern Wisconsin dives last summer, I found it particularly interesting to see that some lakes had, for example abundant snails, while another had none.  One would have a huge bass population, while the next would have mostly bluegills.

#5: Take in the land sights.

When I am visiting another country, I try my best to have a local take me around to show me what they consider to be the best sites of their town/country.  Both educational and enriching, hearing the political opinion of a local can bring a whole new perspective to my world view.  Keep an eye out for indigenous birds and other wildlife. If the island you are visiting is small, don’t be afraid to rent a vehicle and explore on your own.  It helps, of course to read up on the spot ahead of time and plan your excursion so you can hit at least the high points of the destination.  

#6: Experience the cuisine.

When you take your land excursion, be sure to ask for suggestions as to where to sample some of the local dishes.  One highlight of a trip to Barbados was enjoying an el fresco meal of flying fish and rice and beans, the signature dish of the island.  Each island has its own favorite spices and flavorings that often put an unexpected twist on a familiar food item.

I truly believe that if divers get stuck in the rut of only diving in the familiar spots, they never truly develop as a diver, never pushing their personal envelopes.  They may have many dives logged, but they never challenged themselves to apply their diving knowledge in a new way to a new situation. It is like a person from Europe who vacations in New York year after year and professes to know all about the US.  The knowledge he has is superficial at best.  To be a well-rounded diver, one must get out into the world and dive and experience this wonderful planet!