When I first started scuba diving in 2021, I remember grappling with two ideas: Fear and Discovery. Fear of the ever-present notion… if you don’t do this, here are all the ways in which you can die; counter-balanced by the discovery of learning thrilling new skills.
The Basic Skills Became Second Nature.
Faced with the seemingly overwhelming amount of material, slowly but surely, I relaxed into the knowledge that through repetition and reinforcement, the basic skills would become ingrained. First, BC over cylinder. ONLY then, screw in regulator. Connect the inflator hose, check air pressure, take three deep breaths, check for leaks, etc.
Once these basics became a foundation, I realized that I could take in more complex information–like layers of tiramisu. Our first layer is made up of the foundational basics. Recipe follows: step 1 – understand clearly how your equipment works; step 2 – take a deep breath and relax; step 3 – start to slowly trust yourself and your knowledge; step 4 – trust your dive guide and instructor. After all, it’s their job to ensure and reinforce your safety, knowledge, and experience for an enjoyable dive. Layers two, three, four, and five are also important: buoyancy control, is my buddy safe, what direction is the current flowing, are there any aggressive sea turtles to watch out for…all still important, but lower on the priority list to being absolutely certain that your air is on. Remember, you must assist yourself before the passenger beside you.
How They Earned My Trust.
During those initial Open Water Diver classes, I placed a large amount of trust in the dive professionals to tell me what I needed. Not only were new divers like me comprehending the classroom materials, safety standards, scientific equations, and basic scuba skills—we were also suddenly looking at the need to select the proper life-supporting equipment without the test of time or experience.
For example, the advice I was given was to purchase my regulator first, closely followed by my dive computer. Why? Because your regulator is your life support and owning my own meant I could closely monitor its maintenance and trust it with my life.
Our Close Call.
This became even more clear to me in Maui right after a night dive. My closest friend, and extremely newbie dive buddy, experienced a free-flowing regulator. We had visited this site multiple times during the day; I took photos while my friend received her certification. We were told that this site experienced a stronger current at night, and that at the end of the dive, just before reaching the beach, we would need to kick a little harder.
Despite being given such information, we were wholly unprepared for the reality of a potentially dangerous combination of several factors: my buddy’s regulator started free flowing, our guide was far out in front of us and didn’t realize we were in distress, we fought an intense current, both of us low on air, and the knowledge that we would be unable to surface without being thrown into the rocks of the cliff ledge next to the beach.
“If I Stop Kicking, I Could Die.”
To this day, this dive is still the most spectacular night dive I’ve experienced, but it’s also one of three dives where I’ve had the thought cross my mind like a banner “if I stop kicking, I could die” while simultaneously fearing for the safety of my buddy on her first night dive.
Thankfully, my friend is a badass who took the experience in stride, and though we surfaced a little shaken and unnerved, it hasn’t dissuaded her from diving again.
As for me, the importance of equipment maintenance and the adaptability of safety from training was that much further drilled home. Here, we have the top layer of our information tiramisu: trust in knowledge, the constant vigilant practice of safety standards, and fortifying our training with experience.
About The Author.
Carly Anderson is an underwater photographer, scuba diver, adventurer, writer, and world traveler from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who is obsessed with adding new destinations to her worldwide bucket list.
Follow her at @globalcolorpop on Instagram.