As an instructor who teaches underwater navigational skills and someone who reads more than his fair share of scuba industry related publications (and websites, and message boards, etc.) I’m always a little surprised that I rarely see mentioned what I consider to be one of the more useful tricks of the trade so I thought I would share it here.

First off, let me start off by admitting that I’ve gotten lost before. In fact, when I first started diving it used to drive me crazy when I surfaced where I thought the boat was and I was waaaaaaaaaay wrong. Partly because I consider myself to be a tad of a land navigation expert. When I served in the Army part of my job was to evacuate injured troops with my only way of finding them being a set of grid coordinates, a map, and a compass. I’ve even set up and helped judge night land navigation competitions so this underwater thing should be no problem, right?

Well, that’s what I thought. See, on land you have a couple of things working in your favor:

1. Visibility

2. The ability to travel in straight lines.

Underwater visibility can make navigation tricky. You probably have better visibility on a well lit evening than you do in 30 foot viz on a mediocre diving day.

And this is the key to the tip I promised; underwater it’s difficult to travel in straight lines. Sure, you can travel along a compass bearing but you’re only on track for as long as you’re staring at your compass. Since most of us dive to enjoy the scenery there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to take our eyes off the compass now and again during the dive with anything from surge to current to just plain mentally zoning making you swimming off course until you check your compass again.

So let’s say you do a simple out and back pattern. You swim out for some predetermined amount of time or air supply and then you double back on the reciprical compass heading. If you’re off on your compass bearings 30% of the time (which is being pretty liberal) you’re 30% off on the way out and 30% off on the way back. Depending on the conditions that put you off course that could mean the difference between surfacing right under the boat and being a couple of hundred yards from it.

So how do you keep on track? Well, in the Army you shot a compass bearing and then you picked out a land feature that was dead on your compass bearing and when you got to that land feature you took another compass heading and lined up another land feature.

The same can be done underwater. Instead of following your compass the entire dive just shoot a heading and then look for something very specific on that heading. It could be a rock, the opening in a kelp bed, or anything else that isn’t likely to move between the time you take a compass heading and the time you reach it. Once you’ve got that feature picked out you can zig zag all over the place, do flips or anything else you want between point A (where you started) and point B (the point on your compass heading) because you can see where you need to go. Once you’re there, take another compass heading and keep going.

Obviously you would do the same thing on the way back but once you start getting good at it you’ll be able to pick many of the same points on the way back in as you did on the way out so if you remember that on the way out you swam from the rock to the old tire, on the way back when you get to the old tire you may not even need to take a compass heading if you can see the rock and know that that’s your next navigation feature.

It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Give it a try on your next dive.

In August edition of Rodale’s ScubaDiving they quote a survey in which 25% of the people polled admitted to jumping in the water, at least once, without turning their air on.

I can only guess the same rule of thumb that applies to peeing in your wetsuit is going on here:

50% of divers admit to peeing in their wetsuits. The other 50% lie about it.

I’ve never quite made it into the water forgetting to turn my air on (thanks to some thoughtful divemasters and the fact that I make it a habit to take a few breaths off the reg before I enter the water) but I’ve had a few buddies (and other instructors) swim up to me and sheepishly ask if I could turn their air on for them.

Despite this perfect record (chuckle), my worst mental lapse was when I got to the gate to exit the boat and the divemaster just looked at me. I put my reg in my mouth as I asked “What?” and she replied “You’re not going in like that are you?” I did a quick pat down of my gear thinking I might be twisted up or something and upon finding everything in it’s place I said “Sure, why?” “Well, unless you’re going to go running along the bottom you’re probably going to need your fins,” she replied. Lucky for me I was one of the last divers off the boat so that incident stayed our little secret.

An interesting little story on spearfishing from depths of 200 feet or more.

Jo asks:

Hello Bill, I am in a scuba class and am finding that I am not as comfortable in the water as I thought as I would be and find myself with mini-anxiety attacks. I’m not used to being underwater and I would really like to work on this challenge and am wondering if you could provide me with any breathing tips, or any other tips that will allow me to be more comfortable in the water.

Overcoming scuba anxieties,

Jo

Answer:

Hi Jo,

Hmmmm . . . . I don’t know if I have any “breathing tips” per se but I would highly recommend getting in more pool time. As you’ve said, you’re not used to being underwater (none of us are when we first begin scuba) so you should get used to being underwater by being underwater. I’m quite familiar with the mini-anxiety attacks you mention and as long as they are only “mini” attacks they will probably go away the more accustomed you become to being underwater.

Your objective should be to relax. Any breathing style that helps you get relaxed will help but normally the longer and slower the inhalations and exhalations the more relaxed you’ll become. Some people say that focusing on another part of the experience helps. For instance, many people get a little claustrophobic from being underwater so if you focus instead on the sensation of the cool water against your face you will be shifting the focus of your attention. If you really feel that this is going to be a problem you might want to schedule a date with your instructor for additional pool sessions. Of course, that brings up an important safety point which is to do all of this under the supervision of your instructor. Do not attempt to jump in your pool at home and work on it. It’s simply not worth the risk.

I also recommend that for people who have any sort of anxiety about diving that they always arrive for their classes early. If you’re there early you have time to think, relax, and take your time. If you’re wheeling into the parking lot 5 minutes after the pool session was supposed to begin you’re going to be very hard to relax and you’re more likely to make mistakes as you rush to catch up with the rest of the class. On the boat, get your gear and everything set up when you get on the boat. If you stay one step ahead of everything you won’t feel rushed and you’ll be able to relax much easier in the water.

One of the things I’ve always found funny in a way is that scuba diving can be one of the most relaxing things you can do. You are floating weightless being treated to an amazing show put on by Mother Nature. Your heart rate and your breathing fall into a smooth, steady, slow rhythm. It’s almost like meditation. The funny part is that for many people just learning to dive it is anything but relaxing. They see nothing on the dives because of the adrenaline rush going on inside them. Instead of relaxing their breathing and heart rate shoot up as they deal with all of the anxieties of this new environment. But those who stick with it are well rewarded.

Please let me know if I can be of any other help.

Bill

Boat diving in California is different from other boat diving you may encounter in your travels so in order to prepare you I have put together this list of general guidelines and procedures. While this document is primarily intended for student divers under the supervision of an instructor, most principles apply regardless of diver training.

Preparation

The best advice for preparing for a boat dive is to get plenty of rest. The boats leave early and it’s a full day so one is best prepared by being rested. In addition to plenty of rest, please remember that if you are prone to motion/sea sickness or feel that you may be and you have decided to take some sort of sea sickness medication; take any medications the night before. You may also want to take another dose of medication again first thing after waking. Once you become seasick, no medication will relieve the symptoms so take any medications prior to arriving at the boat. While it’s always advised that you seek medical guidance prior to taking any medication, some divers have reported excellent results from the over the counter products Bonine and Dramamine. Again, you are strongly urged to consult with a physician prior to taking any medication and to follow your doctor’s or the product recommendations.

Packing List

Before you even begin packing, make sure you find out whether or not you need to bring a tank and/or weights. While you will seldom go wrong bringing your own (you can always leave them in the car if you won’t be needing them) it can bring a very abrupt end to your dive day if you show up at the dock with no tank or weights on a boat that doesn’t supply them.

You�ll also need SCUBA gear. That should include:

A weight belt
BC
Regulator (with compass and pressure gauge)
Bottom timer (watch or computer)
Wetsuit (or dry suit) and hood if appropriate
Boots
Fins
Gloves
Mask and snorkel

Please don’t forget to bring your C-Card (if certified) and your log book (especially don’t forget your log book if you are a student).

You will also want to bring along sun protection, a change of clothes, and any other personal items or toiletries that you feel you may need.

The above are the bare essentials. You probably won’t be able to dive if you’re missing any of them.

Boarding

Most of our boats leave at 7am with or without you so you need to be not only at the boat by 7am but also onboard and have your gear stowed. It’s recommended that one arrive at the dock a minimum of one hour prior to boat departure. For a 7am boat, that means getting to the dock no later than 6am. Though it may seem early, the ride to the dive sites is usually anywhere about 2 or so hours and most of our boats have bunks where you can sleep on the ride out.

On some of our boats, you can arrive the night before your departure and sleep on the boat that evening. Please ask if that is available because many find it convenient to come down the night before so they can sleep in (usually until 9am or so).

Signing In

As soon as you board the boat you will need to sign in. Ask the boat crew or the Dive Master where the sign in sheet is. You will normally be required to fill out three forms:

A General Boat Sign-In Sheet

A Liability Release for the Boat Operator and Crew

A Liability Release for the Dive Shop and Staff/Crew

Each boat has their own procedures but it is common for your sign-in number to also be your gear station number (what rack space you put your gear in) and possibly your bunk number as well. Be sure to ask the boat crew or Dive Master whether your sign in number corresponds with either your gear station or bunk number. Don’t forget your sign in number. The Dive Master will probably ask you for your “number” whenever you enter or exit the water so s/he can keep track of all divers. It is also very common for your sign in number to be used to keep track of your tank fills, food/beverages, and other costs not included in the price of the boat trip (see below for information on additional costs).

Both the boat operator and the dive shop liability releases are standard forms required before you will be allowed to dive on any boat. The boat operator may use a PADI supplied liability release or have their own. Ocean Adventures uses the same standard PADI liability release form used by most PADI dive operations around the world. As with any legal document you are strongly encouraged to read it carefully before signing it. You may request a copy of the dive shop liability release from the dive shop prior to booking the trip.

Equipment Assembly and Storage

Upon arriving at the boat you should assemble your gear as quickly as possible. Once the boat starts moving it can be very difficult as well as dangerous to attempt gear assembly. When the boat arrives at the first dive site there is usually very little time to do more than get into your wetsuit (or dry suit) and to listen to the dive briefings (see below).

Always store your gear and your gear bag away so that it takes up as little room as possible. Nobody likes tripping over other people’s gear and even fewer people enjoy missing a day of diving because someone has stepped on or broken their gear because it wasn’t stowed properly. Work from your gear bag and make sure anything that you aren’t using is put back in your gear bag and not left lying out. If you have a large gear bag that doesn’t quite fit at your gear station it is usually best to store your bag on the bow of the boat (the front) or some other area that is out of the way. If you’re not sure where to put your gear bag ask the Dive Master or the boat crew and they will be more than happy to direct you.

Make sure that your tank and gear is secure. You never know what the ocean might throw at you and a tank that is not secured properly will fall. This can result in anything from punctured BC bladders, broken toes, or pinched hoses on your regulator, all of which mean that someone won’t be diving that day.

General Courtesies

If you’re a certified diver, bring your Certification Card. Sorry, we can’t just take your word for it and we won’t allow anyone to dive unless they have their C-Card with them so make sure you have it.

There are at least two types of rinse buckets (or other containers) for gear. One is normally for masks and other things you may want to rinse out before a dive and the other is for cameras. NEVER rinse any gear in the camera rinse tank. The salt and other chemicals may damage sensitive underwater camera equipment (and more importantly, you’ll usually draw the ire of more than a few photographers). If you’re unsure which is which, ask!

Don’t go into the bunk area in wet clothing (including your wetsuit). The bunk area is normally a dry area so please keep it that way by not taking or wearing wet clothing in the bunk area.

While it’s encouraged that you refrain from smoking while on the boat, if you do smoke, please be courteous and smoke downwind. Normally, that will be at the very rear of the boat. Also, be aware that smoking before, after, or in-between dives can significantly raise your susceptibility to certain kinds of dive related injuries (in particular lung related injuries as well as decompression sickness). It is important to know what additional risks you are subjecting yourself to if you decide to smoke.

Dive Briefings and Instruction

There are usually two briefings; the first by the captain or a member of the boat crew which will cover the specific site we are at as well as any specific boat rules and a second briefing by the Dive Master. Listen to both briefings carefully regardless of how many dives you have (or don’t have) under your belt. They both contain valuable information that you will want to be aware of.

The captain’s briefing will usually consist of the dive site name, some information about the underwater terrain (sandy areas, kelp patches, depths, etc.).

The Dive Master will instruct you on the procedures for entering and exiting the boat. The Dive Master will also review any signals that you need to know, discuss emergency procedures, suggest dive plans and where you are likely to see the most marine life, and any other information specific to the dive, the dive site, or dive procedures that should be followed.

Food and Air Fills

Some boats include food and air fills in the price of the boat spot. Others may include fills but not food (or vice versa). Some may include neither. Some may have one policy for one trip and a different policy for another. Bottom line is to ask your instructor or one of the dive shop personnel what the boat’s specific procedures are for that particular trip.

Air fills range anywhere from $2 – $4 per tank fill (with 3 – 4 dives per day trip). Food is usually reasonably priced with lunch running about $7 plus any other goodies you may have over the course of the day. Expect food and air fills to run anywhere between $20 – $30 for a full day of diving.

Tipping and Gratuities

It’s common practice to tip the boat crew (assuming you feel they’ve earned a tip). Though there is no hard and fast rule how much you should tip, generally 15% – 20% of the total cost of the trip is standard (total cost includes not just the cost of the boat spot but food and air fills as well). Others suggest $5 per dive. Whatever your choice, please make sure to bring enough to offer a gratuity. The boat crew usually works pretty hard for you and most of the boats we charter go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure everyone has a good time. If they’ve really, really gone out of their way, like say if you’ve forgotten gear and they lend you some of their own personal gear, be sure to be on the generous side.

Almost every new diver seems concerned with their air consumption. Sometimes that concern is warranted and sometimes not. Either way, just thought I would post some interesting links I’ve come across that might help for the air hogs out there (I mean that in a nice way).

Pranayama This is an excellent article in FreeDiver magazine mostly geared for those who choose to dive without a tank but the exercises are a great insight into controlling your breathing.

SCR Calculations & Chart Rockin_Robert on the ScubaDiving.com webiste gives you the math you need in order to calculate your surface consumption rate which is probably the best way to measure actual gas consumption.

Diving With Ricardo and Careyitos Ricardo gives his secrets for long bottom times. More breathing exercises.

NOTE: The following is an article originally written for Ocean Adventures’ newsletter.

When I first began diving I was probably the worst diver in history. I had zero buoyancy control. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I did everything I now tell my students not to do. I over-weighted myself (and still thought I didn’t have enough weight on), I hyperventilated like air was going out of style, and my finning style resembled Lance Armstrong coming in to the finish line at the Tour de France. A few years later, a few more dives under my belt, and I’ve learned some pretty valuable lessons that I thought I would pass along in this month’s newsletter.

The most important thing I learned was to calm down. When you breathe irregularly, the sudden changes in air volume in your lungs almost guarantee that you’ll feel off balance. You’ll also have a harder time submerging at the beginning of the dive and feel the need to throw on more weight to “get down.” So how do you calm down? First, you get out and dive more. The underwater realm is new; it’s different; and it can be a little intimidating. The more you dive, the more you’ll be able to mentally and physically adapt to the changes. Also, think about your breathing. Practice taking slow controlled breathes on land. At a minimum you should be able to inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. Notice the calming effect. The next time you dive, practice underwater. Not only will you begin to notice you no longer need to flail your arms around to stay balanced but you’ll also enjoy the dive more because calming down will let you concentrate more on what’s going on around you.

The next most important thing, for me, was to shed pounds off of my weight belt. Calming down helped a lot but so did understanding what buoyancy was and was not. When you dump the air from your BC, the objective is not a rocket sled ride to the bottom. What you should be aiming for is to be just negative enough so that when you exhale out completely (see, there’s that breathing stuff again) you can clear the first 5 or 10 feet of water, which is the hardest to get past. Also, many people get this wrong (as did I) but a proper buoyancy check is done with an empty tank. If you do a buoyancy check with a full tank, the extra weight will fool you into under-weighting and you’ll be unable to do a safety stop at the end of your dive (when the air is gone from the tank and it is much more buoyant). My last tip on weighting is to religiously keep track of the equipment and amount of weight you wear. You’ll begin to notice small things like wearing a hood probably requires a couple extra pounds (as it does for me).

Lastly, learn to fin properly. Finning properly requires less work so you�ll be less prone to become exhausted and forget about breathing slow and deep. Kick from the hips (not the knees) and swim horizontal in the water. The horizontal part may sound obvious but believe me, once you see someone swimming head up looking like they�re peddling a bicycle while they dogpaddle with their arms and you�ll know what I’m talking about.

Since Steve always slaps my wrist over being too wordy in my writing, I’ll make him happy and end here by saying that if you’re still working on your buoyancy control, don’t hesitate to ask one of us to give you some feedback on your style. We’re here to help and we’re more than happy to help. If you want something a little more structured, please see someone at the shop about taking the Peak Performance Buoyancy Course. It’s fun. It’s good training and you�ll end up a better diver.