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SCUBA DIVING TRAINING TIPS
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Tips and tricks to remember about
scuba dive training
- Breathe deep. Your
rate of breathing must be slowed down or you will move air
without giving your body adequate opportunity to absorb
oxygen. Slow, relaxed, deep breaths promote a more complete
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The greater your
depth, the slower and deeper your breathing should be, so
you can use as little air as possible.
- Keep your hands to
yourself. Don't use your hands to swim. Let your arms
and hands float loosely at your sides, fold them lightly
across your chest, tuck them in your weight belt or beneath
your tank on your back.
- Stay horizontal.
Keep your body parallel, as much as possible, to the
direction of movement. Swimming at an angle to the direction
of movement is one of the greatest wastes of energy and air
by novice divers.
- Stay warm. It's a
fact: Warm divers use less air. You lose body heat even in
the warmest tropical waters, which are considerably below
your body's core temperature.
- Think small. Use
your inflate/deflate valve judiciously, making small
adjustments and giving them time to take effect.
- Keep your head up.
In most open-water situations, try to swim with your head
slightly up and your feet slightly down; both you and your
equipment work better in this position. You may need to swim
head-down, feet-up in some environments where your fins
could cause damage or stir up the bottom.
- Stay neutral
throughout the ascent with buoyancy control.
- Ascend slowly, 30
feet per minute or less when in water less than 60 feet,
using a dive computer to monitor ascent rate.
- Swim at a slow and
steady pace. Stops and starts decrease efficiency.
- A properly weighted diver
with a correctly fitting BC can float easily on the
surface. It should not be necessary to inflate the BC
fully; in fact, BCs are often less comfortable and may
restrict breathing when fully inflated.
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