Avoiding Diving Burn Out.. the fun way!

We wrote an article earlier this year with regards to Burn Out and how to avoid it as Divers and Diving professionals.

So, not one to disregard our own advice, time and money came together a week ago to enable us to get in some fun dives that we haven't done before.

Where did we go Diving?

A rare opportunity emerged to allow us to head up to Northern Cyprus and dive the very tip of the Island around the Karpaz Peninsula.

For the first dive, we were heading for a deep cave but our guide changed her mind. With the lack of current around the tip (which is usually blasted as the whole Med turns around this point) we headed for the "Secret Rock" dive site. 

The maximum depth of this dive was 32metres with a huge rock nestled in between a couple others reaching up to a minimum depth of 14metres. There were a couple nice wall areas and a few grouper hanging around but the highlight of the dive was 2 big triggerfish that happy enough to swim around us until I produced the camera. At that point they promptly swam away! 

I'll be honest for the 6 hour round trip, we weren't convinced by this site. It was lovely to do something different but the second dive site certainly did not disappoint.

At the end of the Karpaz peninsula, there are about 5 little islands, which are protected areas for the birds. Humans are not allowed to set foot on them but from the sea, they look like lovely rocky outcrops.

We dived at the final island off the Cyprus coast and found the Karpaz wreck, which we are pretty sure is actually 2 or 3 wrecks all together.  There is no definitive history for these wrecks but we were informed that they sank around the time of the 1974 invasion and the circumstances are suspicious.

The first wreck we came across was pretty much intact with the distinctive hull expected of a wreck. there are a few openings that we were able to get inside and explore and the visibility was crystal clear with still no current in the area!

All along the seabed, you will find scattered debris and the depth is a paltry 16 metres giving plenty of ambient light to see everything by. We spent an hour roaming and investigating around pieces of metal and trying to work out what had happened (we still have no idea).

All in all we had a very long and tiring day but it was absolutely Epic. The whole team had a great time and that was thanks in part to some lovely egg butties.

Big thanks to our Dive Guide for the day though. Marion of Mephisto Diving, you helped keep our scuba passion alive with a great day out and about Scuba Diving in Cyprus.

Lion Fish in Cyprus? What's the harm?

It isn't something we expected to see but we have heard stories about their presence in Cyprus for a few years now. With striking colours and impressive fans of projecting spines, why shouldn't we be excited about the Lionfish in Cyprus.

What are they and Where did they come from?

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific region, which is actually quite a vast area.

They are instantly recognisable with their brown or maroon and white stripes, which cover the head and body while their long pectoral fins and dorsal spines fan out. Do not be fooled though because those spines can pack a  punch with a very potent venom

Thought to be nocturnal hunters, a lionfish will move slowly but steadily through the water and preys on small fish, invertebrates and mollusks in large amounts. They can be very territorial and cantankerous, as any underwater photographer trying to photograph a Lionfish face will tell you!

So, what is the problem with them in Cyprus?

Since Lionfish are not native to Cyprus waters, they are an invasive species. They are known to be aggressively invasive and can decimate fish stocks of an area very quickly.

Introduce them to an area like the Mediterranean and the already dwindling fish life is at grave risk.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope. There is a belief that groupers are a natural predator of the Lionfish and we do have plenty of those here in Cyprus. So maybe, if we allowed the groupers to thrive, there would be less concern over the Lionfish invasion, since it has a predator in the area.

Alternatively, there was a scheme introduced in the Atlantic when it was deemed Lionfish had invaded around the coast of the USA by NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

"Lionfish for Food" was set up in 2010 to encourage consumption of Lionfish. Fishermen and Divers are encouraged to actively hunt Lionfish and then consume them in the hope that it would control the invasive population while helping to reduce the strain on overfished species like Grouper.

However, before you pull out your filleting knife, be aware that the Lionfish has to be prepared in the proper way to make it safe to eat. So, do your research before you try something new!

Scuba Diving: A Burning Passion or Burned Out?

It is a brand new season here in Cyprus and before the mayhem begins in earnest, we decided to have a little holiday and refresh in preparation for what is to come.

Since we are also celebrating our 5 year anniversary of being Scuba Tech, it seemed like a great time to get together with some good friends and get away... and what better way for Dive Centre owners in Cyprus and Cyprus Diving Instructors to relax but... Scuba Diving in Egypt!

How can you call it a holiday when you are still doing your jobs you may ask?

Ever heard the old adage, a change is as good as a break.? Well, it is true. We love Scuba Diving and although it is work, it is also a hobby for us and to remain this way over the 25 years I have been a Diver has taken some effort on my part.

Whatever you do, wherever you are, once you get complacent with something, you can easily get bored. This is particularly true if whatever you are doing is repetitive.

For example, I used to work at a diving centre where the bulk of business came from PADI Discover Scuba Diving. When I first started to work there I quite enjoyed the feeling of taking someone in the water for the first time. Seeing the smiles as they came out of the water and the achievement each new diver reached, especially those who initially struggled was a highlight. However, after 3 years of doing these experiences 2-3 times a day, every day, the sheen soon wore off.


We call it burn out!

So, how do we stop this from happening or re-find our enthusiasm if it already has?

For me, I wasn't sure where to go. Initially, I considered underwater videos and photography and did a few bits with that such as; underwater adverts and even some footage for the tv series "My Greek Kitchen". However, we soon realised that was more Shelley's forte!

Eventually, I found Technical Diving and, although I had always said I would never do it, it rekindled a spark for diving that hasn't left me since.

I attribute this to every day being different. Some days I guide qualified divers, some days I teach Technical Diving, sometimes I dive or teach the Rebreather and sometimes I am servicing Dive kit in the workshop. There are even times when I take beginners for Discover Scuba Diving Experiences and the satisfaction of taking a brand new diver in the water has returned.

To ensure the variety, it is definitely worth investing in your diving so you don't get burn out. If you find you are getting bored of the same old routine, it is time to shake it up a little bit.

There are many different aspects of diving you can look into. Try wreck diving or take an underwater camera with you and develop your photography skills. You could consider Technical Diving or a Rebreather Try Dive or, like us, just take a holiday and scuba dive in a different place, see different things and meet new people.


Variety is the Spice of Life!

Fit to Dive?

Well, it is New Year and time for those dreaded New Year Resolutions that we all make and stick to for a week if we are strong willed, two to three hours if you are more like us!!

Everyone likes to start the New Year thinking of the next holidays and strolling around on the beach looking good in their Speedos (I don't wear them... it's a Metaphor!!)

So, the obvious step is to get fit and, as scuba divers, this is even more important because, although you do not have to be an Olympian to go Scuba Diving, you do need a basic level of fitness. 

It wasn't so long ago that Scuba Diving was seen as a dangerous sport that took you into dark, deep and dangerous places only for the likes of the SAS, Navy Seals and, of course, James Bond. 

However, these days it is a sport marketed as so easy peasy that 8 year old children and dear old Granny can partake.

While it is relatively easy and accessible, making it possible for practically anyone to try Scuba Diving these days, remember that it is also a sport that requires some level of health and stamina. The problem is that identifying the level required is pretty subjective.

So how do you know if you are fit enough?

Firstly, have a read of the self certification Medical Statement that all diving agencies provide. If you answer "yes" to any of the conditions listed on there, you should visit your doctor to see if you are fit to dive. If your doctor says you can go, or if you are already certified and haven't considered fitness in a while, your next concern is whether you are truly fit to dive.

Ask yourself where will I be diving? What kind of conditions will there be? Heading out to a resort like Cyprus and Scuba Diving will be very different from diving around the coast line of the UK. You don't need the same level of fitness here because it is unlikely you will be swimming in currents (or if you do, they are very mild) and the water is lovely and warm with good visibility. It is simply less stressful on the body when you dive in relaxed conditions.

Even in "easy" conditions, you should be physically prepared for the kind of diving you want to do plus have a little bit of extra in reserve for when Murphy and his law comes calling. Be honest about it because it isn't just yourself at risk if you are not fit enough for the diving you choose to do. Those who need to assist and/ or rescue you are put into danger also including; buddy, boat crew, dive guide etc.

As instructors, we are responsible for looking after all the students under our care. For us, it is even more important to stay fit and healthy but we are only tested for fitness when we take our Instructor exams. For me, that was over 10 years ago now and I think we can all agree, a lot can change in 10 years.

Even at this level, it is up to us, individually, to make sure we are fit to do the diving we want to do.
For our part, it means trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and although it can be difficult in the summer when we are working full throttle, we try to exercise regularly and enjoy a balanced diet to ensure our bodies have the fuel they need for the hard work we do on a dive.

If you have to make New Year Resolutions, random goals like "I will get fit for Diving" is too vague. Give solid steps such as; "by the end of February I will be able to swim 200m without being out of breath" or "I will be able to walk a mile in 10 minutes", depending on your current fitness level and don't make the steps too large. You can start small and build up your stamina as you get fitter and can do it.

The moral of the story is...

Be it tropical diving, ice diving, technical diving or instructing, be honest with yourself about your ability and fitness for a dive. If you don't think you are fit enough, don't do it! Take a step back, some time and build up the fitness required. You will enjoy the dive much more and most importantly, it will be safer for yourself and everybody else diving with you! 

4 reasons to be a Scuba Diver

You are looking for a new hobby. It needs to be exciting and something that will keep your interest but nothing too  confining and restrictive. It can only be Scuba Diving!

See things most people never will!

Scuba Diving opens up many places to its enthusiasts. Not only will you get to experience underwater landscapes but also, some travel destinations that are little visited by those that do not dive.

The beauty of an underwater reef in Egypt, the continuing majesty of the wrecks in Truck Lagoon or Scapa Flow or maybe the diversity of life in the Galapagos. All add their own insights into life and the world and we are the few that can experience it in its entirety.

Scuba Diving is Social  

Go Places, Meet People, do things.

In this world of mobile technology, there are constant jokes about how we are beholden to our mobile phone, tablets and technology in general. The upshot is, Social Media is reducing our ability to be social.

Scuba Diving is one of the most social hobbies you can have. Everybody who loves Scuba wants to talk about it. You will never be short of conversation in a crowd of Scuba Divers... and yes, there is technology involved in Scuba Diving but it isn't the be all and end all. Pop a tank, BCD and regs on your back and you are good to go and don't forget about the post dive get together for a chat and logging afterwards.

That always comes before posting your pictures to Facebook!

Cartoon by Ritsch Renn: ritsch-renn.com/

Scuba Diving is Relaxing

Scuba Diving is almost like underwater meditation. You get an overwhelming sense of relaxation that just allows your mind to shut off from the problems of the day. Try watching a reef of coral with all the fishlife around it and still think about that business meeting coming up.

Some big business chiefs own fish tanks to help them relax... well, this is the real deal. If that wasn't enough, you are exercising at the same time, which not only helps to relax your mind but help your body too.

Scuba Diving can Keep your Interest

You get out of Scuba Diving what you put in, so if you find yourself getting bored of it, it is your own fault.

Once you are qualified, there are lots of different branches of Scuba Diving you can train in to branch off into areas you are interested in; from underwater photography to deep diving, technical diving, rebreather diving and even moving into other arenas such as; commercial diving, marine biology and Underwater Archaeology.

Also, you can travel around the world with Scuba Diving, which means there is always something new for Scuba Divers.

How to be Unpopular in the Scuba Diving World

We have all been there, haven't we?

You have permission from the other half and you have managed to find a bargain on the Internet so you can get away for a week and its all about the scuba diving. Excitement reigns supreme as you look forward to a relaxing time and some adventure dives.

On arrival you unpack your slightly battered but highly reliable, freshly serviced dive kit and the dive guide introduces you to the person you will be buddied with today. New friends... well this is what it is all about! Until you realise that your buddy has no diving etiquette at all and has been buddied with you because nobody else wants to dive with them.

So, these are 4 things guaranteed to make you unpopular in the Scuba Diving World.

1. Tardiness

Many dives around the world have to be scheduled to fit with tides etc but even in places, like here in Cyprus, where we don't have to worry about these things, it is exceedingly annoying when everyone has to wait on one diver who thinks it is acceptable to arrive late.

As a dive guide, we give divers times to arrive so that they have ample time to organise their equipment and check it over with a "buffer" in case anything needs to be adjusted, mended or cannot be found. It isn't a guideline to get here around that time, there is a reason we said that time.

Equally, arriving late can mean you don't have the chance to do all your checks properly and you certainly don't want to be that diver that turns up late, makes everybody wait and then realise en route or at the dive site that something doesn't work or you have forgotten something (worse still if everybody is already kitted up).

2. Sprawling

Be you at the Dive Centre, at the Dive Site or on a boat, be aware that space is limited and precious.

Everybody needs a bit of room to kit up but try and use the minimum space possible. When you aren't using bits, put them back in your dive bag to conserve space

Oh and don't drape your wet wetsuit over another diver's dry clothes!!!

3. Bragging

We are divers and innately, we love hearing tales about other people's diving holidays, the things you see, the places you go.

However, continual one-upmanship of every other diver on the trip is almost as bad as the diver that insists on checking everybody else's air and depth gauges post dive before announcing how much air he has left and he went deeper than anyone else too.

4. Spatial Awareness

On land and under water, be aware of where other divers are and try to avoid running into them, hovering over them and kicking them in the face with your fins.

If you see something, be courteous and remember you are not the only diver that wants to see, so avoid barrelling in front of others in a bid to get there first. While we are talking about seeing things underwater and fin action, if you are first in line to see something exciting, watch your finning action. Others won't see so well if you have kicked up a storm.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to become unpopular in the Scuba Diving world. We are a pretty accepting bunch of people that just require a bit of courtesy and good diving etiquette.

Let us know what you would add to this list

5 best questions a non diver has asked

I have been scuba diving now for more than 20 years and the past 10 of those has been in holiday resorts.

For several years I worked in a dive centre that took 2 days out of the working week to head around the pools of the local hotels, trying to tempt divers into trying scuba diving for the first time. First try it in the pool and if you think you will like it, we head out to the local shallow dive site to have a proper dive and see the fish.

This isn't something we do anymore. We still take beginners for the first dive, but it is generally via word of mouth now rather than trawling the hotels.

When I look back, I do remember with fondness some of the random questions I have been asked over those years and I would like to share some of them with you all.

Do you Live on the Island?

Well, this is Cyprus and if I didn't, it would be a really long daily commute!

Do you see Fish when you scuba dive in the sea?

www.englishexercises.org

Unless its the Jeep Safari day out up to the Troodos for fish.

This was possibly the most common question I was asked by non-divers.

Its a loaded question because half the people wanted to see fish and the other half were scared of fish. Even the little tiddlers but you can rest assured that even in a place as over fished as the Mediterranean, you will see fish if you go scuba diving in the sea.

What happens if it is wet?

It is always wet when you go scuba diving! The point is to submerge yourself in the water and so you will get wet anyway.

Rain? Oh!

We dive anyway. If you are going to get wet, it may as well be under the water.

I really want to try Scuba Diving but do I have to wear all that equipment on my back?

Do you want to be able to breathe?

Unfortunately, the equipment is a vital part of the scuba diving experience. We have to take our own air underwater because we cannot breathe without it and we need a means of breathing from the tank of air and connecting it to our bodies.

Without the equipment, its just free diving and/or snorkelling.

When you Scuba Dive, How does the Snorkel change the Water into Oxygen?

This was my personal favourite. the best question I have ever heard from a non diver! If I knew the answer to this, I think I would be a very rich diving instructor and they don't come along often.

In a change from the norm, this blog was just a bit of fun, sharing some of the questions I have had over the years that have made me laugh.

Hopefully, some or all have put a smile on your face. Let us know what questions or statements you have heard over the years that cause a giggle and let's send the laughter round the Internet and spread the fun!

Scuba Diving- Pure and Simple

I have been writing this blog now for about 12 months and we have covered many different topics from "The Value of a Check Dive" to Nitrox Diving to Nudibranchs.

We have offered information and tips regarding Sidemount Diving, Rebreather Diving and Technical Diving but not once have we looked at the pure and simple act of Scuba Diving and what it means to dive.

What is Scuba Diving?

Scuba Diving is quite simply the most relaxing sport I have ever had the pleasure of doing.

Basically, it involves submerging yourself underwater while breathing off a cylinder of air via specialised equipment that has transformed over the decades since it was first seen. 

SCUBA stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus and we will look at the equipment needed as part of this in our next blog.

You might not feel so relaxed at first, as scuba diving can be quite nerve wracking. Under the sea is an alien environment and it feels strange being able to breathe in water, leaving you feeling like a fish out of water (sorry, had to do it!!).

You hear your own breath and, although you have been doing it since the day you were born, you are no longer sure that you are breathing correctly. The equipment might feel heavy and bulky and maybe you feel a touch unbalanced.

After a few breaths though you begin to settle down and take a look around you and are suddenly amazed by how peaceful, colourful and beautiful the world is. 

Suddenly, all that bulk of the scuba equipment that you felt sure was overkill becomes weightless and you no longer notice it on your back. The long fins on your feet feel like an extension of your feet and you know... this is evolution!

Fish glide past with a grace you didn't know existed, while crabs and other critters forage in the rocks and sand. You will see creatures and sights that most people never will, including long forgotten shipwrecks and coral reefs.

Scuba Diving is like another world on your doorstep. There is a reason that is an ever growing sport with thousands of new Divers being certified each year. This is excitement and adventure all rolled into an easily accessible sport with an amazing safety record.

Succinctly, for me at least, Scuba Diving is a Lifestyle

Easter Diving: Avoiding Hot Cross Bunnies and Broken Eggs!

So Easter is just around the corner. It is the time for long eared, pink Bunnies and chocolate Eggs a plenty, which we have to hunt out in the April showers with the little ones.

The real meaning of Easter

For many Scuba Divers the real meaning of Easter comes from the hunt for Scuba Diving Equipment abandoned over the cold months of winter.

We are extremely lucky that Cyprus offers favourable conditions for year-round diving but some resorts/countries just aren't so lucky and some scuba divers prefer to only dive in the summer months. So at this moment in time, there are divers from all around the world preparing for the summer season to begin.

Old wardrobes are being opened to reveal moth eaten BCDs.

Long locked garages release the fusty stench of damp wetsuits and drysuits left hanging in the hope that they will dry completely, quickly masked by the smell of Aquasure glue as leaks and tears are repaired in time for that first dive of the year.

Dive Tables come out, computer batteries are replaced and regulators are handed over to a frustrated repair/servicing technician who has had nothing to do for 6 months only to find himself with 50 sets of regulators that all need servicing by the next day!

The Dive

The treasure that we find at the end of this Easter Hunt, is that joyous feeling of getting back into the water again. The water looks clear and blue and the sun has even come out to watch you on this tremendous day, making the water appear warm and inviting.

The BCD fills and you execute a perfect entry into the water. As your buddy joins you, you signal, deflate and exhale to drop smoothly under the surface.

Now, for most, it will feel like you have never been out of the water. Everything clicks back into place and the familiarity of your scuba equipment is like going out for coffee with a good friend. Everything is as it is meant to be.

What if it isn't?

The problem with having extended periods of time out of the water is that the feeling of familiarity doesn't always come back immediately. There could be problems with your equipment after it has been sitting for a prolonged period that you just don't find out about until you are in the water. Maybe, after Christmas and New Year, you just haven't got back to the same level of fitness that you had at the end of the diving season last year. There are many variables!

A Dive Instructor's Advice

I am not trying to put people off getting back in the water nor am I suggesting that if you are a diver you should be forced to dive year round but there does seem to be an increase in the number of dive incidents that occur as we approach Easter and the May Bank Holiday Weekends.

Just consider your experience and how long you have been out of the water before you decide to head out on that first dive and plan accordingly.

After a period of inactivity, we at Scuba Tech always start off with shallow dives that have easier entry/exits and conditions to minimise any stress while we check everything is in good working order and re-aquaint ourselves with the underwater world. 

Even highly experienced divers can feel some anxiety when getting back into the water after a hiatus, so start off easy. Pick a shallow(ish) site and don't pile on the kit for the first time. 

If you are a Tekkie, consider starting out with just the twinset, then add stages and scooters etc on successive dives.

Photographers can get in for the first dive without the camera to make sure weights and buoyancy skills are all still in good practice before adding extra distractions.

Take your time, stay safe and remember, there is a full season of scuba diving to come. Make sure you are able to enjoy it :)

Scuba Diving with Seahorses- 4 interesting facts

Scuba Diving with Sea Horses

As always, we like to keep our blogs current with what is happening at the Dive Sites here in Cyprus and over the past 12 months, we seem to be seeing more and more sea horses here around our Protaras Coastline. So, what do we need to know about Sea horses if we are Scuba Diving with them?

by Silverflight
www.mythicalcreatureslist.com

Seahorse's Scientific Name is Hippocampus

The name Hippocampus comes from ancient Greek. Hippo translates as Horse while Kampos (campus) means Sea Monster. 

I know what you are thinking... a tiny little seahorse as a Sea Monster, where did that come from?

Well in Ancient Greek Mythology, the Hippo Kampos was a creature that sported a Horse's head and shoulders while its hindquarters were coiling, scaly and fish-like. According to the mythology, the Hippo Kampos was closely related to the Sea Goat, Capricorn.

Males carry the Babies

There is a myth that Seahorses mate for life. Unfortunately, this is not true and they will readily switch if the opportunity arises. However, they may court for several days before mating and this may involve swimming side by side while holding tails or holding onto the same blade of grass while dancing around it.

Eventually, when ready, the male will open up a pouch on the front of his tail to show his mate that it is empty and she will fill it with around 1500 eggs. The female departs and the male will carry the eggs for between 9 and 45 days.

Once they are ready, the seahorses emerge. There can be, on average, between 100 and 1000 seahorses, which are extremely small but fully formed. At this point, there is no more care from daddy; Just a cheerio, best of luck, where's my next mate?

A Seahorse Swims Vertically

Alongside Razor Fish, sea horses are the only species that swim vertically through the water column. This makes them very vulnerable in high winds and rough seas, as they tire easily.

They move through the water by rapidly fluttering a dorsal fin while using pectoral fins that are located behind the eyes to steer.

Maybe it is for this reason that the sea horse doesn't tend to travel far. They make territories for themselves and the males tend to stay within a square metre of this while females can travel up to 100m squared.

The Seahorse is very Sensitive to Stress

A seahorse is very sensitive to Stress and to light.

When you see a Seahorse while Scuba Diving, keep a good distance and make sure you are neutrally buoyant. I find the Zoom works extremely well to get good photographs of a seahorse.

Use natural light where possible, as strobes and dive lights do stress these little creatures. If you must use a light, try a red filter to create a softer more diffused light which they should be less sensitive to. 

NEVER try to touch it!!!

It is great to see sea horses thriving like this in Protaras and I hope we can all come together to help these vulnerable little creatures to survive the odds, as it is fantastic to be able to see them on a dive. Although, I did hear tales of the Ayia Napa sea monster just a few weeks ago and I wonder now, if this is the creature they were talking about and he has a Hyde Side

Scuba Diving Cape Greko in Cyprus

Scuba Diving around Cape Greko in Cyprus

Local Diving Couple, Dawn and Norman join us for a jolly bimble around Cape Greko in Protaras, Cyprus.

There is always something different to see at this dive site and we love going back there just to see what we can find. With clear waters and warm sunshine, what more can a diver need.

Buoyancy Basics Part 4: Breath Control

Scuba Diving Basics

Breath Control for Buoyancy

As we continue to look at the basics of buoyancy control when Scuba Diving, we come to possibly the most common means of adjusting buoyancy, which is breathing.

As we discussed last week, the Buoyancy Control Device can be used to adjust a diver's buoyancy but the experienced diver will only use this for large changes in buoyancy such as ascent and descent. For minor changes, we prefer to use our lungs. Please bear in mind that this will only work for those using open circuit and rebreathers are a totally different kettle of fish!

Imagine you are scuba diving alongside a wall maintaining great buoyancy mid water at 30m when suddenly looming ahead of you is a beautiful Fan Coral in your direct line of travel. You decide that the easiest way to get around it is to ascend slightly and swim over it. What do you do?

One possibility is to add some air to the BCD to ascend but this will expand as you ascend and it gets a bit messy when you start adding and subtracting air from your BCD for these minor changes.

The best practice in this situation is to breathe in deeply. When we take a deep breath, we increase our buoyant force in the water (if you do not know what this is, please refer to our Buoyancy Basics 1 article) and become a little bit more positively buoyant. You will find that you begin to rise in the water, at which point, you simply have to begin to exhale for control.

Equally if you want to descend slightly, you can breathe out a bit further, making your lungs a bit emptier than you would normally have them. You will begin to descend and then you can just inhale for control.

REMEMBER 

At NO point should a Diver Hold their Breath!!!!

Using breath control to adjust your buoyancy is very easy but it does take a lot of practice to get it spot on. However, you will have already started to learn this technique with Hovering skills, ascent and descent training on your basic scuba diving courses.

I have seen a number of divers over the years that have insisted that all the dive should be controlled using breath control and only inexperienced divers have to use the BCD. 

THIS IS NOT TRUE

There is a reason we have a BCD and it should be used to make big changes in buoyancy while breath control is for the small changes. If we didn't need the BCD, we wouldn't have it!

So when you are learning to improve your buoyancy skills when scuba diving, remember there are a number of things to consider underpinned by Archimedes Principle and Volume/Density relationships (which we will look into at a later date) and you have been given the tools to control buoyancy, so make use of them. You will find that the easier you can make your diving; with good weighting, using BCD and breath control, the easier it will be to achieve perfection.

Buoyancy Basics Part 3: Buoyancy Control Devices

When you are Scuba Diving, it should not feel like you are exerting yourself. If diving feels strenuous, you are generally doing something wrong somewhere. Most experienced Divers (not the ones pushing the boundaries of scuba who can experience stress but for very different reasons) will tell you that diving should be a relaxing, easy past time... and they are right.

Perfecting your Buoyancy Skills is the best way to make your diving strain free and now we understand the basic principles behind buoyancy, we can look at what we can do to make our diving better by improving this core skill.

There are a number of things that affect buoyancy and we have previously discussed weighting for scuba diving and, hand in hand with weighting is use of your Buoyancy Control Device (BC).

Whether you dive in a wetsuit or a drysuit, your primary means of buoyancy control should be your BCD or Wing, which makes this piece of diving equipment crucial to perfect buoyancy control and having the correct BC for the diving you do is essential.

So, a BC (whether jacket style, wing or sidemount BC) is basically a bladder to which you can add or subtract air to control your position in the water column. It will have some means of actually adding the air and this is usually through a low pressure system, allowing you to add air from the cylinder, while dump valves are used to release air, alongside an Over Pressure Release Valve (OPRV) to prevent over filling.

The BC must have sufficient lift capacity to hold the diver and full kit at the surface with their head comfortably above the water line...Just as a note to this, if your BC will not hold you at the surface but you have 20kgs of lead on your weightbelt, drop some lead before you go out and buy a bigger BC... you have overweighted yourself and this will cause problems both at the surface and in the water...

Before any dive, you should check your BCD is working correctly by connecting it up to the cylinder and inflating it fully until the OPRV kicks in. Then check all the dump valves to make sure nothing sticks open or closed.

On the dive, you should add air in small amounts on the descent.

As we descend, the increasing water pressure causes the air we put into our BC to compress and we need
to add more air to equalise it to the ambient pressure.

Equally, as we ascend, the decreasing water pressure causes the air in our BC to expand and we need to release some. Again, this release of air should be in small amounts and you should ensure that the valve you are using to subtract the air from the BC is the highest point in the water, as air rises.

If you are using the Over the Shoulder Inflator/Deflator, you must hold this up above your head and come into a more head up position in the water. If you are an advocate of the kidney dump to stay in trim, you must roll slightly to make the kidney dump the highest point in the water.

It is important that you know how to operate the BC and know where all the controls are without having to fumble, so you can make a speedy adjustment, if needed. This is where a check dive can be invaluable if you are hiring equipment and getting advice from someone who knows what they are talking about is second to none when buying your own kit.

BCs are pretty standard for a reason. They work! Variations are quite often just gimmicky sales pitches that are more likely to hinder than help and with a piece of Diving Equipment that is so central to the core Diving skills, it is important to get a BCD that works for the Diving you will do.

Buoyancy Basics Part 2- Salt vs Fresh Water

Scuba Divers in Seawater

Continuing on from our first buoyancy basics blog last week, we will move on to the difference between buoyancy in salt water compared to fresh water. If you haven't read last week's basics, please do, as it underpins what will be read here.

During our scuba diving beginner courses, we learn that if we dive in Fresh water, we need to use less lead weight on a set diving equipment rig than we would in salt water. Generally speaking, if we move from the salty sea to a swimming pool, we drop around 2kgs off our weight belts.

But why is this?

The answer is actually quite complex but we will look at it in the most simple terms possible.  Again, it relates back to Archimedes Principle.

Salt water is water with salt in it, therefore, it is heavier (for a given volume) than fresh water, which is water without salt!! 1 litre of fresh water weighs approximately 1 kg while salt water is more like 1.04kg per litre. This increased weight means the salt water has a greater upward or buoyant force.

Archimedes principle states that an object will float or sink depending on the weight of water it displaces. If the weight of water the object displaces is more than its own weight, the object floats, while if the weight of the water displaced is less than that of the object, it sinks.

So, imagine our 80kg diver is neutrally buoyant in fresh water. This is because s(he) displaces 80 litres of water giving an 80kg buoyant force counteracting the 80kg down force.

If we move our diver to the sea, the additional weight of the salt in the water causes the buoyant force of the water to increase to approximately 83.2kgs, (80 x 1.04) which is greater than the 80kgs down force of our diver, making them more buoyant and in need of a few extra weights.

Neutral Buoyancy in Salt Water Caves

However, the amount of salt in the sea varies depending on where in the world you are. Even diving in the Mediterranean, the seawater is much more salty around Cyprus than around the Western Med and of course, diving in the Dead Sea would require an awful lot more weight than pretty much anywhere else. So this isn't exactly a science that can be mathematically computed pre-dive.

Tried and tested is to get in the water, do a weight check and scuba dive. You will eventually get the knack for guess-timating the weight that you will need as your environment and diving equipment changes.

Buoyancy Basics: Archimedes Principle and the Basis of Buoyancy in Scuba Diving

The weather is changing. Different countries are experiencing changing climates at various times of the year. Over the last few months, in the UK, many counties are being flooded and people are finding their houses underwater. The latest news programs say the Brits should take a leaf out of the Netherland's book and start looking at building Amphibious Houses, which can float on water, the basis of which is Archimedes Principle.

Now, those of you who know me well, will know that my opinion, buoyancy in Scuba Diving is the most basic but important skill a diver can master, regardless of you certification level. These news reports got me to thinking about Archimedes principle itself and how, understanding the concept of why things float or sink should be the very first stepping stone on the path to perfecting this skill.

ARCHIMEDES PRINCIPLE

So, what is Archimedes Principle?

"An object wholly or partially immersed in liquid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of liquid it displaces!"

We have all heard of the downward force of Gravity (if nothing else, it was a hit movie this year with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney). If you drop something from your hand, gravity will pull it down to the earth.

When you have an object in a liquid, things change slightly as there is also an upward force acting on the object, which is affected by the amount of the liquid displaced by the object in it.

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So, if you place a penny coin into a bowl of water, the coin will sink because its weight is greater than the weight of the liquid that it displaces. However, if you were able to reshape the coin (into a bowl shape for example) you may be able to alter the amount of water displaced and cause the coin to float.

On this basis, our amphibious houses will be designed (through volume and surface area and many other things) to allow them to displace their own weight in water before they sit too low in it, so they will float and flooding is prevented, as demonstrated in the image to the left.

We are Divers... How does this affect us?

Scuba Divers aim to be neutrally buoyant in the water (reasons for which, we will look at in a future blog). We do not want to float at the surface (that is glorified Snorkelling) or be bouncing along the bottom, but gliding effortlessly mid-water.

The Equipment that we use for Diving, although it can feel quite heavy, actually makes us positively buoyant in the water, so generally, we float at the surface. To remedy this, we add lead weights to the kit to allow us to sink. The trick, is to only add enough weight to keep us neutrally buoyant.

So, let's say we get into the water with all the diving equipment and we weigh 100kgs. This means that we need to displace 100kgs of water. At this point, we will be neutrally buoyant. 

If we have too little lead weights, we will displace too much water for our weight and we float.

Add too much weight to our kit and we do not displace enough water and we sink, so we are bouncing along the bottom or have to overuse our Buoyancy control devices to try to become neutral. Read more about weighting for scuba diving in weighting for scuba diving in this article.

As a note, you will find that you float a bit more at the end of a dive than at the start. This is because the cylinder of air on your back will now be lighter because you have used some or most of the air in it. This means you are lighter, you displace more water for your weight and can start to float. So, when you are setting your weight, you do want to account for this change at the end of a dive. 

Your instructor should be able to help you do this correctly!

So, the very basics of achieving great buoyancy comes from understanding Archimedes principle and applying it to your diving. There are a few other aspects that affect buoyancy and we will follow on with these over the next few weeks so stay tuned.