Originally posted on Porch.com

By

Paula Hernandez

Diving Preparation Tips

Before you “dive in,” there are several important things to consider. Remember that each step in the preparation process is vital to be comfortable and safe in the water. If you’re not familiar with swimming in the ocean, take a few swimming practice lessons before you start diving.

●      Take local diving lessons: Before you spend money on scuba equipment and get your certification, it’s a good idea to take a few diving lessons near you. These lessons typically take place in a standard swimming pool, so you won’t need to travel long distances or live near the ocean to get in some basic practice.

●      Get your certification: It’s recommended that you take the PADI Open Water Certification training before you start scuba diving. This course takes two full days to complete, with a lesson in diving theory completed beforehand. Once you receive your certification, it is good for life and never expires, so it’s well worth the effort upfront. If you’re traveling after you get your certificate, wait at least 24 hours from your last dive before you fly to your destination so your lungs can acclimate.

●      Learn marine biology: You don’t need to be an expert in marine biology, but some certifications include a brief course to help you learn more about the fish, plants, and animals that inhabit our oceans. If your training doesn’t include marine biology, feel free to buy a few books on the subject or read articles about it online to help you learn.

●      Get the right equipment: Every scuba diver needs the right equipment to ensure a safe dive.

o   How to obtain equipment: You can choose to rent your equipment from a scuba dive center near your dive location at a reasonable cost. However, if you’re planning to dive more frequently, investing in your own equipment is well worth the price. Key items include goggles or a face mask, a wetsuit, fins, a scuba tank, a regulator, a snorkel, and a depth gauge.

o   Bring a camera: Cameras and video cameras are optional, but they provide an amazing opportunity to capture incredible images and videos. Make sure that your camera equipment is designed for use underwater. A snoot is a great accessory that provides light to help you capture dramatic photos underwater. You can use it to adjust the lighting underwater for spectacular macro photography, and create the best photo album!

o   How much does it cost? Your dive training should cost between around $350 and $450 or more, depending on the type of certification and location. Personal equipment like fins, goggles, and wetsuits can run between $200 and $300 on the low side. If you’re investing in professional equipment such as gauges and cameras, plan to spend several hundred dollars more on each. Budget for between $700 and $1,000 if you’re a beginner, which should include your certification and all of the basic gear you’ll need to get started.

o   Where to store your equipment at home? Proper Storage is the key to keeping your scuba equipment in good condition. Rinse used gear off with a hose before putting it away to remove salt and mineral buildup. Ensure that every item is completely dry before putting it in storage. Hang wetsuits up in a clean, dry area away from direct sunlight or high temperatures. You can keep equipment like your snorkel, fins, and facemask in a sealed plastic container or a plastic bin with a lid in between dives.

Planning Your Trip

Once you’re certified and have all of your equipment, it’s time to start planning your first official dive.

●      Find the best place to scuba dive: If you’re staying within the United States, there are several fascinating places to discover. Try Monterey, California, home to a massive kelp forest filled with a fantastic range of sea life. Ginnie Springs, Florida, has crystal clear waters and is an excellent East Coast option with three dive sites within the park. Maui, Hawaii, is home to many popular scuba diving sites filled with turtles, fish, rays, and unique underwater lava tubes. Explore several options to dive near you or plan a trip to an exotic location to discover new worlds and species.

●      Choose a dive shop: When looking for dive shops, make sure they are PADI certified for your safety. These dive shops are easy to find with a simple Google search or via scuba diving Facebook groups and on Twitter and other social media outlets.

Important Scuba Diving Safety Tips

Part of your diving certification training will include information about the safety precautions every diver should take. Here are some basic safety tips to always keep in mind before, during, and after a dive.

●      Get a medical examination: If you’re fit and healthy, a medical exam is not required, but it can help to ensure that you’re in good health before you start diving. If you feel unwell, don’t dive until you’re feeling completely healthy. You’ll need to sign a medical statement before you dive, so it’s best to confirm that you’re in good shape before you start.

●      Food: Stick to light, well-balanced meals before any scuba diving trip and wait at least two hours before getting in the water. Remember to drink plenty of water and avoid consuming any alcohol on the day of your dive.

●      Sleep: Make sure that you get plenty of restful sleep the night before your dive. At least six hours is recommended, but eight is preferable.

●      Ear pain: You may notice mild ear discomfort called ear barotrauma when you dive due to a pressure imbalance between the middle ear canal and the water pressure outside your ears. Use an exercise called the Valsalva maneuver to help restore the balance in your ears.

●      How long before can you fly after scuba diving? Always wait at least 24 hours after your last dive before you fly. When you fly in a pressurized environment, it can cause decompression sickness if you don’t give the nitrogen in your lungs time to dissipate.

●      Listen to your dive guide: Listen carefully to your dive guide, and make sure that you always keep them within view. Follow the guide’s instructions regarding where you will be going, what you should do, and what to look out for.

●      Try meditative breathing: If you feel anxious while diving, slow down and take some deep, meditative breaths. Two short inhales, and one long exhale can help you feel calm and more relaxed.

●      Don’t touch anything: Never touch anything while you’re diving. Coral reefs and oceans contain a variety of species that can be poisonous or even deadly. Plus, touching plants and marine life can cause harm to the living things in the ocean.

●     Can scuba diving be sustainable? Scuba diving can be a sustainable sport if you follow a few basic practices. This includes never touching or taking anything from the ocean, never feeding sharks, and learning to use a flash camera correctly. Avoid using single-use plastic while on-board so that it doesn’t accidentally get into the ocean. Choose a scuba dive program that focuses on sustainability and uses good policies regarding eco-friendly equipment and methods.

Other Fun Underwater Activities: Snorkeling

Aside from scuba diving, you can also have fun underwater with snorkeling. While scuba diving involves using an underwater apparatus that allows you to go deep underwater, snorkeling lets you explore shallower waters. When you’re snorkeling, you will stay near the surface of the water and use a mask and a breathing tube called a snorkel. You’ll be able to discover beautiful panoramic underwater views from above without ever having to deep dive underwater. Snorkeling is also a great alternative to scuba diving for children, beginners, or those who simply want to enjoy a quick hour or two of exploring without complicated equipment.

The sport of scuba diving provides you with a wonderful way to reflect and do something you love. It’s also an excellent opportunity to try a new activity, get some exercise, and gain a new appreciation for the beauty of our world’s open waters. Scuba diving shows you how fragile nature is, and it opens your mind to exploring and discovering new species, environments, and much more. 

Originally posted on Porch.com

By

Paula Hernandez

Located in the province of Negros Oriental, Dauin is ideal for photographers and lovers of macro life. Underwater creatures often seen include seahorses, pipefish, nudibranchs, blue-ring octopuses, mandarin fish, and more. Not only that, but there is a unique collection of experiences that will be sure to excite any visitor such as muck diving and pristine coral reefs. Diving in Dauin is great all year long with the dry season lasting from December to May and the wet season lasting from June to November. Dauin is famous for its often cheap, always luxurious beachfront resorts. Photo courtesy of Dumaguete.com

Puerto Galera

As a vibrant town with diverse waters, Puerto Galera is perfect for any level of diver. The diving experience can vary greatly — ranging from canyons to wrecks to muck diving and just about everything in between. The location is also perfect for macro and wide-angle photographers alike due to the coral reefs’ rich biodiversity. Some of the reefs are even considered to have the most biodiversity in all of Asia. The town is also home to plenty of dive schools that are perfect for beginnings and advanced divers looking to expand their skills. Guests have just as much to explore on land as they do in the water as there are stunning mountains and waterfalls to explore. Guests are often able to see creatures such as nudibranchs, frogfish, seahorses, cardinalfish, and more. Photo courtesy of Asia Divers.

Subic Bay, Luzon 

Nestled just about 100 kilometers away from Manila Bay is Subic Bay on Luzon Island. The bay has a history of serving as one of the largest US Naval Bases in Asia and is thus home to more than 20 interesting shipwrecks. These wrecks are unique due to the volcano Mount Pinatubo that has coated the wrecks in ash. The USS New York is perhaps one of the most well-known wrecks in Subic Bay due to its pristine condition and canons. The ship is only available to explore during select times due to its proximity to the pier. For technical divers and divers experienced in deep water diving, the F-4 Phantom wreck is a dream. At 45 meters deep, the plane is often teeming with fish in the calm waters. Diving in the bay is great all year round but is ideal during the November to May dry season for greatest visibility. Photo courtesy of Arizona Dive Shop, Philippines.

Tubbataha Reef

World Heritage Site

With the most biodiversity in Asia, divers can encounter 600 species of fish and 360 species of coral in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Tubbataha is the largest marine park in the Philippines at 970 square kilometers. Guests can only experience the lively waters on a liveaboard during the calmer months of March to June. Diving experiences often include wall diving as well as exploration of the two atolls, Jessie Beazley Reef, lagoons, and coral cays. Perhaps the most exciting experience from exploring the park is the chance to see large marine life such as whale sharks, tiger sharks, and manta rays. Photo courtesy of Philippine Tourism USA.

Anilao, Batangas

Famous for its muck diving and blackwater diving, Anilao is an ideal destination for those looking to get up close and personal with the smallest of critters. Macro photographers will love swimming through the pinnacles, walls, and coral gardens to get the perfect shot. Some of the critters include elusive subjects such as the Ambon scorpionfish, Bobbit worms, and stargazers. The best time to dive in Anilao is from October to June, and April and May are considered to be the peak of the season. However, diving is available all year long with colder temperatures from December to March and rainier weather from July to September. The location is extremely convenient as it is just two hours away from Manila and has access to all of the dive sites from Balayan Bay, Batangas Bay, and Maricaban Island. Photo courtesy of Mike Batrick / Crystal Blue Resort.

Bohol, Central Visayas

The Galapagos Islands are scattered across the equator and have warm weather year-round. While diving in the Pacific waters surrounding the islands is great all year, December to May is the warmest season with the calmest waters and highest visibility. Divers during this season most often see hammerhead sharks and manta rays. July to November is ideal for more advanced divers hoping for more intense, choppier waters. Although the ocean is generally a bit colder during this season, it is known for nutrient-rich water that attracts all kinds of sea life, specifically whale sharks. Diving in the Galapagos is done on liveaboards from tenders or Zodiacs, and guests are able to have a unique experience living out on the open waters. 

2) Socorro Island - Mexico

Socorro Island is the largest island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago and is famous for its vibrant wildlife, both on and off the shore. The volcanic island does not have an airport, making it a popular spot for liveaboards. The diving season lasts from November to May as that is when the water is at its calmest. Throughout this season, divers often get to see hammerhead sharks, manta rays, whale sharks, and humpback whales. From January to March, there are even frequent sightings of bottlenose dolphins. In addition to these, sightings of silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, whitetip reef sharks, and silvertip sharks are possible as well. Getting to the Socorros requires an open ocean crossing about 22 hours from Cabo San Lucas, Baja California.

3) Raja Ampat - Indonesia

Located off the coast of Bird’s Head Peninsula in West Papua, Raja Ampat is an Indonesian archipelago that is known for its extensive biodiversity. The islands form part of the Coral Triangle — an area known as a home to 76% of known coral species. In Raja Ampat’s waters, there is countless marine life and stunning coral reefs to see. The most popular sights include manta rays, reef sharks, walking sharks, turtles, nudibranchs, and so much more. Diving in Raja Ampat is ideal from October to April as it has the driest weather with calm seas that make for smooth liveaboard sailing. The clear waters consistently have a visibility of 80-100 ft all year long, which is perfect for spotting even the smallest of critters. 

4) Tubbataha Reef - Philippines

Tubbataha Reef is a protected marine park in the Philippines’ Sula Sea. It is known for being a nesting ground for green sea turtles and is made up of a northern atoll, southern atoll, and the Jessie Beazley Reef.  Visitors can only explore the clear waters from a liveaboard as it is located over 10 hours away from land. The diving season takes place from mid-March to mid-June as that is when the water is at its calmest and clearest with a visibility of up to 114 feet. The reef is known for its vast biodiversity as it is reported to have over 1,200 species — 181 of which are threatened.

Chuuk Lagoon is a mountainous island that was once a former Japanese naval base during the second world war. The island’s history has been kept alive in its own waters with its array of sunken treasure, submerged ships teeming with marine life, and even human remains. Divers in the Lagoon’s Pacific waters get to explore part of this history, and often even find artifacts such as ammunition or guns. The wrecks vary in their depth, making them accessible for just about any level of diver. The temperature is consistently warm year-round; however, December to April is ideal due to the lack of rainfall and wind during this season.