Let's start 2015 with some personal training

This is the time for the good resolutions for 2015, where we could incorporate in-water training skills in our physical and mental fitness routine.

The evidence is that in diving in general, and specialized areas of diving such as technical or cave diving, and even recreational diving, physical training is strongly associated with mental training. Training refers to the regular and sustained practice of designed skills and exercises that increase the diver’s capacity to perform at his or her level. The need to perform in-water drills and absorb knowledge is present in all forms of diving. The difference lies in the actual skills and information needed, and how to incorporate such skills into muscle memory. Sadly, divers often consider fairly regular “pleasure” diving with no emphasis on skills and drills as sufficient enough to maintain his or her training level.

However scuba diving, like all athletic activities, requires constant training and skills repetition to maintain competency.  Although divers do not “compete” on a playing field against other divers, they definitely “compete” with Mother Nature and have to adjust themselves to the underwater world, an environment not suited to the human body.  To accomplish this task, divers must reduce certain “stress factors” such as feelings of discomfort or insecurity in the diving environment, factors which, if improperly managed, can lead to a total loss of control. 

I believe that 10 to 15 minutes before or after each dive could be enough to improve our technique. Reviewing emergencies skills such as bail-out  from a Rebreather, repeating hyperoxia, hypoxia, situations and working on different rescue scenario with buddy. That should be fun, right!

Happy New Year 2015  to all and safe diving.

Georges Gawinowski

IANTD SE USA Training Director