THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO SECRET… IT’S LIKE PLAYING PIANO!
When it comes to scuba diving, there’s no such thing as being a natural. Same thing goes for rebreather diving and freediving. There are folks who seem to have zero problem being relaxed in the water. And these are the ones who manage to look like they know what they are doing: always.
These are the people who look natural, and make it all seem so amazingly easy. But look closely and you’ll find out that to get that way, they had to work at it just like the rest of us.
Probably the question most frequently asked of experienced divers — the people who look like naturals — is, ‘HOW?’ How do you make it look so easy and why does it look like your dive gear is painted on?
Well, the answer is simple and universal.
One of our RAID cave instructor-trainers summed it up perfectly. When asked how long it took her to learn to do the reverse frog kick so well. She, thought for a moment and answered, “about 23 years. Since I first learned to dive. And I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”
Diving, at least making it look natural and easy, comes with hours in the water. It’s not about how many classes you’ve taken or how deep you go or how much gear you own. It’s all related to time. And although exactly how much time does seem to vary from person-to-person (some get it in a few hours while others take a ‘little’ longer), the secret is getting in the water and diving.
And more to the point, it’s about diving with a purpose. When you’re trying to bring your game up to a higher level, dive with the goal in mind. Build on the basic skills you picked up in class. Focus on the fundamentals, buoyancy, trim, breath-control, situational awareness. RELAX. Hit your favourite dive spot, and keep it simple. Use a pool if one’s available. Most of all, steal the technical diver’s habit of practicing skills at the end of EVERY dive. Run through the basics, from regulator shutdowns to mask removal: the most complex to the simplest. They all count, and it’s guaranteed that you will benefit from the practice.
Think of it as learning the scales for those early childhood piano lessons that we all “LOVED”. Before you know it, you’ll be playing Chopin like a pro.
