How To Be A Better Diver
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. TELL US WHAT SKILL YOU HATE DOING MOST!
Lost at sea…
THEY SURFACED AND THE DIVE BOAT WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN The public broadcaster in the UK (the BBC) recently aired an interview with a couple of divers who spent 36 hours drifting off the Texas coast before being rescued by the US coast guard. Nathan and Kim Maker became separated from the charter boat in what was reported as bad weather and heavy seas. According to a fellow diver, the pair disappeared when “a huge swell comes in and engulfs Kim and Nathan totally. When the swell rolls out, they’re nowhere to be found.” And although the folks on the boat began to search for the pair immediately, they were gone. Few of us can imagine what it took for the Makers to hang on to their sanity and keep their spirits up while they drifted around, lost and alone. And the BBC story was a brilliant illustration of… well, the right words have to be gumption and faith. But, all that aside, is there something to be learned from their adventure… apart from never give up? As a dive agency, the answer to that simple question is, yes. We can learn something. It’s part of our job to modify what we suggest and advise students to do whenever an actual dive story presents us with an opportunity to share and learn. And this incident presents just that sort of opportunity. RAID offers a boat diving specialty. Perhaps this story points out that it’s time for an update. It’s time for our editorial team to put RAID Boat Diver on the list of course materials to be reviewed. It’s not that divers get washed away from their buddies on a regular basis, but it happens. Occasionally, too, a boat will leave a dive site when divers are still submerged. We can never make it certain that neither of these things happen again, but we can recommend some revised ‘contingency plans’! There isn’t space or time — and this isn’t the place — to deliver a whole diver manual for any RAID program, including Boat Diver. But here are some suggestions for any of you with plans to dive off-shore where tides, current, lumpy seas, or a tonne of other things might turn your day on its head. First is always carry a SMB (surface marker buoy) or a safety sausage. When diving current, a minimum of three (including a DSMB) per buddy team. is recommended. (Two for each diver is even better.) Also, carry a spool or small diver’s reel (a cavern reel is a good choice), and load it with #36 or #48 kernmantle. (Line a little stronger than the #24 line that cave divers use.) In fact, carry two. Make sure as well, that both you and your buddy have a “surface signalling device.” This could be as simple as a Fox whistle or a scuba diver’s air horn. Many recommend a signalling mirror as well. A signalling mirror is as useful as a chocolate teapot when it’s cloudy or at night. A better choice is a modern diver’s backup light (small and powerful). An alternative is a wreck-diver’s strobe light. But, in either case, do make sure the batteries are charged! There is a RAID instructor who always sits a very large, very colourful safety sausage in his place on dive boats before he jumps in the water. He explains this habit by saying: “that way, they can’t forget me.” He’s strategy seems to work and makes him a difficult passenger to miss. He has never been left behind! He is much too much of a presence for that. But for the more introverted among us, there are easier ways to track and log divers. And at very least, make sure that during post-dive roll call, your absence would be apparent. And finally, if your diving takes you well away from shore or you dive in strong currents, or your dive profiles are deep and long, we recommend packing a scuba diver’s GPS or rescue beacon in a pocket or pouch. There are several models on the market, so do a little research. They are not cheap, but they’re a bargain if they can save you and your buddy a night bobbing around in the ocean.
There’s more to this than a cert card
CUSTOMERS WANT MORE THAN THEY ASK FOR… Perhaps not every new customer that walks into a dive store, but most, in fact have a sketchy idea about the certification process. All the nonsense about people wanting “Their ****…” (and accepting it as fact) is poor market research. Actually, it’s not even close to market research, poor or otherwise. Worse, it leads to a missed opportunity. Every sale starts slightly differently, but when someone walks into a dive centre for the first time and asks about learning to dive (or getting their ****) the typical and incorrect response is to say; “yes, we can do that”, followed by something along the lines of “we have an open water class starting next week.” All that comes later. The immediate response should be to ask, “WHY?” The best sales people — people selling scuba classes, clothing, cars, boats, homes, patio furniture, whatever — want to know why. They want to know about the customer’s dreams. And if that sounds a little too New Age, Instagram Influencer to be effective, think again. Asking someone why they want to dive is the perfect ice-breaker. Everyone has their reasons. They range from, “I wanna dive the Titanic” to “I keep tropical fish, and…” A smart (effective and successful) sales person has the ability to match a customer’s dream to something they have “on the shelf for sale.” In the dive industry, what we have on the shelf is epic and exciting. It’s a dream fulfilled, a dream made real. In a lot of cases, making all that happen begins with an OW20, but it never ends there. Diving the Titanic is an obvious ‘No-Go’ but diving the Bianca C or Thistlegorm or USS Saratoga is possible… with imagination, the will to retain customers, and a few additional classes! Sell the dream.
Getting to know what makes RAID tick…
YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS ABOUT US AT THE VERY LEAST If you’ve ever wondered if it’s it just Corporate EGO that makes RAID tell people we’re bringing positive change to the dive industry? Or if The RAID Way™ is just a catchy slogan and nothing more, RAID’s owners… divers just like you… would like you to understand what being a leader with impact and influence means to us. Then, you can decide if we’re a good fit for you. READ OUT MORE ABOUT RAID>>> CONTACT DIVE RAID INTERNATIONAL HQ>>>
Be the best buddy ever…
CHECK OUT RAID‘s INDEPENDENT DIVER PROGRAM Since RAID first opened its doors, the agency and its instructor core have promoted diving at every level as a team endeavour. Scuba diving is something done with a buddy. However, the buddy system is based on a each of the team being equals and equal to the task. And all that centers on two or three divers with more of less equal experience, training, and ability. A group of peers each being capable and willing to lend a hand when needed without putting their buddy or themselves at risk And yet we all know that there are plenty of occasions when we may be obliged to dive with a fellow diver who is not a peer. He or she may have less experience, may be counting on us to guide them. When we dive with a youngster, can we really expect them to offer a high-level of support, and get us and themselves safely back to the surface? As an instructor, can we count on our students to help us in a real emergency? Should we? How about diving with a camera? Are we a good buddy when we are concentrating on framing the perfect shot of a nudibranch crawling around on the lip of a barrel sponge? And can we honestly rely on our buddy when they are hovering over the forepeak of the wreck we are photographing, which puts them 10 metres or more away from our side? There are many instances like this when an experienced diver is essentially diving without the guaranteed support of a buddy, and those divers are who we had in mind when we developed our Independent Diver Program. The major skills taught in this course focus on the mindset and familiarity with special equipment that allows an experienced diver (one with 100 logged dives or more) to dive safely and comfortably without having to rely on a buddy for support in the case of an underwater ‘surprise.’ This course is about planning dives where the core competency is the ability to self rescue. And of course, one outcome of that is that a RAID Self-Reliant Diver makes the absolute perfect dive buddy! TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS COURSE, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL RAID DIVE CENTRE>>>ARE YOU A RAID PRO WHO WANTS TO TEACH THIS NEW SPECIALTY? CHECK THIS OUT>>>
Growing the IT network in UK
Karl Kruger has been a valued member of Dive RAID International’s instructor-team since he joined us in 2017. As a former Military Diving Supervisor, he has been sharing his love of diving teaching what works in all sorts of conditions for close to 30 years. He has a great skills-based approach in his programs and has a quick eye fixing student problems with confidence and empathy: a perfect fit with RAID’s teaching philosophy. So, of course, it came as no surprise that he has successfully passed his RAID Instructor Trainer program recently. “With his passion for training all levels of students, recreational and tech, and a special love of exploring wrecks home and aboard, Karl is perfectly placed in South Wales at Bay Divers to offer his vast industry experience. We feel strongly that Karl’s skills a an Instructor Trainer will help him expand his business and Dive RAID International’s,” said James Rogers, RAID UK Business Director. Karl is a Regional Representative for RAID UK, he can explain why he chose RAID originally: just ask. He can assist you as a diver, Instructor or Dive Centre to make the same choice bringing positive change to the dive industry starting today. His email is: Karl@diveraiduk.com Please join us in congratulating him – and well done again from everyone at RAID HQ!
