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What Does It Take to Be a “Good Diver?” — Part One

6 years 1 month ago By Simon Pridmore

This is the first of two articles aiming to provoke discussion on the topic. Suffice it to say, before I go any further, being a good diver does not just come down to amassing a wallet full of cards and a garage full of cool kit.

Transferring Anticipation Skills to Problem Resolution

6 years 5 months ago By Main Minion

In my previous two articles, I discussed the importance of building a comfort zone and improving the diver’s ability to anticipate problems.

Analyzing the Obvious II: Retaining Divers by Building a Comfort Zone

6 years 5 months ago By Main Minion

The impact of diver drop-out is very difficult thing to assess due to a lack of data. The findings discussed in the first article in this series only tracked divers who completed an open water diver course.

Preconditioning for Safer Scuba Diving

6 years 6 months ago By Simon Pridmore

One interesting aspect they addressed was the concept of preconditioning as it may apply to scuba diving safety.

Analyzing the Obvious—It's About Anticipation

6 years 6 months ago By Main Minion

Diving is no doubt one of the safest of the adventure sports in terms of the occurrence rate of injury. Diving is also deadly.

Running Out Fast!

9 years 4 months ago By Simon Pridmore

It was the first dive of the day. I rolled backwards into the ocean from our little tender boat, descended to 24m, swam over to Cannibal Rock and began a gentle exploration from the bottom up.

The Case for Unsweet Tea

9 years 7 months ago By Steve Lewis

I am an expat Brit, so it may probably come as no surprise to tell you that I enjoy a cup of tea. A few shots of strong espresso in a bowl of hot milk is my morning drink, but tea is on the menu for most of the rest of the day.

The Perfect Diving Breath

9 years 8 months ago By Simon Pridmore

Divers usually find that their breathing rate drops as they become more experienced, simply as a consequence of their becoming more relaxed and comfortable in the water.

Peer Pressure, or Disappear Pressure?

9 years 8 months ago By Main Minion

But sometimes, particularly when we are feeling a need to prove ourselves or need a sense of approval, it becomes more difficult.

Scuba's Silent Killer

9 years 8 months ago By Main Minion

Concerned, the divemaster followed her up, signaling to Pauline, the other diver in his charge, that she should wait and he would come back.

But I can't be bent

9 years 10 months ago By Steve Lewis

The issue with diving—at least for this discussion—is that as a diver descends in the water column, he or she has no option but to breathe compressed gas.

Reporting culture

9 years 10 months ago By Gareth Lock

We need to be able to raise the awareness and knowledge of those involved in the sport so that they can truly take responsibility for their own actions.

Help! I Need Somebody

9 years 10 months ago By Simon Pridmore

After the dive, the instructor again took care of everything, including handing out drinks and snacks and driving the students back to their hotel.

Solo Divers and Risk Management

10 years 2 weeks ago By Steve Lewis

Now if we were to apply similar logic and argument, we could go further and make the point that Solo Diving carries an additional level of risk over and above the “run of the mill” stuff associated with regular diving. Read more

Just Culture

10 years 2 weeks ago By Gareth Lock

Some of the readers may remember an article I wrote on this subject a couple of years ago, but this one will go into much more depth and give examples of the issues faced in both the scuba diving community and other environments, which have more e

What if diving was new?

10 years 2 weeks ago By Simon Pridmore

You are the first person you know who has signed up for a scuba diving course.