All you need to know about diving

Diving is a sport concerned with underwater swimming. Sportsmen use special equipment to do it. The word ‘diving’ stands for ‘scuba diving’, i.e. diving with different appliances and it can’t be used for describing free diving or hookah diving.

Types

When it comes to distinguishing various types of diving, it appears to be a lot of them.

• Recreational diving is for those who want to relax and experience something new. To participate in it, it is necessary to attend some classes.
• Technical diving is aimed for searching for drowned objects and exploring the bottom of the ocean.
• Word combination ‘competitive diving’ stands for itself. Participants have to show all their experience to win such events.
• Professional diving is for those who have to dive because of their professional duties. Instructors and people making underwater videos are also professional divers.
• Diving-safari takes place in a sea. You go there on a yacht and then go diving with an experienced guide.
• Extreme diving is concerned with diving in underwater caves and other places that can be relatively dangerous.
• Diving in a stream is sometimes described as flying in the water.

Equipment

It is of paramount importance to make sure you know what is necessary to go diving. Here is the list of the things you need to have.

• A wetsuit will prevent you from cold. Those who go diving in cold waters usually opt for models with long pants while those who do it in warm water give their preferences to models with shorts.
• A pair of flippers will make it possible for you to move quickly. It is important to choose flippers that fit you perfectly.
• Although you can rent a wetsuit or flippers, you should buy your own mask. It will help you to see what is going on around you under the water.
• A scuba gear includes diving cylinders, regulator mechanisms, a demand valve with mouthpiece, an exhaust valve system and a harness.
• A buoyancy control system to control the rate of ascent and descent in the water.
• A watch will help you stick to the restrictions concerning the period of being under the water. The time you will be allowed to spend there depends on the amount of oxygen you have, your weight and complexion.
• A belt with weights will compensate the buoyancy of the wetsuit.

Learning

There are special courses for those who are interested in diving. It is up to professional instructors to tell beginners how to behave when diving and what to do in order to gain positive experience. You will be given instructions on how to put on all equipment and act in case of emergency.

Sign language is crucial for divers. You need to remember the basic signs that are used commonly.

• To warn divers about dangers it is necessary to strengthen your arm, make a fist and put it in the direction of the danger.
• If you have any problems, hold your palm down and shake it a little bit. To show that you’re cold you can hug yourself.
• If somebody shows you their palm, they are trying to draw your attention.
• The ‘OK’ sign is used to tell your partners that everything is fine.
• If a diver touches their neck with the edge of their palm, it means they are run out of oxygen.
• The ‘thumbs up’ sign is used to inform divers that they must swim up and get out of the water.
• The ‘thumbs down’ sign means that it is high time you started diving.

Things to remember

If you want to go diving, it is of primary importance for you to look for a diving centre that is a part of the PADI, PDA or CMAS associations. It is necessary to buy insurance for diving as general insurance is not appropriate in this case. What else should you keep in mind?

• You need to check your equipment before diving and in the first minutes of being under the water.
• It is prohibited to touch plants, fish and animals.
• It is a must that you be near the instructor all the time.
• Keep track of your time and always leave a few extra minutes in case something happens.
• You should not move to the deep water too fast in order not to lose consciousness.
• You should never go diving if you feel bad.

There is one more crucial thing. You need to learn the sign language used by divers in order to be able to communicate with them while swimming.

Health restrictions

In some cases people cannot go diving due to some health restrictions, otherwise they might even die.

• The first group of restrictions is connected with some inner illnesses. If you suffer from tuberculosis, chronicle dysentery, or if yor metabolism is not good, it is not allowed for you to go diving.
• The second group is concerned with lungs and breathing. Any illnesses of this kind are a reason to stay on the ground.
• The third group includes all sorts of cardiovascular diseases, kidney and liver failure.

In addition, it is ordered that people who have some bone and joint issues should not go diving. It is important not to go diving after flu, cold or any sicknesses of this kind. Finally, if you suffer from any kind of illnesses connected with the hearing apparatus, you’d better not participate.

Insurance

It goes without saying that diving is a risky and dangerous activity. It requires buying insurance in case of emergency. People mostly face such dangers as decompression or underwater predator’s attacks. Injuries are also common for many divers. Finally, the equipment is possible to break down. Such insurance is more expensive than general one but in case something happens it will cover all expenses. It should cover visiting doctors, buying new equipment in case of losing or breaking it.

History

Although Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, mentioned diving in his works, this sport is considered to appear only in 1943. A French scientist and explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau invented the very first scuba, or aqualung. If it hadn’t been for his friend and colleague and him, underwater swimming wouldn’t be so convenient and relatively easy now. 5 years later the inventors presented the scuba to the Americans and it appealed to them so much that they went in for diving. Back in 1953, the National Geographic published an article on underwater archeology. This was the key factor that lead to rapid growth in popularity of diving.

To sum up, diving is a recreational activity that is more dangerous and complicated than it seems. Still, if you follow all the rules and obey your instructor, you will get only positive emotions and will explore amazing landscapes.