What Skills Should You Have Before Your First Scuba Diving Experience?
You have a beautiful resort vacation planned near the ocean, and you have one primary goal in mind for when you arrive: you want to go scuba diving for the first time. It is quite common for seaside resorts to offer scuba diving experiences for vacationers looking to get into this waterway exploration activity, but scuba diving is not like a lot of other recreational activities. It is best if you already possess a few skills when you try to dive for the first time. Check out this short list of skills you should have under your belt before you try scuba diving for the first time.
You should possess the ability to hold yourself buoyant in deep water.
You do not necessarily have to be an Olympic swimmer to be able to dive. What matters most is that you know how to maneuver yourself in and under the water, and it is especially important that you have the ability to remain buoyant above the surface for a short period. This is important because being able to stay afloat in deep water will be required as you are getting yourself ready to dive, as well as when you emerge from the surface and are waiting for the boat to retrieve you from the water.
You should have some familiarity with using swim fins on your feet.
The swim fins, sometimes also called flippers, help propel you through the water faster when you are both above and below the water's surface. While the swim fins will do a lot of work for you, you will have to be comfortable with how they feel on your feet and know a little about how to properly move them. If you have never swum with swim fins before the dive, it can take a while to get used to swishing your feet in the proper motion to propel yourself, so it is better if you already have some experience.
You should be comfortable with mouth-only breathing.
When you go under the water, your nose is concealed under the eye mask, so the only access you have to air will be through your mouth. For some first-time divers who are accustomed to primarily breathing through their nose, breathing through the mouth only can be awkward and uncomfortable. This is even further complicated if you have an apprehension about inhaling through your mouth when you know you are underwater. Before you go diving, go out snorkeling in shallow waters and practice breathing only through your mouth until you get more comfortable with it.
To learn more about scuba diving, contact a resort like Black Bird Caye Resort.
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