My second basic tenet for Scuba Diving reads:
I often call this the Rule of Fun or the Diver's statute of limitations and for good reasons. We dive to have fun, so if we're not having fun, we need to stop and figure out why. Also, we usually stop having fun when we've exceeded any one of our limits. You probably get the picture, so I'll stop belaboring the points.
The absolute best time to call your dive is while you're still in bed. What? Sure. If you're diving today, the first thing before you swing your legs out of bed is to determine your health, both physical and mental. Take a deep breath through your nose, assessing your health and wellbeing. Take a moment to do a quick pinch and blow to check your ears. Why get out of bed early if you're going to have to sit on the dock because you can't equalize, feel bad or just don't want to go?
I know you're all excited, but the second best place to call a dive is before you leave home. Do a mental check list about your gear. Is it all packed and ready to be set up? Do you have fresh batteries? Has your gear been serviced in a timely fashion? Better to resolve issues on the hard than on the float, or worse: in the suds. Now, how about you? Do you have the training, the skill and the stamina to do this dive? That's a lot of "ifs" when you think about it, but these are limits you can't ignore and still have fun. Before we get in the car or on the boat, there's at least one more consideration to consider: the weather. Download a weather map and learn how to use it. I use "Ventusky" but there are others out there. I was in Little Cayman last week and never made a dive. Why? Here's a pic of the boat going out on one of our "divable" days...
Hell, I broke a leg in Fiji last year when I stepped into an open drain at night. That leg isn't %100 healed and even with a good leg that doesn't look fun. Waves like this shattered a windshield on one of the boats and left a diver with a severe spinal injury. This was obviously way past my limit, but others made those dives, endured the pounding and had fun. Good for them. However, we don't all have the same limits. I'm glad I stayed on shore and had fun in other ways. Good for me.
We're not even in the water yet, and I've scared the bediddle out of some folks. That's OK, we still have more to discuss. Is your buddy up to the dive? Might want to ask them. But don't rely only on what they say and do some sleuthing, especially if they're an insta-buddy. "What dives have you called?" is always a great question. Why dive with someone who doesn't seem to have the sense God gave a goose? While you're at it, cover any particulars about your dive gear and what signals you like to use. FWIW, insta-buddies should be avoided on any number of dives, including deep and technical. Make sure you hear them breath on their reg before you splash. While we're at it, how did your gear setup go? Are you still enthused? There is no need to splash with gear that isn't set up right or that seems to have issues. Get it right or stay on the dock. Listen to the first mate's briefing. How do they view the current and general diving conditions? Calling a dive before you splash still beats the hell out of fighting for you life in a current you can't cope with. Consider these aspects of your diving as "limits" and respect them. There's nothing down there worth getting injured over, much less dying for.Don't let anyone pressure you into a dive you might regret. Not even your inner self.
Of course, once in the water, there's a lot of reasons to call a dive. Gas supply, depth and time are obvious, but don't overlook fatigue, having to work too hard and even not having fun. There's no reason to violate a single limit. Having fun is your mission. It should be your only mission, so when the fun stops, you should too.
So what was your best "call". You can see mine in the picture above. I'm hoping this will help all of us learn a little more about our collective limits.
You can call a dive at any time for any reason with no questions asked and no repercussions.
I often call this the Rule of Fun or the Diver's statute of limitations and for good reasons. We dive to have fun, so if we're not having fun, we need to stop and figure out why. Also, we usually stop having fun when we've exceeded any one of our limits. You probably get the picture, so I'll stop belaboring the points.
The absolute best time to call your dive is while you're still in bed. What? Sure. If you're diving today, the first thing before you swing your legs out of bed is to determine your health, both physical and mental. Take a deep breath through your nose, assessing your health and wellbeing. Take a moment to do a quick pinch and blow to check your ears. Why get out of bed early if you're going to have to sit on the dock because you can't equalize, feel bad or just don't want to go?
I know you're all excited, but the second best place to call a dive is before you leave home. Do a mental check list about your gear. Is it all packed and ready to be set up? Do you have fresh batteries? Has your gear been serviced in a timely fashion? Better to resolve issues on the hard than on the float, or worse: in the suds. Now, how about you? Do you have the training, the skill and the stamina to do this dive? That's a lot of "ifs" when you think about it, but these are limits you can't ignore and still have fun. Before we get in the car or on the boat, there's at least one more consideration to consider: the weather. Download a weather map and learn how to use it. I use "Ventusky" but there are others out there. I was in Little Cayman last week and never made a dive. Why? Here's a pic of the boat going out on one of our "divable" days...
Hell, I broke a leg in Fiji last year when I stepped into an open drain at night. That leg isn't %100 healed and even with a good leg that doesn't look fun. Waves like this shattered a windshield on one of the boats and left a diver with a severe spinal injury. This was obviously way past my limit, but others made those dives, endured the pounding and had fun. Good for them. However, we don't all have the same limits. I'm glad I stayed on shore and had fun in other ways. Good for me.
We're not even in the water yet, and I've scared the bediddle out of some folks. That's OK, we still have more to discuss. Is your buddy up to the dive? Might want to ask them. But don't rely only on what they say and do some sleuthing, especially if they're an insta-buddy. "What dives have you called?" is always a great question. Why dive with someone who doesn't seem to have the sense God gave a goose? While you're at it, cover any particulars about your dive gear and what signals you like to use. FWIW, insta-buddies should be avoided on any number of dives, including deep and technical. Make sure you hear them breath on their reg before you splash. While we're at it, how did your gear setup go? Are you still enthused? There is no need to splash with gear that isn't set up right or that seems to have issues. Get it right or stay on the dock. Listen to the first mate's briefing. How do they view the current and general diving conditions? Calling a dive before you splash still beats the hell out of fighting for you life in a current you can't cope with. Consider these aspects of your diving as "limits" and respect them. There's nothing down there worth getting injured over, much less dying for.Don't let anyone pressure you into a dive you might regret. Not even your inner self.
Of course, once in the water, there's a lot of reasons to call a dive. Gas supply, depth and time are obvious, but don't overlook fatigue, having to work too hard and even not having fun. There's no reason to violate a single limit. Having fun is your mission. It should be your only mission, so when the fun stops, you should too.
So what was your best "call". You can see mine in the picture above. I'm hoping this will help all of us learn a little more about our collective limits.
