5 Scuba Diving Bad Habits and How to Avoid Them

Bad Habit #1 – Skipping the buddy check
You ask your buddy, “You ready? Yeah? Let’s go diving.” Everything seems fine until you roll off the boat and discover you forgot your fins, your buddy’s tank is loose, or something even worse.

Forgoing a buddy check takes a shortcut on safety and increases the chance of having to solve a problem in the water.  You can learn more about avoiding and adapting to problems in the PADI Rescue Diver course, but the best thing to do (as we teach during the Rescue course) is prevent problems before they begin with BWRAF .

Bad Habit #2 – Shooting fish butts
There were some very expensive camera rigs on board, but an expensive setup doesn’t guarantee good photos. Especially when the photographer doesn’t know underwater photo basics, or fails to practice good marine life etiquette.

I saw one diver with a top-of-the-line camera system taking a photo straight down over a coral head. I’m no photo pro, but I learned in the Digital Underwater Photography online course that shooting straight down on your subject tends to produce flat, uninteresting images. Perhaps it was an avant-garde shot.

I watched another diver race from one critter to the next – chasing off marine life as he went. The dive guides tried to counsel this diver, but he wouldn’t listen, “This is how I always dive” was his reply. I wondered how many pictures of fish butts he had… and how he ever found a dive buddy!

Bad Habit #3 – Not wearing the right exposure protection
Every time I show up at at a tropical dive destination, other divers laugh at me for wearing a 5mil wetsuit and a beanie cap in 28C/82F water. But by wearing the exposure protection that’s right for me, I never have to cut a dive short because I’m cold.

After a few years diving regularly in California I tried the PADI Drysuit Diver specialty and wondered, “why didn’t I do this sooner?” I imagine the cafe owners on Catalina Island wondered what ever happened to that girl who asked for cups of hot water to dump down her wetsuit.

#4 Wearing the incorrect amount of weight
Picture a brick, the kind used in home building. Imagine carrying it around with you all the time – taking it up stairs, trudging up a hill, etc. Having extra weight on board means your body has to work harder; your breathing will be heavier and so on.

When teaching the Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty course, that brick weight is (on average) the amount I take off a diver’s weight belt. New divers often wear excess weight, and get used to carrying it around. But there’s a major downside – too much weight can lead to excess air consumption. The extra weight means the body has to work harder to push through the water, and on top of it many divers swim continuously to keep themselves buoyant. All that extra effort drains your tank faster than necessary.

Drop that brick and extend your dive time! Review your open water materials for how to do a buoyancy check, or ask your instructor about the Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty course.

Bad Habit #5 – Neglecting gear service
Woe is the diver who pays half a month’s salary to go on the dive trip of a lifetime and has an equipment problem. When maintained properly, dive gear can last for years. Ask your local dive center about the Equipment Specialist course. You’ll get to know your gear and learn how to perform basic maintenance yourself. That said: some equipment service must be performed by a professional. Use the gear locker section of your ScubaEarthprofile to keep track of when your gear gets serviced.

Rally

O-Three Port 10 Dry Suit

The All new Port 10 from O-Three

The all new O’Three dry suit with all the expected qualities from the O-Three brand. The Port 10 is built and designed to stand up to the rigors of commercial diving whilst at the same time being perfect for recreational and TEC divers.

The Port 10 is a 4.5mm Compressed Neoprene Dry suit, with pressure fit neoprene wrist seals, neoprene neck seal and medium duty zip.

Key Features;
4,5mm Diving Grade Neoprene
Armatex Lined Externally
BDM Medium Dry Suit Zip
Sandwich Zip Construction
External Zip Guard
Triple Glued and Blind Stitched
Nylon Backed Neoprene
Neoprene Pressure Fit Wrist Seal 

Super Supple Neoprene Neck Seals

Your comes ready to dive with;
Dry Suit Bag and changing mat
Vented Semi Dry Hood
Jollop Lube
Bees Wax
Zip Slip

All for just £595

Until the end of May order your new suit ad Rec n Tec will give you a free Dry Suit Speciality Course (excluding course materials)

PADI Divemaster

What is a PADI Divemaster? What does a PADI Divemaster do?, Well the answer to those questions may well depend on whereabouts in the world you are located both as a student and as a fully qualified PADI Divemaster.

Working abroad, PADI Divemasters spend their days as dive guides, knowing where to take their guests for that extra special dive, dive sighting or maybe conducting Discover Scuba Diving. Discover Local Diving experiences, as a dive guide on a safari boat.

In the UK you will carry out PADI Scuba Review programmes, Discover Scuba Diving, Run a Day Boat dive operation as a Dive Marshal. Work in a school dive team to deliver PADI Courses as well dealing with logistics and being the one that students will likely come to as they see you as a more approachable individual to ask that question of.

When you started your diving journey you learnt basic skills and then honed them in the pool and open water environments. You probably took the PADI Advanced Open Water Course so you could dive to 30 metres and learn about some basic navigation skills as well as trying the first dive of the many PADI Specialties available. Maybe you fancied trying a Diver Propulsion Vehicle and had designs on being 007 for half an hour.

You didn’t become a Rescue Diver to be a hero, or to be rescuing divers left right and centre. Or to sit on the boat all uptight waiting for that unlikely event of a diver being in need of rescue. You became a PADI Rescue Diver to give you the knowledge and the skill base should you find yourself or another diver in an unfortunate situation.

Then perhaps you looked closer at the people who taught you to dive, your family members keep asking you about diving? Nieces and Nephews ask about your adventures underwater, you find you want to pass on some of the knowledge you have gained. You find you want to learn more about the theory behind diving. You enjoy diving with people not as confident as yourself so you can help them enjoy the wonders of the undersea environment. Do you want to share your world and adventures with family and friends, more importantly would you like to introduce them to a new world and help them take their first breaths underwater.

Its not important if some of the above applies to you or if it all applies to you because the PADI Divemaster programme is about all of these things put together and more. Its about developing your knowledge of the PADI system, scuba equipment and the environment so when a student asks a question you can answer with confidence and lay their fears to rest. Its about developing your dive skills to Instructor standards, its about helping people who may struggle with a skill, you can be the kingpin in their learning by helping them master a skill. Its about being flexible, being professional, being able to organise and run a days dive operation. Its about researching dive sites, its about guiding divers, its about taking responsibility for divers. Its about anticipation above and below the surface, can you be in the right place at the right time, can you spot a potential problem before it arises and fix it whilst not damaging an individuals confidence. Its about teamwork and being an integral and important part of a dive team, its about keeping diving safe and enjoyable for everyone. Becoming a PADI Divemaster course is no easy task but you will gain entry into the professional ranks of PADI Divers and if you want to work within diving anywhere in the world then being a PADI Pro will open far more doors for you then any other agency in the recreational diving industry.

Will you get paid in the UK?  highly unlikely is the most probable answer, but you can gain a place with a dive school on their team. This gives you access to students to teach and to develop your skills, work with Instructors, meet people and go diving. This where if you want to go further that you invest in yourself, increasing your knowledge, building your experience, diving in different environments. Acting as a dive marshall, running dive trips, research dive locations, work as shore support for other Instructors, watch and learn, refine your theory knowledge. its where you start to develop friendships, take additional courses. It is where you start to build your portfolio. Being involved with a dive school gives you an invaluable insight into the dive industry. The satisfaction you can gain from helping someone overcome a difficulty and master a skill iis priceless. This all adds up to an important time if you wish to go on further along the PADI Professional path.

Will you get paid abroad? There is a slight chance that you may gain employment overseas as a dive guide but your going to need to stand out from the crowd of other applicants so you need to put yourself in a position to do that (see above). More than likely you may get work on odd days with different dive centres on a freelance basis whilst you build your experience. It certainly wont make you rich, it is more about a lifestyle. Work hard and you may get a dive centre sponsor you through an IDC Course, this option can also be available be in the UK with some dive centres.

Becoming a PADI Divemaster is the first step on the PADI Professional ladder and can be the gateway to a life you never thought possible, it will give you the chance to share your experience, to look after other divers, gain experience, gain knowledge and respect, to introduce people to new sights and sounds, to teach people, to guide people both above and below the surface

The real test of a PADI Professional or Dive Professional is to master all environments, to be able to work effectively both at home and abroad, in a pool, in a lake or inland sites, from the shore and from boats at sea. To gain the respect of other professional divers. To do this you have to go diving and expose yourself to different environments. If you can achieve this then you can be proud of what you have achieved and your high standard of diving.

After becoming certified as a PADI Divemaster you will be authorized to:

• Supervise both training and non-training-related activities by planning, organizing and directing dives
• Assist a PADI Instructor during the training sessions for any PADI Diver course
• Conduct the PADI Skin Diver course and PADI Discover Snorkeling program
• Conduct the PADI Discover Local Diving experience
• Conduct the PADI Scuba Review program
• If qualified as a Discover Scuba Diving Leader, independently conduct the PADI Discover Scuba Diving program.
• Earn the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty Instructor rating to be able to teach the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty.
• Independently guide Open Water Diver course students on the tour portion of Open Water Diver course Training Dives 2, 3 and 4 at a ratio of two student divers per certified divemaster.
• Accompany Open Water Diver students under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor during:
  • surface swims to and from the entry/exit point and during navigational exercises
  • when the instructor conducts a skill, such as an ascent or descent, a Divemaster can remain with other student divers (with an individual student or buddy team)
• Accompany student divers during Adventure Dives or Specialty training dives under the indirect supervision of a PADI Instructor.
• Conduct the PADI Seal Team Skin Diver Specialist AquaMission
• Conduct subsequent dives under an instructor’s indirect supervision for Discover Scuba Diving participants after participants have satisfactorily completed the first dive with a PADI Instructor.
• Teach Emergency First Response courses after successfully completing an Emergency First Response Instructor course.

At a glance, compare what you can teach when you continue your professional diver education.

The PADI Divemaster crewpak includes:

• PADI Divemaster Manual
• Divemaster slates
• PADI Instructor Manual
• The Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving – a comprehensive overview of diving physics, physiology, and equipment
• Scuba Tune-up Guidebook
• PADI Professional Log
• DSD Cue Cards
• PADI Pro Bag
• PADI Divemaster Application package

Prerequisites

To take this course, you must be:

• 18 years old
• A PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
• A PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
• An Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary Care (or qualifying first aid and CPR training from another organization) course completion within the past 24 months.
• Have at least 40 dives to begin the course and 60 for certification
• Be fit for diving and submit a Medical Statement (PDF) signed by a physician within the last 12 months.

There are other required materials that a Divemaster Candidate will need but may have received them during other PADI programs so they have not been included in the Divemaster Crew-Pak.  Please ask your PADI Instructor for the full list of required materials that you will need for the program.

 If you would like to know more about the PADI Divemaster Course Schedule, would like to book onto a course, then please email: info@recntec.org.uk or call 01727827301

We are a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre offering all PADI Courses from Beginner to Professional as well as full retail outlet and servicing facility. Rec n Tec is your one stop scuba shop for all your diving needs.

Rec n Tec Malta Weekend

Malta, Comino and Gozo are the three islands formed of limestone these three islands form the inhabited parts of Malta, however there are four smaller inhabited islands, Cominotto, St Pauls, Fungus Rock and Fifla. The islands geographical location, make them the one of the furthest southern countries in Europe. They iay in the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean some 100 kilometers from Sicily.

Marine is not as prolific as the Red Sea or Caribbean as the water is slighter colder but visibility is just as good, in fact in November it was 60 metres plus. The diving in Malta is simply outstanding for the underwater topography, caves, swim trough’s and ship wrecks. Malta is a must do diving destination that should feature in the top five of any divers list, during the Second World War Malta was a strategic point for convoys and shipping. Wrecks abound around the waters of Malta and in the previous few years wrecks have been sunk to help form underwater mini eco systems and artificial reefs as well proving fantastic attractions for divers.

Dive sites such as the P29, Tug Boat Rozi, Blue Hole, Inland Sea should feature in every divers log book and of course HMS Maori the British destroyer which sank the Bismark. Many dives can be conducted from the shore due to the nature of the drop offs and smallreefs that make up the off shore of the Maltese Islands. On 24th August 2009 the former patrol boat P31 was sunk in 20 metres of water on the western side of Comino. The patrol boat is 52 metres long and is the sister ship of the P29 which was sunk at Cirkewwa in 2007. The wreck has been cleaned and made safe, and is at an ideal depth for all levels of diver. Both the P31 and P29 were used in East Germany in the cold war era to patrol the river banks between the east and west. They were also used for mine sweeping operations between Germany and Denmark. Malta used them to patrol the continental shelf and against smuggling operations. Santa Maria Caves is one of the most popular dive sites. The caves are fairly shallow and a magical place for underwater photographers. Marine life includes plenty of small fish, grouper and moray eels. Ghar Lapsi is a site dived and praised by the late Jacques Cousteau. Here you can find a nice cavern in which you can surface as well as a reef with a possibility to find unusual marine life such as Torpedo Rays.

Cirkewwa is one of the most popular dive sites in Malta. There are several dives available – The Arch, The Madonna, Paradise Bay and the wreck of the tug boat Rozi. The clear water and the abundance of marine life makes this site a favourite for many visitors.

Malta is suitable for divers of all experience levels and with good visibility and very little underwater current; it is perfect for diver training.

So, if you are looking for a nearby destination with warm waters and a vast range of dive sites to suit all, Malta should be top of your list!

Rec n Tec have been diving Malta for over 20 years and they have valuable experience which adds to the fun of our escorted trips as well as you having a permanent guide 24/7. It also means that we can offer a full range of PADI Diving courses and Tec Courses.

If you are looking for a warm water destination a little closer to home, look no further!

Just a short flight from the UK, the beautiful islands of Malta are easily accessible for long weekend diving breaks as well a week long holidays.

The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, warm and sporadically wet autumns, and short, cool winters with adequate rainfall, The temperature is very stable, the annual mean being 18ºC (64ºF) and the monthly averages ranging from 12º C (54ºF) to 31ºC (88ºF). Winters are mild with only rare occurrences of cold weather

Our Next Malta Diving trip is on the 14^th to the 19^th March 2013 and offers fantastic valuate for money please click here for more details http://www.rec-n-tec.co.uk/#/malta-march/4525807067 or call 01727827301