Kurt Kucera

Scuba Diver, Car Enthusiast, Outdoorsman

Preventing Vertigo While Diving

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Diving can be a fun and rewarding experience. It gives you the opportunity to overcome challenges and experience the world around you in a different way. However, it also presents a certain set of dangers, one of which includes experiencing vertigo while diving. While most divers have experienced vertigo at one time or another, there are certain things that you can do to limit its severity. In some cases, you might be able to prevent yourself from experiencing it all together. This is imperative in order to dive safely, as complications from vertigo can have severe consequences.

What Is Vertigo?
Vertigo is a sensation that the entire world is moving or spinning, even when you are completely stationary. You might think of it as a severe case of dizziness that becomes worse whenever you move your head. Some people experience vertigo on a routine basis because of chronic disorders. For most divers, it has a lot more to do with the pressure inside the inner ear. There is a delicate balance of pressure that is regulated by your inner ear. It is essentially what allows you to turn your head or be in any moving vehicle and still maintain your sense of balance. When this pressure is no longer equalized, you start to feel dizzy.

Potential Complications of Vertigo While Diving
Obviously, this can present a certain amount of danger while you’re driving, especially if the vertigo becomes severe. The condition can range from a bit of lightheadedness to severe dizziness, nausea and vomiting which essentially prevent you from functioning normally. If you are underwater and you can no longer disseminate which direction you need to go in order to ascend safely, you could find yourself in real trouble very quickly. In addition, severe cases of vertigo can cause you to lose consciousness. Clearly, this is not something that you want to experience while you’re diving. Fortunately, you can take some control of the situation by making small changes to your diving routine.

What Can You Do?
Your first step is to realize that there are a lot of pressure changes when you are diving, thanks to the changes in pressure underwater. You don’t have to go very far underwater to experience these changes. This is where most drivers get in trouble. They have a tendency to underestimate how quickly the pressure can change as they dive down. It’s usually far less than most drivers initially calculate. The key is to dive down slowly and give yourself a few breaks where you are simply maintaining your position in order to give your middle ear a chance to adjust. If you start to feel dizzy, stop where you are and give it a few minutes. This is even more important when you ascend. It’s imperative that you ascend slowly and that you give yourself time to adjust whenever you start to feel like something isn’t quite right.

By simply descending and ascending at a slower rate, you can dramatically reduce your chances of experiencing vertigo while diving. Remember, it’s important to stop where you are and give yourself a chance to adjust to the pressure if you start feeling unwell. This will allow you to dive in a safe manner. In addition, it gives you the chance to enjoy your adventures to the fullest.

The Best Holiday Gifts for Scuba Divers

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The holidays are around the corner. Therefore, people need to start preparing gifts for scuba diving enthusiasts on their gift list. The gift a person will give to a scuba diver friend will depend on their budget.

Choosing the best holiday gift for scuba divers can be challenging, especially for people who aren’t enthusiastic about scuba diving. Moreover, they are many gifts for scuba divers. Therefore choosing the best one can be confusing. People can find these gifts at local dive shops or online. Here are the best holiday gifts for scuba divers.

Ocean-Themed Jewelry

Scuba divers love the ocean. They enjoy scuba diving and taking photos or videos of marine life. Ocean-themed jewelry such as earrings, bracelets, and necklaces reminds them of ocean life.

If a scuba diver prefers to wear a wet suit instead of a suit, handmade bracelet cuffs with marine life designs can be a good holiday gift for them. Masks, diving helmet cufflinks, and snorkels are also great holiday gifts for a scuba diver.

T-Shirts or Hats

Scuba divers don’t always spend all their time underwater. When they are not Scuba diving, they are probably basking on the beach. Hats help protect their head from sunlight rays, which can be harmful. When people buy PADI gear hats, they somehow help keep plastic out of the ocean. It is because they use recycled plastic to make hats.

A t-shirt is yet another gift a scuba diver would love to receive. Before buying a t-shirt, it is advisable to ask the scuba diver which dive shop they prefer. The t-shirt can have phrases such as “I work well under pressure.”

Books about Sea Creatures and Scuba Diving

Before sending a holiday gift to a scuba diving enthusiast, the sender should consider the diver’s interests. If they enjoy reading books about sea creatures and scuba diving, then such books are the best holiday gifts.

For instance, National Geographic books inspire individuals to love and protect the underwater world. Books about scuba diving can also help them become better scuba divers and safe places to do it.

Scuba Diving Gadgets and Accessories

Thanks to technology, there are several gadgets that individuals can give to scuba divers. It includes a dive torch, GPS devices, underwater cameras, etc.

The above are some holiday gifts for scuba divers. The gifts should be unique and fit their budget range.

5 Things to Know Before Your First Scuba Dive

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5 Things to Know Before Your First Scuba Dive - By Kurt KuceraUpwards of 70% of the earth is covered by water. Yet, the vast majority of people on this planet haven’t dove beneath the surface and experienced what life is like under the sea. Scuba, first developed in the mid-20th century, allowed humans to dive deeper than thought physically possible and for the first time admire the seemingly alien beauty of the depths of the ocean. If you are someone who hasn’t yet been scuba diving, here are a few things you should keep in mind for entering the water.

Get Certified

Certification means that proper training has been completed and all the necessary techniques have been mastered. There are different certifications that can be acquired, but most beginner divers start with a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Open Water Diving rating. More than 60 percent of divers are certified by PADI, according to their website. Through this certification, there will be lessons in the classroom, pool, and lake or ocean training. Additionally, the certification teaches you how to properly assemble, operate and break down the scuba kit. The certification also allows someone to rent or purchase scuba equipment, refill air at dive centers and participate in dives both professionally and recreationally.

It does not take very long to get certified with PADI. In order to complete the certification, divers must complete five confined water dives, five classroom sessions, and four open water dives. Depending on the dive center, this can take between one and five days. During the multiple dive sessions, basic skills will be practiced, such as mask clearing, regulator clearing, and air management. The classroom sessions including reading the manual on the equipment, watching tutorials and answering questions from the readings and videos. Most of the work is done at home, but the classroom environment allows for questions to be answered by professionals. The final test comes in the open water dives where you will be tested under conditions that will be typical for diving.

Also, certifications with PADI do not expire. So once the training is complete, you are able to dive for the rest of your life without having to retake the class or pay any renewal fees.

Buy Equipment

After getting certified, it is time to buy the equipment. There are about twenty pieces of equipment that can be used during each dive. This can be expensive especially if you only plan on using the equipment a few times. If scuba diving is something you plan to do multiple times a year, then it may be helpful to start purchasing all the necessary equipment. If you only plan on diving a few times a year, there are facilities that allow for rental of their equipment.

Some of the basic equipment includes a mask, fins, buoyancy control device (BCD), regulator, a submersible pressure gauge (SPG) and a wetsuit. A mask is critical when it comes to diving. This tempered-glass lens allows for divers to see clearly underwater without having to expose their eyes to the high pressure of the water. Fins are used with almost all forms of diving and help divers move through the water with minimal effort and maximum efficiency. Next is the BCD or buoyancy control device. This gives you control under the water, allowing you the ability to float near the surface or sink to the bottom to explore. This also houses your tank. A regulator makes scuba diving, scuba diving. The regulator delivers the air from the tank to you in order for you to breathe underwater. Along with the regulator, a submersible pressure gauge or SPG is needed. This shows you much air is remaining in your tank. This is crucial information, especially if you are doing deep sea diving. Finally, the wetsuit provides protection and warmth during the dives. These are just some of the pieces needed to complete the dive.

Find a Buddy

It is almost always helpful to have another person for safety with you when performing any task. scuba diving is no exception. It is recommended that whenever someone is scuba diving, they bring someone with them. This ensures safety because if something goes wrong underwater, there will be someone there able to help you. Although diving can be relaxing just floating through the vast amount of space, there is always a chance that something could happen and it is a good practice to have someone with you for those situations of panic. They can help you, but you can also help them. It is also exciting to share the experience with someone and be able to discuss everything that happened underwater when you get back on land.

It is not required, but having someone get certified with you can also be beneficial. Having another person to help answer questions or practice concepts with is going to benefit you.

Pick a Location

After getting certified, the equipment and a buddy, it is time to choose where you want to go. There are tons of places to go scuba diving. Realistically, anywhere there is water you can dive. Of course, check with local regulations to make sure it is legally allowed first. Decide if you want to jump into warm tropical waters to explore coral reefs or if cold water exploration is something that interests you. Either way, make sure to follow all local laws and scuba safety when diving.

Jump In

The time is now, your first dive. All the tests and practice dives have been completed, equipment has been purchased or rented, a buddy is by your side, and you have your location. So go out there and explore the open waters. Have fun diving, just be sure to always be safe. Check equipment before every dive, do not just trust that everything is correct. Make sure you and your buddy have a plan once you dive in. This will ensure safety and fun for the both of you. Finally, it’s time. Take a deep breath and fall in. Get completely submerged in the water and begin your exploration of what lies beneath the surface of the water.