diving experience essay

Reflections on my journey — within and without

Facing My Fear: My First Scuba Diving Experience and What It Taught Me About Life

For as long as I’ve known A, one of my closest friends and a diving enthusiast, I’ve been privy to breathtaking videos and countless stories about the mysteries and magic of the underwater world. It was a matter of time before I experienced scuba-diving myself, but first I had to learn how to swim!

What held me back was my fear of deep water, a phobia I’ve carried since I (marginally) drowned as a kid.

Last year, while on a sabbatical from work, I decided it was time to overcome my fear. I enrolled myself in swimming lessons and over the course of a month, I went from being terrified of the deep side of the pool to loving how weightless I felt in the water, particularly when my feet didn’t touch the ground!

Now that the main hurdle was out of the way, I enrolled for the PADI Open Water Diver course with a dive shop in Goa. I was excited to see fishes, sea turtles, sea urchins, sharks, octopuses, and all the other water babies we associate with underwater life.

Little did I know what I was in for…

My First Scuba Diving Experience

My first scuba diving experience turned out to be the most terrifying experience of my life!!!

I was overwhelmed by the theory modules even before I reached Goa. Just reading ‘ buoyancy ’ and ‘ air pressure ’ took me back to my maths and physics exams in school and made me nauseous.

Further, I wasn’t expecting to be tested on skills like mask and regulator clearing, wearing and removing one’s Buoyancy Control Device underwater, emergency actions in case of no oxygen, etc. — in the deep sea! All I had imagined was playing with fishes…

It didn’t help that the underwater visibility in Goa was very poor (between 2-5 meters), leaving me overwhelmed, scared, and wondering how I got myself there! (Needless to say, I was mad at my dear friend for misrepresenting the experience to me.)

After four grueling days of theory sessions, confined water dives in the pool, open water dives in the sea, and very supportive peers, I miraculously cleared all the skill tests and theory exams (even scored the highest in them!). However, my Instructor refused to submit my papers for certification.

Despite clearing all the tests, I was visibly terrified and under-confident underwater. He asked me to come back before the diving season ends and do a few more dives with him to build my confidence before he submits my papers to PADI for certification.

To be honest, by this point I couldn’t care less about being certified. I’d taken the theory a bit too seriously, and with my anxiety kicking in (leading to a lot of unnecessary overthinking), I’d spent the last few days (and nights) constantly visualizing myself shooting up like a balloon and bursting my lungs — an example given in the modules for what might happen if you don’t adapt to pressure changes underwater on time!

I could see what a huge expectation mismatch there was between what I thought I’d be doing and what the course actually entailed, and all I craved by the end of it (the last day of the course also happened to be my birthday!) was solitude, a drink, and some sleep. Screw the certification. I was just glad to be alive!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I looked back at the experience and pondered over what I could have done differently to have had a more pleasant experience. While I was overjoyed (and equal part amused) at the amount of physics I now knew (sparking a newfound interest in the subject), I recognized the role that my fear and anxiety played in offsetting my experience. I understood that at the end of the day, it was a mind game, and if I could train my mind to overcome my fear and anxiety, I would be able to sail through this.

Fast Forward

This week (three months later), I came back to Goa to complete two dives with my Instructor. I knew that if I didn’t give it another shot (sooner than later), I would always carry the fear with me, and it would only get worse with time.

As I revised the fundamentals and assembled my kit, I thought to myself- this is it . I took a deep breath, put on my gear, sat on the edge of the boat, held my mask in place with my fingers, and did a back roll into the sea. Splash!

Three hours later- I am a certified PADI Open Water Diver 🙂

While I had quite a topsy-turvy experience, the feeling of weightlessness in water is unparalleled , and apart from scuba divers, it is only experienced by astronauts in space. It’s also fascinating to see a whole different world underwater, oblivious to the happenings of the world on land .

Life Lessons from Diving

Going through any challenging experience that is far outside one’s comfort zone invariably brings with it numerous life lessons. Needless to say, this experience taught me a lot about myself and my fears , and I write this post to share a part of this with you, in case it benefits anyone else out there.

Additionally, understanding the curriculum of the PADI Open Water Diver course and being fully aware of what you’re signing up for can go a long way in ensuring you have a great experience from the onset. So, I’m also including some practical information and tips towards the latter part of the post for those considering pursuing the course.

Lesson 1: There’s no other way to face your fear except to FACE IT.

As they say, the fear of X is often scarier than X itself. And once fear takes over, all rationality goes for a toss.

So what does it mean to face your fear?

As I see it, it’s a four-step process:

Accept The first step is to accept and acknowledge your fear, not with anger or resentment, but with peace and equanimity. Everyone has fears, the object and degree might vary, but we have all felt it in some form and at some point in time in our lives.
Observe The next step is to observe it, not just at the superficial level, but as deeply as you possibly can. Where is the fear stemming from? What is the root cause? How do you feel? How do you respond to it? What are its triggers? Are your concerns rational?
Visualize Once you understand your fear, try to visualize what overcoming it looks like. What is it likely to entail? What will you do if the fear creeps in? How would you feel when you overcome it? Visualizing success is often half the battle won, as it instills a certain degree of confidence and hope, rendering what you’re seeking to do as a realistic possibility.
Act Visualizing can help give you the necessary ammunition to act. Beyond a point, you just need to tell yourself to take that leap of faith and jump into it head-on. If you succeed, it’s worth rewarding yourself, and even if you don’t, celebrate the fact that you had the courage to give it a shot. Remember, the journey is more important than the destination 🙂

Lesson 2. Control your breath, control your mind.

All emotions, including fear, impact our breath. By focusing on your breath, you’ll also be able to realize and acknowledge that you’re afraid, and then direct your mind back to the present moment, so that you can pause your mind from ruminating over whatever it is you’re afraid of.

While this is a universal skill that is relevant for anything you do, scuba diving, in particular, is all about breathing. By controlling the speed and frequency of your breath, you can control your buoyancy underwater.

Ultimately, it’s a mind game, and given that the mind has both a conscious and an unconscious side to it, by being aware of your breath and gaining control over it, you can also gain control over your mind.

Lesson 3. Be like water, my friend.

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

You can’t control water, so the best thing you can do while diving is to adapt to the environment rather than fight it or try to control it. Be aware of when to ride into, against, or parallel to the current, and you’re likely to be fine. The more rigid and tense you are, the more likely you are to panic and mess up.

Lesson 4. Don’t take perceived failure and perceived success seriously.

When I did the course in January 2019, I was the only one who didn’t get certified, because what I lacked was confidence, not knowledge.

There were other students who weren’t as thorough with the theory but were comfortable in the water, and so with a few extra hours of work on the theory, managed to complete their tests and clear the course.

I didn’t take this as a personal failure; I was proud that I’d gotten out of my comfort zone and didn’t give up even after realizing how mentally unprepared I was to go through this experience. But I won’t lie- I did feel quite shitty for not getting certified (especially since I’d cleared all the tests).

This week, as I set out for two fun dives, purely to build my confidence and comfort in the water, I happened to be the only one on the boat who had dived before (not counting the instructors and divemasters). Everyone else was a first-time diver doing a 20-minute introductory dive with an instructor, just to get a feel of scuba diving.

After the dives, while everyone was chit-chatting about the low visibility and how they’d underestimated how difficult it would be to equalize underwater, one of them turned to me and exclaimed “Ila, you’re a pro!” . I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and exchange glances with one of the divemasters, who knew how daunting the whole experience had been for me and that I was far from a pro !

This exchange reminded me about how we often get so caught up in perceived failures and perceived successes . At the end of the course the first time around, I was the only one who hadn’t been certified and well-meaning people shed encouraging words, but it sounded more like they were pacifying me about a failure. This time, it was the exact opposite, with people considering me to be far more proficient at diving than I actually was.

Perceptions are so contextual and relative that it’s futile to take them seriously. It’s best to accept things as they are, and simply strive to get better with each attempt, pushing the bar you set for yourself, rather than getting caught up with what others think.

Ultimately, you’re the writer of your own script, and if you believe you can do something, that’s all that matters, and that’s enough to get you to your destination — sooner or later. What’s the rush anyway?

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Tips for Students

For the benefit of those considering the PADI Open Water Diver course, I’m listing below a few tips and suggestions:

For beginners who may not be very comfortable or exposed to the sea, I’d recommend doing the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course (or the Introduction to Scuba Diving variant in India) to get a feel of scuba diving, before deciding to do the Open Water Diver course.
After completing the PADI Open Water Diver certification, you’re required to dive at least once in 6 months , or else you’ll have to take a refresher course. Assess how often you’re likely to go scuba diving after the course.
Some dive shops suggest that you need not know how to swim in order to dive, however, the PADI Open Water Diver course includes a 200m swimming test (any style, approx. 6 laps of continuous swimming) and a 10 minute back float. More importantly, being comfortable in the water can go a long way in enhancing your experience.
Low visibility can be scary and unnerving for first-time divers and novices so I would recommend doing the course in clearer waters, even though Goa is likely to be the cheapest option. Within India, Andamans, Lakshadweep, and Netrani islands are some options. Outside India, Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives have clear waters and plenty of good dive shops.
While PADI is still the most popular certification authority, SSI is fast picking up and may not be a bad option to go for (for one, it is slightly cheaper).
Do not take the course theory lightly ; it is better to go through the modules at leisure prior to the course (keep at least a week for this as it can be a lot of information to process in one go). The course has 5 modules that cover different aspects of scuba diving, from basic physics and scuba skills to details about scuba diving equipment.
The practical side of scuba diving is a whole different ball game! People who might be good at theory may struggle underwater, and people who aren’t very strong with their theory might actually be like naturals in the water. So don’t take either of them lightly!

PADI Open Water Diver Course

I did my PADI Open Water Diver course with Dive Goa in Candolim, Goa. The course runs over 4 full days, certifies you to dive up to 18 meters/60 feet anywhere in the world, and costs approx. INR 24,000.

The same team also runs Dive Netrani in Murudeshwar, Karnataka, where the visibility is better, but the course costs slightly more at approx. INR 26,500.

At both places, the diving season runs from October to May, and both PADI and SSI certification courses are offered.

Other Recommended Dive Centres in India Aqua Nomads, Andamans India Scuba Explorers, Andamans West Coast Adventures, Goa & Murudeshwar Temple Adventures, Pondicherry

Other Recommended Dive Centres in South East Asia Fulidhoo Dive & Water Sports, Maldives Planet Nomadas, Indonesia Trawangan Dive Centre, Indonesia Bali Dive Trek, Indonesia Koh Tao Divers, Thailand

sebastian-pena-lambarri-1220220-unsplash

Have you tried scuba diving? How was your experience? Tell me in the comments below.

Follow me on instagram @ilareddy for behind-the-scenes content..

Also read: Flying Like A Bird At 8000 ft: My First Paragliding Experience in Bir-Billing A Taste of Thailand: First Timer’s Guide to Ten Days in the Land of Smiles Floating My Way to Peace in a Sensory Deprivation Tank

29 comments on “ Facing My Fear: My First Scuba Diving Experience and What It Taught Me About Life ”

Good Life Lessons.And articulate as always.

Thank you 😊

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You had a good instructor. You’ll use up air quickly if you aren’t relaxed. How to relax? Breathe correctly. Any way, keep on Putting Another Dollar In (to your training).

Some very relevant observations and experiences however be very wary about recommending dive schools you have no direct exposure to, it can backfire and your knowledge of PADI and SSI courses should really be left to the professionals that deliver them. I love your enthusiasm and wish you a long enjoyable diving career.

Thanks Simon! I got the recommendations from my diving instructors and friends who have done the course at these dive shops personally, so they are verified.

Loved your content. It’s wonderfully coincidental for me to stumble upon this article, as I’m currently at the brink of a phase where you once were. I’m about to take a sabbatical and catch a break for a few months to pursue several areas of interest including Scuba Diving! I relate to your childhood trauma of the near drowning experience as well, which pushed me to explore scuba diving not once but twice in my life so far (Pondicherry and Andaman). Having said that, your article has certainly given me a fresh perspective on pressure points and expectations when I eventually get back into the water again 🙂

Well done mate 👌… I can understand the situation you have been…but you made it …. Congratulations… Even I did my open water to Instructor course in Goa. I can relate myself during those days 😁😁 . But only difference was I seen the Ocean first time in my life during my open water course….I can’t forget the my first back roll even today…

Good luck 🤙

Thanks Praveen 🙂 Kudos to you for braving the experience on your first visit to the ocean!! The back roll is indeed unforgettable.

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Thankyou for sharing this scuba!. It seems awesome pose with underwater view. Cool post!

Thank you for sharing your experience with scuba diving. I can’t wait for the another experience of you

I just did my first dive (ever) today and was very panicked even though I did the exercises in the pool with ease. Something about being in the sea made my extremely uneasy. Everyone around me have dived before and I’m the only first time diver. It is so so so amazing to read your experience and being able to relate to it gives me a lot of peace and confidence. Hopefully I can pass my underwater skills tomorrow and keep my cool!

It’s so lovely to hear from you while you’re doing your diving course 🙂 I hope your open water dives went well! Either ways, all the best. It’s a whole different world underwater!

Interesting post there. The insights here are essential and I’ll keep them in mind for sure! I want to share a company that is specialized in diving classes. “ Frog Dive “. They have classes and courses that suits all diving skill levels. Thanks again!

Whether you are a first-time scuba diver or an experienced diver looking for a new challenge, scuba diving can offer you an unforgettable experience.

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I’ve been diving for a while now, and I love it. It’s like an extension of my other hobbies: hiking and biking. You get to see something new every time you dive, and you never know what you’re going to find!

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FootLoose Dev

Travel blog by an Indian travel blogger.

My First Scuba Diving Experience

Life Underwater: a serene, slow-motion world, almost tranquil and unreal.

I remember during my first scuba diving experience I was half scared. The idea of leaving the world I knew and entering into something far more mysterious and oblivious was undoubtedly scary. And the fact that every cry, every yell, was only going to be left unheard underwater, was, moreover, alarmingly daunting.

For the first 5 minutes of my scuba experience, I did not take my eyes off my instructor and the other two fellow divers. They seemed to be my only hope. But as I slowly sank down, listening to a louder ‘pop’ in my left ear, I began to take shape and come into focus.

Nearly 12 metres down in the depths of the Arabian Sea, the life I saw, existing and moving was totally magical.

I remember I stopped breathing for a minute — not out of fear but sheer awe and wonder. The world slowed as I tried to savour every moment, remembering every detail.

Life underwater, as I explored during my scuba diving experience, was more beautiful than I imagined, and the tranquillity was far unparalleled – something that I never found even in the most isolated, quarantined corners of the Himalayas.

In less than 40 minutes of our first dive, I was sure that this is more surreal than any city, any town, or any sunset, I had ever seen in life.

I saw uncountable fishes dancing in their ever-impressive formation. Candy-hued coral swayed underneath like a colourful Monet. Crabs were crawling across the seafloor, as the colourful parrotfishes appeared, out of sudden, eating algae off of coral reefs.

Life underwater is beautiful. And the many nameless fish – both tiny and moderate in size, zigzagging their way around you, makes the entire scuba experience, even more magical, or fairy-tale-like, perhaps!

The discovery of a Pufferfish, who was almost ready to dispense her magic upon us, as I remember, was the highlight. At Suzy’s wreck – a 30 m-long World War ruin, the sheer amount of wildlife present was incredible. The discoveries were endless.

I cannot recommend WestCoastAdventures more highly for this experience. What could have been very intimidating and panic-inducing situations, they made safe and fun. It felt like diving with old friends.

One thing I particularly loved about them was that they took photos for me and gave them to me for free. Though I had my own Underwater Action Camera with me, it was wonderful to have photos of myself underwater when I was the one behind the lens. So next time you visit Goa (I am sure you’re planning a trip around New Year) get thyself a little deeper than the shallow Goa beaches and experience something new.

If you are scared of a similar Scuba diving experience then let me tell you that you have no reason to be. Read about the common Scuba Diving Myths here and find out how most of the scary news about it is just a myth. Remember, it is not risky!

And if you still lack the motivation to do it, read these Motivating Travel Quotes I’ve handpicked for you!

Thanks for sharing the information and your post more useful for everyone. Scubanautic is one of the Best Dive Center in Mallorca. You can get the best experience by doing Scuba Diving, Cave Diving Mallorca, etc. We provide all Scuba Diving at affordable rates.

Amazing experience

Great view of underwater life. Thanks, for sharing your diving experience with us.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the PADI course!

Nice video, I visited Goa with my family. The awesome part of my trip was Scuba diving. It was an amazing experience. We enjoyed a lot and it was a memorable experience. Staff is very cooperative. Thanks to sea water sports.

We all have one thing in life which we can’t forget, in my life the best was scuba diving with sea water sports. They greed you so well and the activities were super awesome I cant express my words n it was just worth it. Every one should try this watersports activity. thank you sea water sports.

My experience was pretty good. I visited along with my friends. The awesome part of my trip was scuba diving. It was an amazing experience and also scuba diving was too good I have enjoyed a lot and was a memorable experience, I would like to visit again whenever I got chance to visit Goa. thank u sea water sports.

Cool experience to share. Thanks for your nice explanation. Would love to try this out.

Paisa vasool, very nice experience to be with marine life. Lots of corals and beautiful fishes. Trainers are very helpful and friendly. please do go for this activity. We had memorable Scuba diving here. Staff is very courteous and helpful. Thanks to sea water sports make my trip fantastic.

Absolutely amazing scuba diving! super service, great value for money… all our family had a lovely relaxed day. Highly recommend to everyone coming to Goa. thank u Sea Water Sports.

Hello.. Among the various things to do in Goa, for the adventurous spirit, there are always the depths of the sea to explore. Scuba Diving In Goa has been left nearly untouched by the multitude of tourists that come to Goa every year.

This time try something different when you are in Goa and scuba diving is that ‘something different’. great article.

Oh my god. I love this <3 soo many exciting experiences. Definately I will buy Xiomi YI Underwater Action Camera also It's cheaper than Gopro 5 Thank's Dev for share with us.

I adore your writing style. I remember my first scuba diving experience, it was in Koh Tao. I was so scared and nervous at first, but then I actually started to like it. By now I’ve had many scuba diving adventures and many others to go.

The way you describe your experience is great. I can almost feel that myself is also there diving with you and seeing what you saw. The underwater view is indeed beautiful and it is impossible to not be in awe once you see it for yourself such beauty. I think I get the tranquility you’re talking about and how the world seems to slow down when you’re underwater. I have never tried to scuba dive before but I do snorkeling a lot. It might be almost the same experience but then it could be totally different. There is always the first time for things, but there can be or can not be the second time, yes? Depends on how the first impression got us. As you said you’d definitely going for the diving again, you absolutely should check us out. Not only you can dive into the beautiful spots with us but you can also cruise with us to the absolutely stunning places. Please do check us out, thank you!

That trip looks amazing! Do you like the Xiaomi Yi action camera? I have been thinking of getting it as well, seeing how it is so much cheaper than GoPro.

Hi Savanna, yes I use Xiomi Yi and except for shooting in low light conditions, I think it’s a better alternative to GoPro, given its much wider lens and ofcourse, cheaper price! And by the way, you do product reviews, I’m sure you know better!

Hi dev What a nice experience it is. I really loved it. Do you know? All the picture are looking nice. I think, you felt excited and better when you driving scuba. What is your next plan? Can you share with me? I always try to something new too. Whatever everyone should know that experience sharing is most important for spending enjoyable time. Your article is very readable so keep it up. Thanks!

Dude you are amazing. Exploring new places. In previous birth u did something good. As a result of that you are enjoying your life with mother nature in this birth.envy you.next time take me with you I want to try something new too. Anyway, All the best! keep travelling and visit new places as much as you can. Hope one day I will join you. Have fun. Keep in touch! Keep rocking!!

Thanks for your wonderful comment Shravana. And yes, you’re always invited to travel along.

Nice Dev. Where did you do it by the way?

I did it in Goa.

That was quite an experience bro. You did it in Goa? How was the visibility? I also want to do it……

Visibility remained around 10 meters. The best I had was 12 meters. Yea give it a try the next time you visit there. If bounded with time, you can also go for a single open water dive. Good luck.

okay thankyou

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My First Scuba-Diving Experience

Some people are scared to try scuba-dive. Some people LOVE this sport and always find their excuses to go somewhere only to dive. Is this sport has some similarities with my favorite fruit — durian? Either you LOVE it, or you HATE it. Or just don’t have the courage to try.

I’ve been thinking to take a course on scuba-dive months ago, but wasn’t sure coz I’m scared of snakes! Sea snakes. Thinking about it makes me sick and all frightened.

So, after taking a private lesson from my diving instructor, Mbak Vita, I went to Sepa Island in Thousand Island with her and another girl, Anin, to take the final exam and get the PADI open water dive certificate. Here’s my first experience (again, feel free to laugh at me):

First dive, 12 meters depth. Tried hard not to panic. “What the hell am I doing?”, I said to myself. What if something bad happened?” But I kept a positive thought: “It’s gonna be a wonderful experience. Just do it!” Then I sinked myself and went down… deeper.. and deeper.. I could feel my heart beats fast and my ears hurt as I went deeper. Following my diving instructor, I equalized my ears often, until I felt comfortable to explore the underwater sea..

So, that was the first dive. In total, we dove 5 times in 2 days. Managed to dive up to 18 meters depth. The next dives were smooth and for sure I didn’t lose my fin! hehehe… Was so happy to see different types of fish swimming in front of me as if I was invisible. The sea definitely looks beautiful underwater and it really amazed me to realize that there are thousands of creatures living under the sea. Peacefully.

It was indeed so peaceful down there. So quiet. All I could hear was only my breath… breathing in.. breathing out.. while enjoying the “green world” and its inhabitants around me.. Now I can see why people LOVE it 🙂

Treasure in trash

Taman Bacaan Keliling untuk Anak-Anak di Flores

My fave menu in Izzi Pizza

23 comments.

Wow, that looks so exciting. I’ve been wanting to do it too, but somehow I just didn’t have the chance. Diving deep into the water sounds great.

I learned to dive with Morgan and Caroline on Heron Island. Morgan was my buddy. A very silly buddy who went off doing somersaults and crazy things when we were meant to be practising our skills. I too was very nervous of sea snakes and moray eels. My instructor wouldn’t let me quit until I had done one open water dive. Once I was out in the open water I loved it. I have very happy memories of learning to dive.

what about sharks nil? i always wanting and planning to learn how to dive but in here am scared of sharks and of course sea snakes..:D

@guebukanmonyet: make the time to take the course. it’s really worth it! 🙂

Hi lucy, that was nice to hear your diving experience with Morgan. I could see he’s doing it! 😀 Thanks for sharing it, Lucy.. 🙂 And i guess we both were lucky that we didn’t bump into sea snakes and moray eels!

Ria, Am scared of sharks too! But then people say convinced me that as long as we stay calm, they wouldn’t attack us. Ah well, I guess we just have to keep crossing our fingers every time we dive! hehehe… (I’ve told myself, if I follow my fear, then I wouldn’t be able to experience the beauty of the under water sea… that would be such a waste, wouldn’t that?)

hihii i love this blog!

Hmmm… I think i have to try it. But the problem is can’t swim. Hikz.

@indhy: thank youuuu! ^-^

@evelyn: well, girl… i guess u’ve gotta learn to swim first! ;D hehehe..

is there a chance for a girl who ware a veil like me?

Oh I wish I have your courage to finally go down there, done snorkel twice and I freaked out every time I can not see the bottom :)).

Almost break the snorkel instructor while I was in Bunaken, but I have to admit it that under the sea is beautiful.

Wish I have your courage to finally go down under the sea.

Done snorkel twice and I almost break the guide’s finger coz I won’t let go his fingers and I freak out every time I can not see the bottom of the sea 🙂

Hello friend, nice to meet you, I have some underwater pictures & video clip to share with you, If you don’t mind pls visit my blogspot. Thank You. Bye. Have a nice day.

From : WangKhongHwee Country : MALAYSIA https://wkh1976.blogspot.com

i did my first scuba diving this year in thailand and it was so awesome!! i tell ya it won’t be the last time i will be at the bottom!

I've been struggling on my writing project!! So I came up with making a story up about me taking my first dive. Of course I've never really done it. c: I've had the chance to. My dad begged me to do it. But I'm just not very interested in it. He also begs me to take flying lessons… I hate airplanes!!>< ANYWAYS. This story is helping/helped me write my 6 paragraph story. I'm only an eight grader. But my teacher told my class to write a 6 paragraph story about something we did this summer. I couldn't think of anything!! So I wasted 3 days in class… and now she is making us write it out on the computer and etc. Major grade. >< So… last minute story. :] Soo… this helped!

That sounds so exciting.learning to scuba dive is a really good experience.Reading your exciting scuba dive moment is pretty interesting.

That must have been such an awesome experience. I've never been scuba diving before, but you almost make me want to go.This is very interesting blog.

Thanks for your compliment 🙂 Why don't you try scuba-diving? You can start taking a Discover Scuba Diving lesson first 😉 and see whether you enjoy the experience.

Diving with sharks is extremly diving adventure, but only for people who never dived with shars. They are beautiful and elegant creatures and not danger at all! i did it so many times! I like your diving experience, hope you'll continue with diving. You have great talent for writing! Bike Racks Mike

@Bike Racks Mike: thanks for your compliment on my writing :). Now, I've dived with sharks many times, too and got really addicted with scuba-diving! Do you remember your experience seeing lots of sharks? Where was it? Mine was in Palau, Micronesia (grey reef sharks), Komodo National Park, Indonesia and Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia –> mostly white tip and black tip reef sharks.

hey!!!! Lucy after listening ur experience i also want 2 do this but i dun't think i will be able 2 do this thing any day…….whatever…nice expereince u hv shared with us…

hey!!!! lucy afer listening ur comment i also want 2 do this….. bt. don't think that i would be able 2 do this any day…anyways….it was nice experience u hv shared with us.

@Nupur: you're welcome!

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5 Things I Learned From My First Scuba Dive

The Reef-World Foundation

30 nov 2020, thank you to hannah hesford for this guest post:.

5 things I learned from my first scuba dive

They say scuba diving opens up a world of possibilities, from facing your fears to learning new skills and exploring places beyond your imagination. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to do all three on a reef dive at the Gili Islands in Indonesia.

Here are a few things I learned from my first ever scuba dive…

Diving is a lot like meditation

I’d always thought of scuba diving as an activity for serious adrenaline junkies. But after my first dive, I realised that it has far more in common with yoga and meditation than it does extreme sports.

On land, switching off your brain (and your phone) can be a struggle. Breathing is something that just happens without thinking and rarely do we take the time to stop and just ‘be.’

Photo of scuba diver swimming in the ocean with an underwater statue

When you’re diving, it’s a totally different ball game because being immersed underwater is such a sensory experience. Everything you can feel, hear and see comes into sharp focus. Your breathing becomes slow, purposeful and rhythmic. And you’re suddenly aware of how your movements connect with each intake of breath.

It’s hard to feel distracted when nature is putting on a show-stopping performance and you’re right there on the stage. To me, this is what living in the present moment feels like!

on a scuba dive, We’re visitors in another world

Something I hadn’t really considered before my first scuba dive was just how human-centric our lives are on land; particularly in Western society. Everything seems to revolve around the human experience: from motorways to fast food. We are the centre of the universe (or so we think).

But when you enter the marine world as a diver, it’s a different story entirely. All of a sudden, you’re the outsider. A guest in someone else’s home.

Photo of fish on coral reef with scuba diver in the background. Source: Unsplash

Seeing a coral reef for the first time is a humbling experience, especially because almost everything in front of you is alive and part of a delicate ecosystem of life. From the moment you submerge, you become a quiet observer in a vast universe of biodiversity. Here, clownfish weave among anemones and bumphead parrotfish munch on their favourite coral. Everything here has its place and purpose. Nothing is ours to take or touch. Suddenly, your own world feels rather tiny and you realise just how awesome and precious our oceans are.

Sharks aren’t the bad guys (we are)

Like many kids, I grew up watching the film, Jaws . But as I grew up, I couldn’t shake off that eerie leitmotif that seemed to follow me around wherever I swam. After all, sharks are the bad guys, right? Or so we’ve been led to believe.

This irrational fear of sharks followed me as far as the Gili Islands. “I just hope we don’t see a shark,” I told my diving buddy, moments before taking the plunge. So when I did have my first encounter, I was surprised at how I felt. This was the moment I’d been nervous about for so many years. Yet, I felt no fear. Just peace and appreciation.

Silhoutte of a shark in the ocean from below

It was a lone blacktip reef shark and I watched in delight as it zipped gracefully between the coral, in search of a hiding place. For the first time, I saw sharks in a new light. Vulnerable, not menacing. Just animals trying to survive in a world where up to 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans . When you put it that way, it’s easy to see who the real bad guys are.

Calm is power (both underwater and above)

There are some lessons you learn from scuba diving that can have a profound impact on how you experience the world on land. Keeping calm under pressure (quite literally!) is one of them.

Being underwater can throw up all sorts of unexpected challenges, be it a flooded mask or a strong current. Stressful situations like these can easily lead to panic, especially if you’re a novice diver. But when you panic, your body goes into high alert. Your heart races, your breath quickens and logical thinking goes out the window.

Photo of scuba diver swimming in the water column. Source: Unsplash

Scuba diving reinforces the value of keeping your cool when things get tough. It teaches us to stop, breathe, think and act. And that’s a good mantra for above water too. Life can be stressful. But even when you feel out of your depth, you’re still in control. So take a deep breath.

Our oceans need our protection

More than anything else, my first scuba dive gave me a much deeper appreciation for our oceans and a renewed sense of environmental stewardship to protect them. Now I understand why divers are so passionate about ocean and reef conservation. They know just how much is at stake.

Coral reefs are wondrous places. As well as looking beautiful, they’re also a source of food and habitat for thousands of species of fish. They protect coasts from storm erosion and provide income to local economies too. But they’re also under threat.

Beautiful reef and orange fish in Okinawa sea

Climate change, poor fishing practices, pollution and irresponsible tourism are just a few of the stressors coral reefs face. The good news is there are lots of simple changes we can all make to protect them, whether that’s choosing to dive with a Green Fins member , never touching or taking marine life or switching to reef-safe sunscreen .

With any hope, the actions we all take today will help preserve our oceans and reefs far into the future.

The Green Fins initiative is supported by:

1-3 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, Bristol, England, UK, BS7 8AA +44 (0) 56 0366 2089

Essay on Scuba Diving

Students are often asked to write an essay on Scuba Diving in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Scuba Diving

Introduction to scuba diving.

Scuba diving is a fantastic underwater sport. Scuba, an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, allows divers to explore the sea’s depths.

Equipment Used

Divers use special gear, including a mask, fins, a tank, a regulator, and a buoyancy control device. This equipment helps them breathe, move, and stay safe underwater.

Benefits of Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is not only fun but also educational. It allows us to observe marine life up close, promoting understanding and respect for our oceans.

Learning to Scuba Dive

Anyone can learn to scuba dive with proper training. It’s important to respect safety rules to enjoy this unique experience.

250 Words Essay on Scuba Diving

Scuba diving, an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, is more than a recreational activity. It’s a gateway to an underwater world that holds remarkable biodiversity and serene beauty, offering unique experiences and insights into marine life.

The Art of Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is an art that requires mastering specific skills, such as buoyancy control, navigation, and equipment handling. It’s a blend of physical prowess and mental resilience, demanding a keen understanding of your body and the underwater environment. Training and certification, typically from organizations like PADI or SSI, are prerequisites for safe diving.

Scuba Diving and Marine Biology

Scuba diving is also a valuable tool for marine biology and underwater archaeology. It allows scientists to study aquatic ecosystems, observe marine species in their natural habitat, and explore sunken artifacts, contributing to our understanding of the world.

Scuba Diving: A Sustainable Practice

However, it’s essential to maintain a sustainable approach to scuba diving. Over-tourism and improper diving practices can harm delicate marine ecosystems. Initiatives like ‘Dive Against Debris’ encourage divers to collect and report underwater debris, promoting a cleaner ocean.

In conclusion, scuba diving is not just an adventure sport, but a medium to connect with the underwater world, contributing to its preservation. It’s a blend of thrill and tranquility, offering an unparalleled experience that leaves a lasting impact on the diver.

500 Words Essay on Scuba Diving

Technological evolution in scuba diving.

Scuba diving has evolved significantly since its inception, driven by advancements in technology. Early diving was restricted by the need for a surface air supply, limiting the diver’s mobility and depth. The invention of the Aqua-Lung by Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan in 1943 revolutionized diving, allowing divers to carry their air supply, thereby increasing their range and depth.

Modern scuba diving equipment has evolved to include buoyancy control devices, underwater propulsion, and advanced diving computers that monitor depth, dive time, and decompression status. These advancements have made scuba diving safer and more accessible, allowing divers to explore deeper and stay underwater longer.

The Allure of Scuba Diving

Scuba diving also provides an opportunity to witness the vibrant biodiversity of marine life. From coral reefs teeming with colorful fish to the mysterious depths inhabited by unique creatures, each dive is a new adventure. It’s also an avenue to witness first-hand the impacts of climate change and human activities on marine ecosystems, often inspiring divers to become advocates for marine conservation.

Scuba Diving: A Gateway to Scientific Research

Scuba diving is not only a recreational activity but also a valuable tool for scientific research. Marine biologists, archaeologists, and geologists use scuba diving to study marine life, explore underwater archaeological sites, and understand geological formations. It’s an essential method for collecting data in fields like marine biology and oceanography, contributing to our understanding of the world’s oceans and the life they harbor.

Conclusion: The Future of Scuba Diving

However, the future of scuba diving is not just about technological advancements. It’s also about fostering a greater appreciation for our oceans and their health. As more people experience the beauty and fragility of underwater ecosystems, it is hoped that they will become active participants in their conservation. Thus, scuba diving serves as a bridge between humans and the marine world, fostering understanding and inspiring protection for our oceans.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Your First Scuba Dive

Henk Ten Napel/Getty Images

Snowboarding

Chest-deep in calm turquoise waters, buoyancy compensator inflated, regulator in hand, you begin to wonder if learning to dive was really such a great idea. When you signed up for the open water course , scuba diving seemed like a great adventure, but now you're being asked to put your face in the water and inhale. Seriously?

When you first start your scuba-diving course, you might not have any idea what to expect, but your instructors will paint a very clear picture of what safety steps you must master before you'll be allowed to venture into the depths of whatever sea or lake or river sits nearby.

Scuba Courses Are Taught in 'Baby Steps'

A dive student's first dive will be at a controlled dive site such as a pool or shallow bay. At least one area of the dive site will be shallow enough to stand up in. What's more, before ever entering the water, a scuba instructor will explain to new divers how all the dive gear works and will familiarize them with safe-dive techniques.

Breathing Through a Scuba Regulator

Breathing through a scuba regulator for the first time feels strange — you're drawing breaths while your face is beneath the water. This is not a typical human behavior, so it's normal to be a little hesitant at first.

One trick is for students to put on their dive masks and practice breathing through the regulator above the water until they become comfortable with mouth-only breathing. Then, they lower just their faces into the water while exhaling fully through the regulator. This usually tricks the divers into breathing automatically, pushing them past the first, disconcerting step of inhaling underwater. The most important thing is to exhale fully after each breath. This practice prevents divers from hyperventilating and feeling starved for air. Some students adjust to regulator breathing after just a few breaths, while others take longer to gain confidence in their scuba equipment.

The Noisy Underwater Environment

Divers who have done research into scuba diving have probably read about the silent, relaxing underwater world. This description is not completely accurate. Breathing underwater generates significant noise. After a diver becomes accustomed to breathing underwater, he starts to tune out the bubbling sound of exhalation and the comforting whoosh of air as he inhales, but at the beginning, the sounds are surprisingly loud!

Water conducts sounds much more efficiently than air does because of its density. Sound waves travel more quickly in water and reach each of diver's ears almost simultaneously. Pinpointing the origin of a sound is difficult, as the physics of sound-wave transmission underwater make it seem that all sounds are coming from directly behind a diver's head. While these signals can be confusing at first, after a few dives you will adjust to this aspect of the underwater environment and will hardly notice it.

Underwater Vision

Most scuba masks cut off a diver's peripheral vision. At first, this restriction may make some divers feel claustrophobic. As with most aspects of scuba diving, however, new divers quickly acclimate to their limited field of vision. Imagine that you are driving a new car with some significant blind spots. These blind spots can be annoying the first time you use the vehicle, but after a few trips, you will become aware of exactly where the blind spots are and will learn to turn your head when you need to see into an area which is out of your field of vision. Scuba diving is just the same! If you cannot see your instructor, simply look left, right, up and down and you will find her.

Light behaves differently in water. Objects appear about 33 percent closer than they actually are. The implication of this change is that your dive buddy , instructor, the floor, the surface and every other object seems nearer than they are. (This also makes it really easy to read your gauges!) Most experienced divers do not even notice the magnification because a diver's brain quickly learns to adjust to the difference. A good way to speed the learning process is to touch objects such as the pool floor, pool wall, or your dive buddy. This technique will teach you how distant these objects really are. Never touch corals , fish, or other aquatic life, however.

Weightlessness and Freedom of Movement

One of the best parts of scuba diving is the feeling of weightlessness. Scuba divers can fly up, down, left and right. Divers can move easily in three dimensions. The trick is to relax into the weightless feeling of the water and let the water and your buoyancy compensator support you. Don't fight the water. At first, a new diver may feel that he needs to move to stay in position — he doesn't. Try to be as still as possible and enjoy the freedom from gravity. It's like being an astronaut!

The Density of Water Restricts Movements

Water is, of course, denser than air. A diver who tries to move quickly will feel resistance to his movements from the water and may quickly exhaust himself. Underwater movements, including swimming and arm motions, should be slow and controlled. After a diver accustoms himself to the resistance of the water, underwater movements become an exercise in forced relaxation, almost like Tai Chi.

You Might Need to Pee

The human body reacts in unusual ways to the underwater environment. Being surrounded by water lower than body temperature may lead to a physiological reaction known as cold water immersion diuresis . The body speeds up the synthesis of urine, leading to an immediate urge to urinate. On ocean dives, many divers simply pee in their wetsuits, but if a new diver is learning to dive in a pool, or is using a rental wetsuit, he may need to hold it needing to pee underwater is a completely normal consequence of scuba diving. If the need becomes too great and peeing in your wetsuit is impossible or disgusting to you, simply end the dive.

It Is Normal to Forget Skills, Hand Signals, and Other Instructions

The underwater environment exposes new divers to a new world. On your first dive, your brain is working hard to adjust to the feeling of weightlessness, the magnification of the water, underwater breathing and similar stimuli. This experience presents a huge amount of information to process, and sometimes instructions that seemed clear on the surface such as the use of hand signals and the steps of underwater skills get pushed to the back of a new diver's mind.

If your instructor has to bring you to the surface to explain something again, don't feel bad. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the new sensations. It is a new, delightful world down there!

Scuba Diving Takes a Little Getting Used To, but It's Worth the Effort!

Some divers take to scuba diving as if they were born part-fish. They put regulators in their mouths and off they swim! However, this "natural" diver is the exception rather than the rule. For most new divers, scuba diving feels a little strange at first. Be patient with yourself, don't rush through skills training, and take your time beneath the surface.

The Essential Gear for Scuba Diving
Open Water Referral Scuba Diving Certification
Scuba Diving Basics: Skills and Techniques
Scuba Diving During Menstruation
What Is the Minimum Age for Scuba Diving?
Is Scuba Diving Safe?
Prerequisites for Scuba Diving: Age and Health
7 Types of Gear Designed for Freedivers
Taking Decongestants and Scuba Diving
Can You Scuba Dive With Glasses or Contact Lenses?
The Most Important Rule in Scuba Diving: Never Hold Your Breath
What Does SCUBA Stand For?
Squeeze in Scuba Diving
Different Styles and Features of Scuba Fins
Tips and Uses for Old or Decommissioned Scuba Tanks
What Should You Wear Under Your Wetsuit?

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Scuba Diving: History, Techniques, and Benefits

Categories: Scuba Diving

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Words: 648 |

Published: Sep 12, 2023

Words: 648 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Introduction, a journey through scuba diving, descending into the depths, the joys of scuba diving, environmental concerns.

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Intro to Diving: My First and Definitely Not Last Scuba Diving Experience

Scuba diving.

What comes to your mind when you hear about this sport?

That’s understandable. It’s what I thought before I tried it.

Scuba diving is often thought of as expensive, especially compared to other activities like island hopping or even mountain climbing.

It’s also scary. When I ask friends to go on a beginner’s dive with me, their first excuse is always, “I can’t swim!”

We’re Missing Out!

People from all over the world visit the Philippines to see our diverse marine life. Yet very few Filipinos experience it to the fullest.

Sure, snorkeling and helmet diving gives you a glimpse of different fishes and corals. But both activities are worlds apart when compared to the freedom of movement diving gives you.

When I was scuba diving, I felt one with the sea. Because of the equipment used, I could breathe underwater and swim like a mermaid—unhindered by the lack of oxygen or currents underneath the surface.

Intro to Diving: My First and Definitely Not Last Scuba Diving Experience

What to Expect on Your First Dive

If you think learning how to dive is hard, don’t worry. New scuba divers aren’t expected to assemble equipment and jump of the boat on their first dive.

In fact, everything is taught in several steps:

Video lesson: First time divers watch a video explaining the basics of scuba diving, including a rundown of the equipment used and some of the skills they’ll learn on an intro dive or DSD.
Equipment and Skills Demonstration: You’ll get a close look at all the equipment you saw on the video. The instructor will show you how to assemble the gear, how to use them, and basic hand signals to communicate underwater. Warning: information overload!

Skills Test in a Pool or Shallow Water: This practical lesson ensures you understood all the equipment and lessons discussed during the demo. You’ll also learn what to do if you lose your breathing apparatus and get water in your mask. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time because the instructors are there to provide feedback and assist you all the way.

Dive (10 meters maximum for beginners): Why just 10 meters? I think because it’s deep enough that you can see different corals and marine life, but still safe enough that it doesn’t take long to reach the surface. Also, diving beyond this requires another set of skills, which are often thought in CMAS open water certification courses.

Getting to Know a Scuba Diver’s Gear

You’ve seen scuba divers in movies, right? They wear suits, masks, and carry scuba air tanks on their backs. But it’s so much more than that.

If you’re scared of drowning or sinking, the equipment demonstration will put your mind at ease. Each item in a diver’s gear is there for a specific purpose—to keep you safe underwater. Redundancies are also built in for almost every problem you might encounter.

List of Scuba Diving Equipment:

1. Scuba Tank: Filled with 3000 PSI of compressed air—not oxygen—a common misconception about diving.

2. Buoyancy Control Device (BCD): Refers to the jacket divers wear to control their depth underwater. You press a button to float or descend. So don’t worry about drowning because the BCD also doubles as a floatation device in emergencies, although that’s not really one of its recommended uses.

3. Regulator: Attached to the top of the tank and connects to a hose that allows you to breathe underwater. It’s also connected to your alternate air source and BCD inflator.

4. Mask: Allows you to see underwater, while protecting your eyes and nose. I asked my instructor why we need to wear masks and not goggles. Apparently, goggles aren’t allowed in scuba diving because as you go deeper, the pressure underwater will build up and cause your eyes to pop.

I imagine this is similar to what happens in cartoons when their eyes pop out of the sockets, except its gross. Masks also have a space for your nose so you can equalize as you go deeper.

5. Dive booties: Worn with fins to make them snug.

6. Fins: Aids your leg muscles and feet in swimming, so you can cover great distances with minimal effort. Less effort, means less oxygen consumption, which means you can spend more time underwater.

7. Wet suit: Protects your body from cold temperature.

8. Weight belt: Your body is built to float, even if you think you can’t. That’s why divers wear weight belts to help them descend, and stay there while diving.

9. Alternate air source: a spare regulator used in case of emergency, or if you need to share air with your dive buddy.

10. Pressure gauge: It’s connected to your tank and indicates how much air is left.

Basic Hand Signals

Scuba divers communicate through hand signals. We were only taught the basics, but I later found out there are probably ten more signals, one for almost every situation imaginable. I guess that’s to prevent new divers from getting overwhelmed.

Here’s a list of the basic hand signals you can expect to learn on your first scuba diving experience:

The first signal they’ll teach you. It’s a ‘demand-response’ signal, which means you’re required to signal back with the appropriate response. For instance, if another diver gives you the “ okay ” sign, they’re asking if you’re okay. And you need to signal either “ okay ” back or the signal for something is wrong.

2. Something is Wrong (aka So-So)

Palms down , half rotating or swinging the hand from left to right to signal your dive buddy that you’re not well or comfortable. It’s the opposite of the “ okay ” sign. Divers are instructed to immediately stop what they’re doing and try to assist their dive buddy then wait for them to signal “ okay ” again.

When your dive buddy forms a letter “ T ” with his two hands, that means he has already consumed half of his air supply, which means it’s time to turn around and begin the ascent to the surface.

Made by pointing your thumbs up, and is often confused with the “ okay ” sign. When you see this signal, it means the dive session is done and it’s time to go back to the surface. It’s also a ‘demand-response’ signal, so you have to reply with a thumbs-up to acknowledge that you understood.

Thumbs down means it’s time to begin the dive and start descending. To descend, divers press a button on their BCD to start deflating their jacket. Here’s a picture of my friend Rose trying to descend by pressing the button on her BCD.

Licensed divers say the BCD isn’t an elevator to sink or float underwater because it’s harder to control how far you go up—or down. But for beginner’s guided closely by certified dive instructors, it’s easier to do it this way.

A controlled descent isn’t easy to master, on top of everything else we had to learn on our first dive.

Same signal we use on land. It’s a signal used to catch other diver’s attention, when they want to use other hand gestures, or show them something.

7. Out of Air

When you see someone move their hand across their throat ala ‘ off with their heads, ’ that means they’re out of air. It’s probably the most panic inducing signal you’ll encounter while diving.

But divers are trained for situations like this so I doubt they’ll panic. Besides, the chances of this happening are low because we were taught to check the tanks before diving.

Going Under: What It’s Like to Breathe Underwater and Scuba Dive

Now we’ve come to the fun part, the actual dive. Before I tell you about the skills I learned on my first dive, I want to set your expectations first when it comes to breathing underwater. It’s a weird sensation that takes a little getting used to, so this is just a heads up.

It feels weird inhaling and exhaling with your mouth: Yes, your nose is protected by your mask. But water might leak in if you accidentally inhale or exhale through it. We’re so used to breathing through our nose that we don’t think about it. Changing gears, forcing you to inhale and exhale solely through your mouth takes practice.

Your throat might feel a little hoarse after your first dive, like what happened to me and my friends. It’s normal and just a temporary side effect of using your mouth to breathe.

Exhaled air (bubbles) get in your face: When I exhaled, the bubbles would get in my face and partly block my mask’s line of vision in bubbles. I also felt like my mask was going to come off because of the bubbles. It didn’t happen though, that was just me being a little scared and paranoid. It’s not a major concern, but it was a bit disconcerting for me.

Don’t hyperventilate: I don’t know about other divers but in my first dive I was exhaling a lot and generating a ton of bubbles. I heard that’s normal for beginners because they’re not used to breathing underwater yet, and as a result take frequent short breaths. I was asked to practice breathing deeply, and exhaling slowly, kinda like yoga.
You might feel like you need to pee: Your body reacts to sudden drops in temperature by speeding up the process of urine a.k.a. cold water immersion diaresis . This will make you feel like you need to pee. Don’t hold it in, unless you’re practicing in a pool.

Underwater Skills You’ll Learn on Your First Dive

After you’ve assembled your equipment, worn your scuba gear, and learned some hand gestures, you’ll learn basic skills that will help you deal with some problems you might encounter underwater.

Not that I’m expecting you to have problems in your first dive. It’s just that in diving, they equip you with the skills you’ll need way before you might need them—as a safety precaution—to prevent panic attacks and accidents.

1. What to do when your ears hurt (Proper Equalization Techniques)

Ideally, you should equalize every 1 meter of descent and not just when your ears hurt. Don’t ignore this procedure, because failure to equalize can lead to damaged ear drums.

Different Equalization Techniques:

Tonybee Maneuver: pinch your nostrils, close your mouth then swallow.
Lowry Technique: Blow your nose and swallow at the same time, while pinching your nostrils.

2. What to do when water gets in your mask (Mask Clearing Method)

Water might get in your mask if you breathe through your nose, your hair gets inside the mask (girl problems), or it’s accidentally knocked off. Either way, you need to remove the water before you accidentally breathe it in, which was what happened to me when I first attempted to learn this.

Jun demonstrated this to our group then asked us to do it one by one. Here’s a picture of me letting water into my mask, so I can clear it and practice this skill.

To clear the water, tilt your head up then press your palm firmly against the top part of the mask covering your forehead. Exhale hard through your nose to force the water out through the bottom of the mask. This skill might also come in handy when you’re snorkeling.

Sometimes, one exhalation isn’t enough so you’ll have to do it another time to remove any leftover water.

3. What to do if you lose your breathing apparatus (Regulator Recovery)

You’re diving, enjoying the sights and the fish swimming around you. All of a sudden, you see a turtle swimming towards you. You get startled—or you probably shouted after seeing such a magnificent creature—so your mouth relaxes and the regulator gets lose. Or maybe another diver accidentally knocked it off.

Although this rarely happens, it’s important to know how you can recover it. Otherwise you won’t be able to breathe!

In this skills-training exercise, divers are instructed to hold the mouthpiece of their regulator facing down, otherwise the air will escape. You’ll intentionally let go of your regulator—as if you lost hold of it.

The cardinal rule of scuba diving is never hold your breath, so your instructor will ask you to exhale a little bit to release a small flow of bubbles. Then lean towards your right and stretch your right hand in front of you. With a sweeping motion, move your extended right hand to the bottom of your scuba tank. Your regulator’s mouthpiece should now be in front of you, near your right hand. Pick it up and put it back in your mouth.

4. How to put the regulator back in your mouth without swallowing water (Regulator Clearing)

If you open your mouth to put the regulator mouthpiece back, you’ll inevitably swallow a little of water, right? The regulator might also have a bit of water in the mouthpiece.

No problem, just forcefully exhale the water through your mouth while wearing the regulator. That will remove all the water and you can start breathing normally again.

5. Proper Swimming

When swimming, we use both our hands and feet. In scuba diving, we were instructed to keep our hands steady—either arms folded across the chest, or clasped together while it’s extended forward.

I was a bit puzzled when they asked us to do this. During the dive, however, I noticed that using my hands to swim, even a little bit, was tiring. It also altered my direction even if I didn’t want to.

A quick Google search revealed that there’s no strict position requirement , but there are ideal positions to minimize drag and discomfort.

Where to Go for Budgetarian Diving Trips

anilao, batangas (bagalangit).

First place I recommend because it’s just a few hours from Metro Manila, and it’s where I experienced diving for the first time. First time I went there, I was with my co-workers and we went on an overnight trip, since my friend had a car.

Budget-wise, that wasn’t a good decision because lodgings in Bagalangit are expensive, ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 PHP a night per person including full-board meals. We tried to haggle with the hotels but it looks like the rates are pretty standard here and meals are always included. There are no restaurants or eateries in the immediate area.

With my friend Lionell’s contact, Jun Tarun of Juan Divers , we got a DSD package for 1,500 pesos including the equipment, lesson, and actual dive. The first dive can also count towards the required lessons to become a licensed diver.

You can also buy a dive book (100 PHP) where you can log your dives, and a certified instructor will stamp it. It’s totally optional btw, but it’s a good way to record the skills you’ve learned and how deep you went underwater. Plus, it’s evidence of your awesome bucket-list worthy diving experience.

If you want to go on a day-trip Jeru Cajapin , organizes round-trips from Manila to the exact same dive spot in Bagalangit for 2700 PHP all in. That includes the dive (1500 PHP), round-trip van transfer from Manila to Batangas and back, and lunch. Trip usually leaves at 3 AM Saturday and returns 5 PM or later, if you want to go on a food trip or drink with the gang.

Of course, if you have a car, you can go on a day trip, too. Leave manila by 4 or 5 AM and arrive in Bagalangit by 7-ish depending on the traffic. If you do the lessons and dive in the morning, you can leave by 1 or 2 PM and go on a side trip to Tagaytay.

Sabang, Puerto Galera

I don’t have first-hand experience diving in Sabang but I often hear it’s one of the best places to dive near Metro Manila. They say it’s a good place for night diving, especially during a full moon.

Since I don’t know any of the hotels or dive shops in this area, I asked Ehsan , a friend and experienced diver who frequents Sabang. He provided three options:

Asia Divers : A top-rated beach hotel and PADI dive resort. Rooms start at $59 (2478 PHP) a night depending on the season, and the DSD package costs 3920.
Captain Gregg’s : Ehsan said this is the best place for him. It’s the middle option with good rooms, service, and reasonable price. Rooms start at 1400 PHP minimum of two nights, while a DSD costs $70 (2940 PHP).
Sea Rider: Not a hotel, just a dive center. According to Ehsan, this is one of the cheapest options available in Sabang. Their DSD costs $55 (2500 PHP).

Of course, as with anything travel related, prices change depending on the season so please contact them to get the best rates available.

Let’s Dive!

It’s been months since my Discover Scuba Diving experience, and I can’t wait to come back and get licensed! I’ve always harbored ambitions of becoming a real life mermaid (with pink hair), and this is the closest I can get to becoming one.

But even if you don’t have mermaid fantasies like me, I’m sure you’ll enjoy views like these and meeting new friends—in and out of water.

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9 thoughts on “ Intro to Diving: My First and Definitely Not Last Scuba Diving Experience ”

I’ve been looking for such an article like this and this the only one that answered all questions in my mind. Very helpful article. I am definitely going to try that. Anyway, I have a question. What company did you book a scuba lesson? If you have a link. Can you send 1 for me. Thank you. Very much appreciated.

Scuba diving is really an experienced.. seing the wonders under the sea… Thank you

Awesome post!

Loved reading your post. Initially I also thought that scuba diving is difficult and scary of course, because I don’t know how to swim. But after doing it I want to do it again and again and again…

This is an excellent article. Indeed it takes some getting used to when you need to rely on your mouth to breathe. The pain in the ears is also something that needs lots of adjustments. Otherwise, diving is a very fun activity!

We absolutely LOVE scuba diving. You describe it really well. I have to admit the very first time was a bit scary but totally worth it in the end.

Wow what a descriptive post which covered all the questions I had. You covered all the what if this went wrong scenarios I didn’t even think of too. I have never done scuba diving before due to not being a strong swimmer. After reading this, you have definitely made me want to give it a go. Thanks Ben

Glad you found this article useful. 🙂 I can swim but I’m not a good swimmer, too. It helps that the fins do all the work. Give scuba diving a go, I promise you won’t regret it.

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

The influence of scuba diving experience on divers’ perceptions, and its implications for managing diving destinations

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation TREES – Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Studio Associato GAIA s.n.c., Genova, Italy

Roles Funding acquisition, Project administration, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DiSVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, UO CoNISMa, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy

Roles Methodology, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation UBICA s.r.l., Genova, Italy

Serena Lucrezi,
Martina Milanese,
Carlo Cerrano,
Marco Palma

Published: July 5, 2019
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306
Reader Comments

Scuba diving experience–which can include accumulated diving experience and familiarity with a diving location–is an important descriptor of diver specialisation and behaviour. Formulating and applying generalisations on scuba diving experience and its effects could assist the management of diving destinations around the world. This requires research that tests whether the influences of scuba diving experience are consistent across divers’ segments at different locations. The study assessed and compared the influence of scuba diving experience at two study areas in Italy and Mozambique. Scuba divers (N = 499) participated in a survey of diver segmentation, experience, and perceptions. The influence of diving experience on perceptions was determined using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Experienced divers provided positive self-assessments, were less satisfied with dive sites’ health and management, and viewed the impacts of scuba diving activities less critically than novice divers. Scuba diving experience exerted similar influences on divers, regardless of the study area. However, remarkable differences also emerged between the study areas. Therefore, the use of generalisations on scuba diving experience remains a delicate issue. Recommendations were formulated for the management of experienced scuba diving markets and for the use of generalisations on diving experience to manage diving destinations.

Citation: Lucrezi S, Milanese M, Cerrano C, Palma M (2019) The influence of scuba diving experience on divers’ perceptions, and its implications for managing diving destinations. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0219306. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306

Editor: Agnese Marchini, University of Pavia, ITALY

Received: January 21, 2019; Accepted: June 20, 2019; Published: July 5, 2019

Copyright: © 2019 Lucrezi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript, Supporting Information files and at Mendeley Data: Lucrezi, Serena (2019), “Scuba Diving Experience and Divers’ Perceptions”, Mendeley Data, v1 http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/xszp88c6sr.1 .

Funding: The project leading to this paper has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 643712 coordinated by author CC (Green Bubbles RISE project www.greenbubbles.eu ). The funder provided support in the form of flat-rate reimbursement for mobility and research costs (including management costs) for all authors [SL, MM, MP, CC]. All authors are affiliated with the entities indicated in the "authors’ affiliations" sections, and these entities have provided support in the form of salaries. Neither the funder nor these entities had any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.

Competing interests: In the frame of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 643712 received from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Studio Associato GAIA s.n.c. and UBICA s.r.l. acted as full beneficiaries and provided support in the form of salaries for authors MM and MP, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

Scuba diving segmentation research and the role of experience.

Scuba diving is an activity characterised by an important recreational component as well as a professional component including commercial and scientific diving. Recreational scuba diving, in particular, is a leisure and tourism sector affecting the communities, economies and environments of destinations across all latitudes in both developed and developing countries [ 1 ]. In marine protected areas (MPAs), for example, scuba diving is a recreational activity which, when properly regulated, can generate income for MPA management and for communities surrounding MPAs [ 2 – 3 ]. On the other hand, uncontrolled scuba diving can pose serious threats to the conservation agendas of MPAs through either direct (e.g. contact) or indirect (e.g. pollution) impacts [ 4 – 5 ].

Segmentation research at diving destinations has been central to the understanding of the general profile of scuba divers for the purpose of marketing, management and sustainable development planning [ 6 ]. In this context, scuba divers have also been categorised according to their level of experience ( S1 Table ). Investigating how experience influences the way scuba divers think and act can be critical in formulating strategies to manage diving tourism, diving activities and marine environments. Scuba diving experience can affect divers’ motivations, preferences, attitudes, underwater actions, and perceptions of the quality of the environments in which they dive [ 7 ].

As the diversification (according to the level of experience) of the scuba-diving tourism market is likely to affect all diving destinations indiscriminately, the influence and implications of scuba diving experience could be considered a constant factor across divers’ segments at various destinations. Consequently, generalisations regarding scuba diving experience could be formulated and applied to different markets and diving destinations worldwide for management purposes. However, pooled research assessing the influence of scuba diving experience in different contexts shows contrasting results, with scuba diving experience affecting divers’ attitudes, perceptions and behaviour either positively or negatively [ 5 , 8 – 9 ].

These contradictions, which make it difficult to understand whether experience exerts similar influences on different groups of divers and at different destinations, have consequences for both research and management. One reason behind the contrasting results is that scuba diving experience has been measured through different sets of variables, since it can be defined in many ways. Comparing the influence of a given construct that defines scuba diving experience across typologies of divers and locations can possibly help to elucidate documented contrasts. To date, almost no research has experimented with such a system.

Defining scuba diving experience and its influence

Much research has categorised divers’ experience levels according to the number of years diving and the highest scuba diving qualification held ( S1 Table ). In time, however, the need to deploy more variables to explain scuba diving experience has become evident [ 10 – 14 ]. Research has been using scuba diving experience as one of the components characterising scuba diver specialisation ( S1 Table ). Scuba diving specialisation, a multidimensional index that includes behavioural, cognitive and affective (conative) domains, has successfully predicted scuba divers’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviour [ 12 , 15 ]. However, if represented by the right variables, accumulated scuba diving experience, which includes aspects in the three domains of diver specialisation, remains a valid tool to segment and study scuba divers [ 11 , 16 – 17 ]. Accumulated scuba diving experience should at least include indicators of diving history, for example the total number of years diving and the total number of logged dives; indicators of regular practice and commitment, for example annual diving frequency and time elapsed since the last dive; and indicators of development, for example certification level.

Accumulated scuba diving experience is viewed as the primary element shaping the growth of scuba divers. The transformation from a novice to an experienced diver is generally accompanied by the improvement of skills and a shift in motivations to dive, expectations of the diving experience, preferences, satisfaction, attitudes towards conservation and management, and behaviours in and out of the water [ 7 , 15 , 18 – 20 ]. In addition, the development of divers is normally underpinned by their growing attachment to the diving activity, the importance of the resources the diving activity depends on, for example environment and safety, and the desire to improve and to learn [ 12 , 21 – 23 ]. Thus, accumulated scuba diving experience can play a crucial role in affecting diving activities and informing the management of diving tourism and destinations ( S2 Table ).

Familiarity with dive locations is also an indicator of scuba diving experience and specialisation ( S1 Table ). A number of variables can be ascribed to familiarity with a dive location, for example the number of dives logged, the number of years diving, and annual diving frequency at that location. Studies looking at the influences of familiarity with dive locations on divers have yielded mixed results, impinging on management guidelines. On the one hand, scuba divers who are familiar with a dive location tend to become attached to it and thus willing to either deepen their knowledge about its biological characteristics or pay for its conservation [ 22 , 24 ]. Loyal divers also tend to have more realistic expectations of ecosystem conditions, for example coral cover and fish abundance, and thus tend to be satisfied with their experience [ 22 , 25 ]. On the other hand, scuba divers who are attached to a particular location can become intolerant of changes such as an increasing influx of tourists, crowding of dive sites and the introduction of man-made structures [ 26 ]. Despite the attachment to a diving destination, experienced divers can be prepared to abandon it when unacceptable levels of degradation are perceived [ 27 ]. Given these influences, familiarity deserves special attention in scuba diving research and can be a valuable addition to variables representing scuba diving experience [ 26 , 28 ].

Aim of the study

The aim of this study was to test the influence of scuba diving experience, underlain by a given group of variables, on divers’ perceptions relevant to environmental, destination, and business management across two study areas. The choice of study areas fell on destinations beyond the tropics. This choice was grounded on two considerations. First, research on scuba diving tourism at destinations beyond the tropics is still limited [ 29 ]. Second, based on the relatively few available studies (compared with the literature available for tropical destinations), locations beyond the tropics tend to host a good proportion of experienced divers [ 30 – 33 ]. For this study, we selected one diving destination in the northern hemisphere that is further from the tropic (temperate climate), and one in the southern hemisphere that is closer to the tropic (subtropical climate). The selected locations present some notable differences in climate, environmental conditions, local history of diving activities, the type of local diving activities and attractions, and the average diver profile. Both study areas share the status of being protected areas. Protected areas such as MPAs and marine reserves tend to attract scuba diving tourism [ 3 ]. They are subjected to regulations that are likely to affect diving activities [ 2 , 15 ]. And they can set an example for destinations that are not officially protected and are heavily affected by the impacts of human activities, including scuba diving [ 5 , 14 , 34 ].

The following research questions were formulated for this study: Does diving experience influence divers’ perceptions? Is this influence similar across different study areas? Answering these questions will have implications for the management of diving tourism based on market segmentation, and for the formulation and application of generalisations on diving experience to diving destinations. Such implications will be relevant for both authorities and local businesses.

Materials and methods

This study was approved by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Research Ethics Committee (EMS-REC) at the North-West University under the ethics code EMS2016/11/25-0237. No private personal information was asked from the participants in the study. The data were handled according to laws on privacy and oral consent was provided by the participants before the study. Participants were able to leave the research at any point during the study.

Study areas

Two study areas were selected for the research, specifically the Portofino MPA in northern Italy, and the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (PPMR) in southern Mozambique ( Fig 1 ). Large inland cities in the range of 215 km from Portofino and 645 km from Ponta do Ouro ( Fig 1 ) provide the majority of the scuba diving clientele, which is mostly characterised by daily visitors in the case of Italy, and overnight stayers in the case of Mozambique [ 35 ].

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.g001

The Portofino MPA (with an area of 3.74 km 2 ) is located in a small but populated area of the region Liguria in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea ( Fig 1 ). The area has a temperate climate, with annual sea surface temperatures (SST) averaging 18 °C [ 36 ]. The MPA was established in 1999 [ 37 ], yet scuba diving tourism has been present in the area for several decades [ 35 ]. Considering trends from 2012 until today, the average number of dives recorded in the MPA annually is about 50,000 [ 35 , 38 ]. The prominent underwater habitats in the MPA include seagrass meadows, vertical rocky walls of Oligocenic pudding stone, coralligenous biocenoses, boulders and stones, caves and caverns, and the pelagic zone.

Since its establishment, the MPA has achieved important goals, for example increasing fish biomass, protecting endangered species such as the grouper and red coral, and safeguarding ecosystems such as seagrass meadows [ 39 – 40 ]. The MPA is zoned to control uses, including artisanal fishing, scuba diving, free diving, snorkelling, and boating. Given the small area of the MPA and the many uses, some of which tend to overlap, conflicts between stakeholders such as divers and fishermen can occur [ 35 , 41 ].

Scuba diving activities in the MPA are strictly regulated and limited to a number of dive sites marked by fixed mooring buoys. A study dating back to 2005 described the scuba diving population of Portofino as male-dominated, moderately experienced (generally at divemaster level) and loyal to the destination (visiting the destination up to 30 times per year) [ 42 ]. The peak diving season in the MPA is from June to September (summer season) [ 35 ], although an off-season market also exists which focuses on technical dives and training dives (S. Lucrezi, pers. obs.). The dives offered in the MPA are both recreational, following established routes along vertical rocky walls and reaching depths of up to 40 m, and technical and wreck dives, which can exceed recreational depths [ 43 ].

A famous shark diving destination, Ponta do Ouro is a small village at the southern end of the PPMR (with an area of 678 km 2 ) and close to the border between Mozambique and South Africa ( Fig 1 ). The area has a subtropical climate, with SST averaging 25 °C [ 44 ]. Scuba diving activities in Ponta do Ouro are characterised by a busy season from December to April, alternated with a quieter season during the rest of the year [ 45 ]. Approximately 30,000 dives are logged from the launching site in Ponta do Ouro annually, although the total number of dives logged for the entire PPMR is greater [ 46 ].

The PPMR was proclaimed in 2009, but it was already a popular scuba diving destination before its establishment [ 47 – 48 ]. Various uses are allowed in the multiple-use zone of the PPMR where Ponta do Ouro is located. These include snorkelling, surfing, swimming with dolphins, recreational (sport) fishing, and scuba diving on sandstone reefs and outcrops largely populated by soft coral [ 49 ]. The establishment of the PPMR has allowed the regulation of scuba diving activities, which were previously threatening the underwater ecosystems due to uncontrolled crowding of dive sites [ 50 ]. However, important construction threats and impacts from abusive fishing and littering persist to this day [ 35 , 45 , 51 ]. Research dating back to 2003 described the scuba diving population of Ponta do Ouro as dominated by male newcomers with approximately six years of scuba diving history and an average of 50 logged dives [ 50 ].

Research design and data collection

The research followed a quantitative, descriptive and non-experimental design, with a structured questionnaire survey being the instrument of data collection [ S3 Table ]. In this study, scuba diving experience was defined by two sets of variables, namely accumulated diving experience and familiarity with diving at the study areas. Divers’ perceptions were defined by three sets of variables, namely divers’ self-assessment, satisfaction with the diving at the study areas, and perceptions of scuba diving impacts on the environment.

The first section in the questionnaire included questions on demography (gender, age, education, country of residence, marital status and occupation), accumulated diving experience and familiarity with the study areas, and asked the divers whether they engaged in underwater photography at the destination (by means of a Yes/No question).

Accumulated diving experience was defined by four variables. The first variable was the total number of scuba diving certifications held (whatever the certifying agency) under the following categories: basic (from the equivalent of PADI Open Water Diver to that of PADI Rescue), professional (from the equivalent of PADI Divemaster to Instructor, all levels), specialties (such as Enriched Air Diver, Deep Diver, Wreck Diver and Dry Suit Diver), technical (such as Advanced Nitrox, Trimix, Cave and Deco), and dry (such as Oxygen Provider and Gas Blender). The second variable was the total number of years diving. The third variable was the total number of dives logged. The fourth variable was the average number of dives logged annually. Familiarity with the study areas was expressed as the total number of dives logged at the study areas, and the average number of dives logged at the study areas annually.

The second section in the questionnaire asked scuba divers to assess themselves by using a five-point Likert scale of agreement with a number of statements (where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). Statements included aspects of knowledge (e.g., I know all the local diving regulations ), environmental attitudes (e.g., I would like to be involved in local marine conservation ) and behaviour (e.g., I keep a good distance from the bottom habitats when I dive ), particularly in the context of the study areas. Previous research demonstrated that self-reported behaviour of divers can be used as a valuable substitute for observed behaviour [ 9 , 52 – 53 ]. Therefore, self-reported behaviour was seen as an indication of actual diver behaviour.

The third section in the questionnaire included a set of three-point Likert scale questions on satisfaction (where 1 = unsatisfied and 3 = satisfied) with the diving sites at the study areas, particularly with reference to environmental (e.g., underwater cleanliness and visibility, general health of the dive sites, variety of species) and management aspects (e.g., crowding of dive sites, pre-dive briefing, litter).

The fourth and last section invited the divers to rate the potential ecological damage caused by diving-related actions by using a four-point Likert scale (where 1 = no damage and 4 = heavy damage). Some of these actions included anchoring, underwater photography, intentional and unintentional contact with mobile and sessile wildlife, diving after drinking alcohol, and a poor pre-dive briefing.

The population under investigation were the scuba divers visiting the study areas. Data were collected during the summer months of 2015 and 2016. This period corresponds to peak diving at the study areas [ 35 ]. Using the recorded number of dives logged at the study areas annually (approximately 50,000 in Portofino and 30,000 in Ponta do Ouro) and assuming that a single diver would log at least three dives per year at each study area [ 10 ], the population was established as approximately 17,000 divers in Portofino and 10,000 in Ponta do Ouro.

Of these populations, a sample of 370 scuba divers would yield a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5% [ 54 ]. Thus, a total of 400 questionnaires were printed for each study area. All 400 questionnaires were distributed in Portofino, of which 279 were completed and returned, yielding a participation of 70%. In Ponta do Ouro, only 300 questionnaires were distributed due to the poor turnover of divers during the time of sampling. A total of 220 questionnaires were completed and returned, yielding a participation of 73%. The number of questionnaires that had successfully been completed guaranteed an acceptable sample size at both study areas (a 95% confidence level and 6% margin of error).

Sampling was done every second day for a total of 30 days per study area. The fieldworkers collected data at most dive centres that operated at each study area. On each sampling day, two fieldworkers visited either one or two dive centres and haphazardly invited scuba divers returning from a dive to participate in the questionnaire survey, which took ten minutes to complete. Divers were invited to remain at the dive centre while completing the questionnaire; this ensured that questionnaires were completed and returned to the fieldworkers in time.

Data analysis

The demographic and experience profiles of the scuba divers were determined through descriptive statistics, frequency tables and breakdown statistics to compare variables across study areas in a descriptive manner. Binomial logistic regressions were used to test whether associations existed between accumulated scuba diving experience and the use of underwater cameras, which is normally associated with specialised scuba diving as well as negative ecological impacts to bottom habitats [ 5 , 8 ].

Following normality (chi-squared) tests, either a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or a Mann-Whitney U test was performed to highlight significant differences in divers’ demography and experience between study areas. The magnitude of the differences between study areas was determined by calculating practical effect size (Cohen’s d ) [ 55 ]. Cohen suggested that d = 0.2 represents a low, d = 0.5 a medium and d = 0.8 a large effect size.

Two exploratory analyses were performed on divers’ perceptions (self-assessment, satisfaction with diving at the study areas, and perceptions of scuba diving impacts). The first one is the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), employed to reduce the size of a dataset by identifying relationships between questionnaire items and extracting latent factors (determined by eigen values and factor loadings as cut-off criteria, and then calculated as factor scores) underlying the items [ 56 ]. The second one is the reliability test, which checks for internal consistency (Cronbach’s α value) of the factors extracted through EFA [ 57 ]. The means of factor scores between study areas were compared through a general linear model (analysis of covariance [ANCOVA]) in which all the significantly different demographic and experience variables between study areas were included as co-variates. The magnitude of the differences between the study areas was determined by calculating the practical effect size (Cohen’s d ). Correlational relationships between variables of accumulated diving experience, familiarity with the study areas, and factor scores were investigated using the nonparametric Spearman’s rank-order correlations ( r s ). All above analyses were performed using the Statsoft Statistica software, Version 13.2 (2016).

The influence of divers’ scuba diving experience (accumulated diving experience and familiarity with the study areas) on their perceptions was determined using a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), a constrained ordination method using correspondence analysis [ 58 ]. This multivariate technique was developed in ecology to investigate the abundance of species in relation to environmental variables; however, it is also deployed in other domains such as the social and economic sciences [ 59 ]. The main result of CCA is the ordination of the principal dimensions of the dependent variables (points) in a bi-dimensional space, determined by two axes and constrained by the explanatory variables (vectors). Two CCAs were performed, one testing the influence of accumulated diving experience and the other the influence of familiarity with the study areas. The CCAs were performed with the PAST statistical software, Version 2.17 [ 60 ], following the eigenanalysis algorithm of Legendre and Legendre [ 61 ].

Profile of the scuba divers

The variables of demography and the participants’ scuba diving experience, as well as the statistically significant differences in these variables between study areas, are displayed in Table 1 . The proportion of male participants in Portofino was greater (79%), whereas Ponta do Ouro had a similar ratio of males to females (55% to 45%). The divers were either in their late 30s (Ponta do Ouro) or in their early 40s (Portofino), with a moderate (Ponta do Ouro) to high (Portofino) level of education. Divers were primarily Italian in Portofino (82%) and South African in Ponta do Ouro (69%). Other markets were mostly European for both study areas. Most divers were either single or married and had paid employment, regardless of the study area.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.t001

The participants varied from novice to professional divers ( Table 1 ). Participants in Portofino held a mean of seven scuba diving certifications, while divers in Ponta do Ouro possessed a mean of over four scuba diving certifications. The divers tended to be certified with PADI (57% in Ponta do Ouro and 43% in Portofino), although as many as 28 other agencies were mentioned by divers in Portofino and eight in Ponta do Ouro. The participants had been diving for a period of one to 49 years, with a mean of 12 years in Portofino and 10 years in Ponta do Ouro ( Table 1 ). They had logged between a single dive and 5,000 dives, with a mean of around 380 for Portofino and 335 for Ponta do Ouro. They logged between one and 500 dives annually, with a mean of 41 for Portofino and 37 for Ponta do Ouro ( Table 1 ).

The familiarity of the participants with the study areas ranged from none (a single dive at the study areas and no annual visits) to very good (thousands of dives logged at the study areas with hundreds of dives logged there annually); it is thus evident that some of the participants had done the majority of their diving at the study areas ( Table 1 ). However, the mean number of dives logged in Portofino was more than twice the number in Ponta do Ouro, and the mean number of dives logged annually in Portofino was nine times greater than in Ponta do Ouro ( Table 1 ).

Less than half (43%) of the participants in Portofino and half of those in Ponta do Ouro declared that they used underwater cameras while scuba diving. Results from a binomial logistic regression show that two experience variables, namely the number of scuba diving certifications held and the number of dives logged, had a significant positive association with underwater photography (Wald test statistics number SDC = 11.92, p < 0.001; number dives logged = 8.82, p = 0.03).

Divers’ perceptions

Descriptive statistics for items used in scaled data are included in S4 Table . The exploratory factor analyses (EFA) performed on divers’ perceptions (self-assessment, satisfaction with diving at the study areas, and perceptions of scuba diving impacts) yielded a total of eight factors ( Table 2 ). Items characterising each factor (also listed in Table 2 ) had loadings exceeding the cut-off value of 0.40 [ 56 ]. All factors were reliable, with Cronbach’s α values above the threshold of 0.60 [ 57 ]. The self-assessment of divers was characterised by an assessment of personal knowledge of local conservation , personal underwater skills and behaviour , and attitudes towards conservation . Satisfaction with diving at the study areas was divided into two factors, namely satisfaction with the ecosystem health of the dive sites and with the local management . Perceptions of scuba diving impacts were divided into perceptions of the damage caused by direct impacts , contingent impacts , and irresponsible actions .

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.t002

Scuba divers at both study areas were confident in their own underwater skills and behaviour and tended to have positive attitudes towards conservation ( Table 2 ). Divers in Portofino believed that they possessed good knowledge of local conservation initiatives, whereas those in Ponta do Ouro believed to possess average knowledge ( Table 2 ). Scuba divers were neutral to satisfied with diving at the study areas, although satisfaction with local management was slightly higher in Portofino than in Ponta do Ouro, where litter management received a relatively low score compared with other items ( Table 2 ).

Divers at both study areas believed that contingent impacts by divers were small and caused minimal damage to underwater ecosystems, whereas direct impacts and irresponsible actions caused moderate damage ( Table 2 ). Divers in Portofino saw the damage of direct impacts as significantly greater compared with divers in Ponta do Ouro, where items including walking on sand before or during a dive, touching mobile wildlife accidentally, and collecting shells received low scores for damage ( Table 2 ).

Influence of scuba diving experience on divers’ perceptions

The results of the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), assessing the influence of accumulated diving experience on divers’ perceptions for both study areas, are displayed in Fig 2 . Variables describing accumulated diving experience were positively correlated ( Table 3 ). Axis 1 and Axis 2 in the ordination biplot ( Fig 2 ) accounted for nearly all the variance in the data; thus, the variation in perceptions was well predicted by accumulated diving experience.

The “+” symbol next to a factor represents a positive influence, whereas the “˗” symbol represents a negative influence.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.g002

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.t003

Whereas permutation tests only yielded a significant effect of Axis 1 for Portofino, the CCA ordination tended to be similar between study areas, with some exceptions. The projection of points (perceptions) on the vectors (scuba diving experience) shows that experienced scuba divers possessed a more positive image of their underwater skills and behaviour, had more positive attitudes towards conservation, and claimed to be more knowledgeable of local conservation programmes–the latter was the case for Portofino, but not Ponta do Ouro ( Fig 2 ). Regardless of study area, more experienced divers were less satisfied with the ecosystem’s health and management of the dive sites, and were also less critical of the negative impacts of scuba diving, whether direct, contingent, or caused by irresponsible actions ( Fig 2 ).

Fig 3 shows the results of the CCA determining the influence of familiarity with the study areas on divers’ perceptions. The variables describing familiarity were positively correlated ( Table 3 ). The axes of the ordination biplot accounted for all the variation in the data. In this case, permutation tests yielded significant effects of Axis 1 for Portofino, and of both axes for Ponta do Ouro, where the CCA ordination tended to separate the total number of dives logged from annual diving frequency ( Fig 3 ). The projections of points on vectors show that, similarly to scuba diving experience, familiarity with the study areas had a positive influence on scuba divers’ self-assessment, a negative influence on satisfaction with diving at the study areas, and a decrease in the level of damage ascribed to scuba diving impacts. However, annual diving frequency in Ponta do Ouro increased satisfaction with the ecosystem health of the dive sites, as opposed to Portofino ( Fig 3 ).

The “+” symbol next to a factor represents a positive influence, whereas the “−” symbol represents a negative influence.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.g003

The scuba divers were mostly male, middle aged and well-educated people, and skewed towards high experience and loyalty to the study areas. This profile partly reflects that of divers described in similar research carried out at both tropical [ 18 , 21 , 25 , 28 , 52 , 62 – 66 ] and non-tropical diving destinations [ 10 , 12 – 13 , 16 , 20 , 22 , 29 – 30 , 53 , 67 – 70 ], making it possible to generalise some of the implications of this study to different diving destinations.

The structure of the sample is still notably comparable between the study areas, and also longitudinally to the characteristics of the diving population of each study area according to previous literature. Divers in Portofino were more experienced than those in Ponta do Ouro. The two destinations are seemingly going through different phases in their destination lifecycles [ 71 ], with Portofino having a longer history as a scuba diving destination and a protected area than Ponta do Ouro. Comparisons with data from 13 years ago confirm that scuba divers in Portofino possess a slightly higher average level of scuba diving experience currently, and show the same degree of loyalty to the destination [ 42 ]. The scuba divers in Ponta do Ouro have become more specialised compared with data from 15 years ago [ 50 ]. Ponta do Ouro remains positioned relatively early in its lifecycle as a tourism destination [ 71 ].

The influence of diving experience on divers’ perceptions

Diving experience affected the divers’ self-assessment positively. This finding aligns with literature demonstrating how diver specialisation is characterised by the improvement of skills and self-confidence, and by positive attitudes towards conservation [ 11 – 12 , 21 , 53 ].

As divers gained experience, they became less satisfied with the health of the dive sites’ ecosystem and with overall management [ 15 , 26 , 29 , 67 ]. In particular, satisfaction among divers in Ponta do Ouro was lower than the level reported 15 years ago [ 50 ], possibly due to the specialisation of divers in this area over time, as well as actual environmental degradation.

Experienced divers tended to view the impacts of scuba diving activities less critically than novice divers. Experienced scuba divers may become more aware of negative environmental effects of human and natural impacts other than diving [ 27 ]. They may increasingly trust their ability to self-regulate through their skills [ 12 , 15 , 19 ]. They may also deem certain harmful behaviours acceptable because they were customary in the past [ 13 ], and they possibly fear that acknowledging the potential negative impacts of diving on the environment could lead to further regulation of the activity itself.

Scuba diving experience exerted similar influences on divers, regardless of the study area. However, remarkable differences also emerged between the study areas. In Ponta do Ouro, knowledge of local conservation was not high and was only influenced by familiarity with the study area. The PPMR is a vast marine reserve ( Fig 1 ) that was recently established and is managed through multiple efforts. Becoming acquainted with its management and conservation programmes may be challenging for tourists, in contrast to other well-established tourism destinations with a limited geographical scope ( Fig 1 ) and less complex governance structures, for example Portofino.

Divers in Ponta do Ouro tended to appreciate the ecosystem health of the dive sites as they became more familiar with them. In contrast to Portofino, where the diving sites are delimited by fixed mooring buoys and they have relatively similar habitats (boulders, stones and vertical walls), Ponta do Ouro offers a broader variety of diving experiences, from shallow reef diving to deeper shark diving, with new dive sites being discovered over time [ 49 ]. The dive sites here are distributed over a wider area compared with Portofino, and the majority of the diving for first timers tends to happen on the closer, more popular and more crowded (and possibly less healthy) reefs. As a result, divers would need to visit more dive sites in order to become familiar with the quality of the reefs in Ponta do Ouro.

Regardless of experience, divers in Portofino tended to be more satisfied with management than those in Ponta do Ouro. This difference appears to be based on a single item, namely the presence of litter, which is a crucial issue in Ponta do Ouro [ 45 ] and has been known to detract from divers’ satisfaction [ 50 ].

Finally, divers in Ponta do Ouro underestimated the damage of direct impacts from scuba diving activities compared to Portofino divers. Specifically, the effects of walking on the sandy bottom, touching mobile wildlife accidentally, and collecting shells, pieces of coral et cetera were underestimated. Dive sites in Ponta do Ouro are reef patches surrounded by sand, and divers often adjust their buoyancy on sand before proceeding towards the reef. They are also encouraged to follow this practice during the pre-dive briefing (S. Lucrezi, pers. obs.). Interactions with mobile wildlife are very common in Ponta do Ouro, and while intentional contact with these species is highly discouraged, accidental contact is still likely to take place (E. Ferretti, pers. comm.). The bottom habitats in Ponta do Ouro have an abundance of loose coral pieces, shells and shark teeth, which are also washed on the beach by the ocean waves. The collection of this material is prohibited in Ponta do Ouro. However, many kiosks in the village sell shells and dead wildlife. This contrast is likely to create confusion among divers, who do not appear to be warned about the no-take policy in the marine reserve during the pre-dive briefing (S. Lucrezi, pers. obs.).

Management implications of diving experience

The results of this study highlight both positive and contradictory elements related to diving experience and its influences, with implications about the persistence, but also the proper management, of a specialised diving market at a destination.

Enhancing the persistence of a specialised diving market.

The ideal scenario for diving destinations would be to have a broad spectrum of markets, from generalists to specialists, to ensure the sustainable growth of diving tourism at the destination. Specialist divers constitute an important market, as they tend to be high-yielding, experienced, responsible, committed and proactive when it comes to conservation. Their persistence at a given destination can be ensured in three ways:

The first way involves maximising the value of the destination over the number of tourists to prevent the negative consequences of mass tourism, which is a deterrent to specialised divers. This may happen through a mixture of special marketing efforts (advertising diving tourism more than other forms of mass tourism, like beach and party tourism) and management of the tourism flow (e.g. through entry fees and traffic control) at the destination. The second way involves creating an attractive offer to a specialised market. Examples include the promotion of participatory research programmes such as monitoring and mapping and the zoning of dive destinations based on specialisation levels. The third way involves carefully planning and controlling the development of generalists in the market into specialists. This needs to happen through education, training, regulations and interpretation. Diving operators should provide high-quality ecological or research experiences to encourage diver specialisation. Generalists should also be educated on the characteristics and importance of healthy underwater ecosystems in order to avoid becoming affected by a “shifted baseline syndrome” [ 71 ].

Enhancing the management of a specialised diving market.

The persistence of a specialised diving market also implies that this market needs to be properly managed. The divers in this study were confident in their skills and responsible behaviour, although experience influenced perceptions of the damage of diving activities negatively. There is a direct link between acknowledging the potential ecological harm of diving activities and responsible diving behaviour [ 9 , 16 ], and experience and self-confidence will not necessarily translate into pro-environmental behaviour [ 21 , 53 , 72 ]. Thus, the underestimation of diving impacts by experienced divers in this study can raise concern for management. Underwater photography can become a strong negative mediator in the influence of diving experience on diver behaviour [ 5 , 8 ]. As a result, researchers have recently proposed the introduction of courses that enable scuba divers to meet low-impact standards in underwater photography [ 5 , 66 ]. The results of this study support this proposition.

Other forms of management aimed at specialised divers would involve improving this market’s trust in governance. This can be achieved by voicing the concerns (especially those related to environmental degradation) of specialised divers; educating older and occasional divers on previously accepted behaviours that have become either regulated or prohibited; enhancement of personal responsibility and trust in external control by using positive messages (e.g., on the conservation benefits of regulation); and opening as well as mediating a dialogue with conflicting stakeholder groups such as fishermen.

Implications of generalisations on diving experience

The findings of this study make it possible to formulate generalisations regarding the effects of diving experience, and to use them to manage diving activities and destinations. However, any generalisation needs to be based on an appropriate definition and measurement of scuba diving experience [ 10 ]. Furthermore, the context-specific nature of diving industries at different locations makes the use of generalisations on diving experience a delicate and, perhaps, controversial issue if the proper precautions are not taken.

Firstly, different dive locations can have very different markets and be characterised by divers with different demographic backgrounds and levels of specialisation. The use of generalisations on diving experience to justify social and environmental management actions at a destination would have to be based on data drawn from locations with comparable market structures. Secondly, diving locations are likely to follow a lifecycle as tourism destinations. Generalisations which may previously have been used for management purposes could become inapplicable after a period of time, and the monitoring of the destination’s lifecycle would become essential to assess whether new actions are needed. Thirdly, divers with similar levels of experience but who have been certified in different locations may have different impacts and views; such differences would make it impractical and risky to apply generalisations on diving experience to management decisions. Fourthly, this study compared two protected areas in which diving and other activities are regulated and controlled. This could have affected the influence of experience on divers’ perceptions and behaviour. The application of generalisations on diving experience to unprotected areas may be inappropriate when based on information drawn from studies in protected areas. Finally, the application of generalisations on diving experience for management purposes may be useless at destinations that are already naturally zoned according to market specialisation. These destinations would probably require ad hoc management actions for each zone.

Conclusions

This study highlighted the relevance of using recreational scuba diving experience as a tool to segment scuba divers, understand their attitudes, perceptions and behaviour, and manage diving destinations accordingly. The study makes a contribution to the dearth of research assessing the potential reliability of scuba diving experience as a constant in predicting scuba diver behaviour. However, it also acknowledges the limitations resulting from making generalisations on scuba diving experience and its influence. Scuba divers represent an opportunity for the development of sustainable tourism-based livelihoods in a number of countries. It is important to ensure that research endeavours are focused on assisting the proper growth of this market, particularly the training phase, and that the findings of new research are shared with certifying agencies and governance bodies for the purpose of improving the education and management of diving activities.

Supporting information

S1 table. variables measured to categorise scuba divers according to experience (also as part of specialisation) and familiarity with a study area, based on examples in the literature..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.s001

S2 Table. Summary of the relevant literature about the influence of accumulated scuba diving experience on the following: Diving behaviour and personal responsibility; satisfaction and environmental perceptions; and attitudes towards conservation.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.s002

S3 Table. Questionnaire survey.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.s003

S4 Table. Descriptive statistics for items used in scaled data.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219306.s004

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What does skydiving feel like?

March 9, 2021

What does skydiving feel like? This article will tell you all about it. Based on a first time jump in Spain.

Updated 2022.

Also, check out these fun questions about Spain and learn how to plan your perfect week in Spain.

Table of Contents

“Bend your knees,” he says and I have to obey. From behind, he pulls the strap until the rubber scrapes my skull. I hug my arms against my chest and crank my head back, making the shackles around my thighs tighten further.

“Now,” he commands, as I try to ignore the gap where the side of the aeroplane should be, “don’t forget to smile for the camera.”

And with that, we’re gone.

That first skydiving experience via @insidetravellab

My First SkyDiving Experience

Of course, there’s been a build up to my first sky dive. Hundreds of thousands of other people have already done this, including, I’m hoping, my instructor. I use this thought to keep me steady on the morning of the big day. I’ve met people who’ve done parachute-loads of these things, including those for whom it’s simply a matter of getting from A to B: barracks to war zone. Their plight puts my pre-jump jitters into perspective.

Then again, there’s no escaping the fact that it’s only string that’ll stop me from hurtling into the earth at 180 km per hour or, as it’s otherwise described, at terminal velocity.

As soon as I arrive at Empuriabrava in northeast Spain, it’s obvious I don’t belong. Sun-weathered faces cluster along the bar, while the loudspeaker announces the next “drop” with all the excitement of a station manager in Epping. The whoosh of all-black ninjas turning somersaults in the air before speeding in to land gets ignored by everyone apart from us.

Skydiving Training

We, the skydiving virgins, are shown a five stage cartoon: cross arms, head back, knees bent, jump. One tap on the shoulder to open your arms. Second to brings arms to chest as the parachute opens. Knees bent for landing. Questions?

Our training, admittedly advertised as brief, lasts for less than five minutes. Then the waiting begins.

There’s plenty of time to think about the important things in life: wills, outstanding emails, and every song with a potential link to skydiving. Having dismissed Jump by the House of Pain and something worse by Van Halen, I decide that if I have to have music in my mind as I plunge to my death, it might as well be Top Gun’s Danger Zone.

And so I swagger along the airstrip, my heroic stance only slightly undermined by the harness-induced waddle that makes me glad to be a girl.

I duck beneath the tail of the plane and catch a hint of burnt rubber. The Spanish sun greets me with ferocity as my hands grasp metal and my feet take me up the ladder, rung by rung. This, I already know, is the real point of no return. One step, the other step, keep walking, keep climbing. The humiliation of breaking an ankle before I’m even inside the plane would be simply too much to bear.

We’re in. The door closes. We’re off. Squashed into two benches that face one another, I’m reminded, out of nowhere, of the ritual sacrifices in Aztec America. The skydiving instructors morph into faceless priests of the sky, camouflaged by helmets, sunglasses, balaclavas and cables. Only Ana and I look like flesh and blood humans, with our hair loose, faces exposed and summer clothes barely skimming our skin.

I smell petrol and heat and realise that it’s already started, that the first ones have gone.

Getting Ready

“Sit on my lap,” says my instructor, whose name Santo translates, reassuringly, into saint .

“We must get ready,” says Santo, to the backdrop of clinking metal. The harness compresses my pelvis and ribcage and we stumble along the plane. It’s here, right now, that the absurdity of the situation takes hold. There’s a gaping hole where the side of the plane should be and not only do we not have our seatbelts on, but we’re walking right past it. Are they c-r-a-zy ?! Don’t they know how dangerous this is? That we could fall out at any moment?

I’m not sure whether the roaring in my ears comes from the engine, the scalding air or the blood that’s blasting through my temples. Still, I’ve decided not to pay attention. All I have to remember to do is to bend my knees, cross my arms and, X&*^!, there was something else.

Just Before the Jump

The miniature fields of Costa Brava taunt me from far below, the speeding air steals the breath from my airways and within seconds I’m suspended in the air, clipped to Santo. The photographer hangs in the doorway like an animated Spider-Man and I know that this is the moment we’ve been waiting for: the 60 second freefall.

He disappears. Then… so do we.

First photo about tandem skydive with aeroplane

Sixty Second Freefall

Nothing could have prepared me for this. Not snowboarding, not diving, nothing. I don’t feel as though I’m falling, I’m spinning upwards and backwards in a jet of burning air that whips away my voice, deafens my ears and spins my brain into overdrive. Those ochre fields twist around in hexagonal disarray. The earth and coast move way too fast and something slowly registers that I don’t seem to be breathing.

Closeup of tandem freefall in Costa Brava EmpuriaBrava

I’ve adjusted to this strange new reality and I stretch out my arms, feeling the sky run through my fingers like scorched cotton candy. I’m seeing the world in a whole new way when my throat chokes, my shoulders snap back and those thigh harnesses remind me that they’re there. The tumble dryer effect continues for another few seconds and then it stops. We’re still. Floating, dreamlike in the quiet, quiet air.

I hear Santo’s voice in my ear as he loosens my goggles, unfastens the harness and asks if I’m alright.

All about a tandem skydive over spain: fields below skydivers

Through the haze, the Pyrenees rise up like purple shark fins. The Mediterranean Coast glitters appropriately. Santo points out the airport, the towns, and the border with France that hovers on the horizon.

He loops canvas over my fingers. Pull left to spin left, right to spin right, both down hard to stop. I’m flying, floating, soaring across the sky and it’s the most amazing, freeing feeling. I wave at the others on the ground and see them waving back.

It’s freedom, it’s intoxicating, it’s enough to mess with your mind.

We sweep in to land and my graceful out of body experience ends in a graceless heap on the floor. I’m not injured but it’s a shame the TV cameras were watching.

Still, it could have been worse. I could have died thinking of Van Halen.

First Time Skydiving Tips

Wear comfortable, secure clothes that cover most of your body.
Wear trainers or sneakers that you can lace securely. You’ll need to run on landing.
Arrive in plenty of time. You don’t want to feel rushed during the training session.
Don’t bring too many valuables with you – you won’t be able to take much up in the plane.
Leave yourself plenty of time in your itinerary after the jump. Everyone on our first skydiving experience was buzzing and it takes a while to decompress. Allow yourself the time to savour what you’ve just done.
Book with a reputable company – always! The best way to start is through tandem skydiving with experienced skydivers.
Don’t feel pressured into it if you really don’t want to jump. You do need to be able to follow instructions and keep calm and instructors will stop you jumping if they think you can’t manage this on your first skydive. While it’s great to receive gift certificates or raise money for charity, remember, it’s supposed to be safe and it’s supposed to be fun. It’s always OK to say no on the ground!
Get ready for the roller coaster ride and the stomach drop of your first jump. Skydiving feels like nothing else and it’s impossible to prepare you for it!

Skydiving FAQs

So, what does skydiving feel like? If I still haven’t convinced you, let me try another way.

What’s the scariest part of skydiving?

For me, and for most, the scariest part is just before you jump. The gap at the side of the airplane is open and things seem very, very fast.

Is skydiving safe?

In general, yes, but accidents do happen. However, the same can be said of driving a car. As long as you book and jump with reputable companies, you’ve done all you can.

How fast do you fall when you skydive?

You fall at about 120 mph when skydiving – that’s the freefall speed in mph. Once the parachute opens, you can glide around peacefully at a much slower pace.

How does skydiving work?

You put on a harness, strap yourself to an instructor, get into an airplane and then jump!

There is a little more to it (so please do attend the training session) but in short, you need to have your arms crossed and legs bent as you jump out of the plane. Then you can adopt that frog-like position with arms and legs outstretched to reduce spinning.

Experienced skydivers will also need to know how to check, fold and deploy the parachute.

When you come into land, you need to time it right and get running as the earth rises up.

Is there a sensation of falling?

Not for me, there wasn’t. It felt as though I was being pushed up by a jet of hot air. It was only the view below that gave me any clue that I was falling.

And we’re gone… Plummeting over the Mediterrannean Coast

My skydiving experience at Empuriabrava was sponsored by the Costa Brava Tourist Board. As you’ve probably gathered by now, all views are my own.

More on Travel in Spain

Browse through our articles on travel in Spain for more ideas and inspiration. In particular, check out 21 Unusual Things to do in Spain and 49 Interesting Facts About Spain.

70 thoughts on “What does skydiving feel like?”

how cool is that!

Hi Abi, sounds like you had an amazing experience at Empuriabrava, they’re one of the many great spots in Europe. For those on the fence about jumping out of a perfectly good plane, have a look at https://www.dropzone.com/skydiving/ . The page has a lot of information on the sport plus a link to a drop zone finder enabling you to find a spot nearby to do your first jump.

Blue Skies!

Fair enough – it’s not the only place for skydiving!

My First Skydiving Experience

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Personal Experience

My Sky-Diving Experience

On August 15th, 2016, I checked off skydiving from my bucket list after eagerly anticipating the day and struggling to sleep the night before. To prepare for this unforgettable adventure, both my partner and best friend joined me in a two-hour class where we learned all the necessary information. We were excited to document our experience with videos and pictures.

Despite lacking the same bravery, I made the choice to stay silent when my partner told me about his plan to film himself in the sky. My intention was to keep my eyes closed for the entire experience. Even though my best friend tried to convince me otherwise, telling me to embrace and not miss out on a long-awaited moment, I hesitated. On the day of our skydiving adventure, we arrived at the designated location and found the rest of the group already gathered. There were a total of five people registered for the August Summer skydiving program, including us. The scheduled meeting time was 9am and we got there around 8:40am. At exactly 9am, the leader of the Skydiving center spoke to us, giving an overview of rules and instructions while addressing any questions we had. After that, we were given overalls and other items that were attached to our bodies.

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After being fully prepared, we boarded the plane and were greeted by the pilots who gave us instructions. Unfortunately, I had a hard time understanding them because my heart was pounding. While I hesitated to take photos, my partner happily snapped away. Once we were seated and belted in, we took off with me as number four and my partner as number three. As we ascended higher into the sky, my anxiety grew to the point where I felt sick and saw double. Our flight continued north until we reached our designated landing area where Lisa, a member of our group, was called forward first. With confidence, she connected with her skydiving partner and blew us a kiss before leaping from the plane alongside her attendant.

Each of us were assigned a sky diving instructor. When Lisa dived, Audrey quickly connected with her instructor without any fear. She even took out her Canon Camera and asked the instructor to secure it so she could capture a scenic view. My best friend, who was also my partner, went next. He bid me farewell, snapped a selfie, and leaped off. Then it was my turn. As the moment arrived, everything seemed to come to a halt. I was securely fastened to my instructor, who sensed my unease and guided me through breathing exercises to relax. He reassured me that there was nothing to be afraid of. Once he saw that I had become sufficiently calm, he gave me a signal indicating it was time to dive.

Despite my apprehension about losing consciousness, I mustered the bravery to open my eyes and witness the attendant pulling the parachute. This action instilled a sense of tranquility within me. Extending my fingers through the clouds, I shouted with all my might, savoring the taste of clouds on my lips. The immense rush of excitement made me realize that one of my cherished childhood aspirations had finally been fulfilled.

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Facing My Fear: My First Scuba Diving Experience and What It Taught Me About Life

My First Scuba Diving Experience

Fast Forward

Life Lessons from Diving

Lesson 1: There’s no other way to face your fear except to FACE IT.

Lesson 2. Control your breath, control your mind.

Lesson 3. Be like water, my friend.

Lesson 4. Don’t take perceived failure and perceived success seriously.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Tips for Students

PADI Open Water Diver Course

Have you tried scuba diving? How was your experience? Tell me in the comments below.

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