Notes about things regarding scuba diving that I have come to know.
Why do Divers Quit?
There is a statistic that says that 95% of the people certified as scuba divers have left the sport. That's a pretty dismal number at first pass. There are of course many non diving reasons why people do not continue in the sport. Income, family obligations, health, lack of interest all come to mind. There are however a good many dive related reasons why folks leave the sport and most are avoidable.
I don't have a buddy
No buddy, no diving, that's the way it is and should be for most divers. Furthermore diving is a social activity. We get to spend time with our fellow divers before and after the dives at the site and perhaps go out to eat afterwards. I was lucky, my wife joined me in the adventure and that helps a lot. Here are some other options and thoughts on finding buddies. These are things that have worked well for us.
The water is too cold
I'll be the first to acknowledge that we all have our own personal tolerance for cold. However modern exposure protection is amazing stuff. Sure it takes the right gear and will power to get into New England ocean water in February but that's not what I'm talking about. Nearly anyone can be comfortable from Mid June to Mid October. The right gear fit correctly makes it all good.
The gear is too heavy
Well dive gear is heavy but the good news is that you only feel that weight before and after the dive. During the dive it's virtually neutral. There is one gear choice you can make that will actually shave over 12 pounds from your total weight. With experience you will learn to handle the weight and it will seem less significant as you gain experience with every dive. Some divers will find they enjoy diving if they stay with a manageable cylinder or avoid the heavy exposure protection of the colder seasons along with the weight required to sink it.
Nothing says you have to make an expedition trek 1 mile into the woods to dive the sacred springs. If you are comfortable diving from boats where you strap yourself into your rig and back-roll off the side of the boat then let that be the diving you enjoy. Where there is a will there is a way.
My gear does not fit right
That has to be one of the biggest reasons for sloppy diving and frustrated divers. How does it happen?
For my money mail order is great for things that don't require a personal fit or local ongoing support. Things I consider mail order candidates: knives, lights, replacements of Items for which you know the correct size and model (Like if you loose a fin) , gear bags and assorted accessory items that are hard to find locally for some of us.
I am not confident in my training.
This happens a lot though few divers will admit it.
There are some great instructors out there and there are others that will put you through the bare minimum and let you slide through with a wink and a nod. Dive training used to be a vigorous program. One reason for this was the absence of things like alternate second stages, pressure gauges, power inflators and even the BC as we know it. With the added ease and safety of today's gear along with our "have it now: society dive training has evolved to the bare minimum and most of what is taught is disaster recovery, not diving. Meanwhile we each bring our own gifts and foibles to the sport and while some will be naturals, others will need time to acquire comfort in the water. This can be the big downfall for people taking quickie vacation courses.
If you are a certified diver but you are not comfortable going out to make a dive with peers consider some of these options.
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