New year, new you… new diving skills? What if among all these things we promise ourselves to improve every 1st of January, one was about the thing we love the most on Earth? I mean underwater! Read on for five ideas for scuba diving new year resolutions.
1. Master Buoyancy Like a Pro
Buoyancy is the one magical skill that makes everything easier underwater. Fancy consuming less air, longer dives or bringing back significantly better underwater pictures or videos?
Ask your favorite diving instructor honest feedback about your buoyancy. Taking the time to work on that essential skill can take you a long way. I warmly recommend the Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course. Through specially designed exercises, you can better understand the secrets behind a good buoyancy.
2. Expand your Diving Horizons
The beauty in scuba diving is the almost infinite number of experiences you can have. From wreck diving to ice diving, trying something new is another opportunity to develop a better understanding of diving by looking at things from a different angle.
Something new can also be trying to dive locally between two tropical holidays. Have you ever tried to scuba dive in a dry suit? Check with your local scuba diving center what they have on offer.
3. Embrace One More Ocean-Friendly Habit
Achieving a waste-free eco-responsible lifestyle is easier said than done. It can honestly feel overwhelming. Don’t beat yourself up! Making new habits fully part of our daily routine takes time. One new ocean-friendly habit every year is already a lot. Imagine what you could achieve in 10 years?
If you need ideas, here a few simple habits to start with:
- Complete your scuba diving gear with a mesh bag, so every dive becomes a clean-up dive.
- Get a foldable shopping bag you can keep in your backpack or handbag.
- Use an insulated tumbler for coffee cravings on the go.
- Try swapping your bottle of shampoo for solid shampoo.
- Invest in a UV protected rashguard for your next holiday to avoid coral-threatening sunscreen or simply buying another plastic bottle.
4. Pamper Your Scuba Diving Gear
Winter can be the perfect time to take care of your scuba diving gear. It can also be a fun way to stay in the scuba mood when you can’t go diving. Here is a non-exhaustive check-list:
- Bring your regulator in for its annual maintenance. There is often a 3-week delay (on average), so it is better to avoid doing this at the last minute.
- Check if the battery in your dive computer needs to be changed. Some models let users change the battery by themselves.
- Inspect your wetsuit thoroughly. Some small tears might be fixable at home with a drop of neoprene glue.
If some pieces of your equipment are too old, it may be time for an upgrade. Visit your local scuba dive shop or diving show to compare and test by yourself.
Unsure about which gear needs annual maintenance or how you can make small repairs yourself? Consider enrolling in the PADI Equipment Specialist course to learn more about scuba diving equipment.
5. Go Somewhere New
Let’s say you love diving in the Caribbean. Fair enough – it has gorgeous coral reefs. But what about trying a new destination with a different marine ecosystem? It can be exhilarating to discover how different the species can be from one ocean to another, even at the same latitude. You will surely learn new fascinating facts about your favorite marine animals, whether they are nudibranchs or sharks.
Play a game to decide your next destination! Throw a dice and keep rolling until you get somewhere you’ve never been (or haven’t been in a long time if you have already traveled everywhere). 1 is the Pacific, 2 is the Red Sea, 3 is the Mediterranean Sea, 4 is the Caribbean, 5 is Southeast Asia, 6 is the Indian Ocean!
Author Bio
Florine is a PADI Divemaster and a Dive Travel blogger at World Adventure Divers. She dives in tropical to extreme cold waters, selecting her destinations when both adventure diving and cultural discoveries are part of the journey, and showing you how to do it without breaking the bank.
