Before going on your fun resort scuba dive, you will be required to complete some confidence building dive training with your Scuba Instructor.
This dive training very easy and ensure that you are ready for your scuba dive.
Each one will be discussed by your Scuba Instructor prior to the dive, and then demonstrated by them for you to see. Often, everyone will have the opportunity to do a few practices of the skills before scuba diving.
When the Instructor is demonstrating a dive skill in the water, just watch them.
You can ask them to repeat it if necessary.
They will then ask each person to show the dive skill back to them. Take your time, it’s not a test, it’s just to see how comfortable you are in the water so don’t be afraid to practice.
Equalise ‘pop’ Ears
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The first piece of scuba dive training your Instructor will ask you to complete is to show them that you can ‘pop’ your ears comfortably.
Remember, to equalise our ears we simply pinch our nose closed and very gently exhale through our closed nose.
If you find it easier to ‘pop’ your ears by swallowing that’s fine – just let your Scuba Instructor know that your ears are comfortable by giving them the ‘Ok’ sign. See Our Body Underwater.
Mask Clear
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Scuba dive training: Next they will ask you to show them that you can clear any water out of your mask. (Whether snorkelling or scuba diving, most people always have some water in the bottom of the mask. This isn’t a problem – some people find it irritating and some people it doesn’t bother).
It’s really simple to get water out of the mask while scuba diving – as easy as blowing your nose!
Simply hold your mask to stop it slipping around your face, look up and blow your nose. It’s that easy!
Any water will be pushed out of the bottom of the mask by the force of the air you blow inside the mask.
Remember to look up to clear the water out easily, and not to lift the mask away from your face – simply hold it gently as you blow your nose.
Regulator Clear
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Scuba dive training: Lastly they will ask you to show them what you would do if your regulator (or ‘breathing thingy’) came out of your mouth while scuba diving.
This is exceptionally uncommon and it its highly unlikely that a regulator would ‘fall out’ of a first time divers mouth.
However, before taking you on an underwater tour the Scuba Instructor still needs to see that you would be comfortable to put the regulator back in your mouth, clear any water out of it and keep breathing.
Obviously, at all times during your scuba dive, please leave the regulator in your mouth.
The way we do this skill is very easy.
With the regulator in your mouth take a breath in, hold the regulator in your hand and take it out of your mouth. While the regulator is out of your mouth, you must exhale a steady stream of bubbles.
Can you guess why we need to exhale small bubbles? …Remember the rule that says ‘Always breathe, never hold your breath’?
So if the regulator comes out of your mouth, you can’t stop breathing – you need to show your Scuba Instructor that you are keeping your airways open by blowing little bubbles.
When we place the regulator back in our mouth, we need to clear any water out that may be inside of it before breathing again.
We do this is by exhaling with slightly more force than usual before taking a breath in.
Usually your scuba Instructor will get you to shout the word ‘two’ into your regulator once you have placed it back in your mouth, as this is an easy way to clear the water out before breathing normally again.
All of these skills will be much easier to understand when demonstrated in person by your scuba dive leader, so don’t worry if you can’t quite imagine them now.