Which path to take as a recreational diver?

We all love diving, that goes without saying. But each of us is fascinated by something different underwater. Some of us want to observe life which takes place in not too deep parts. For others, the most wonderful thing during diving expeditions will be wrecks, both those known and those still waiting to be discovered. There is a whole bunch of possibilities, but it is important to choose the objectives of our dives adequately to our skills and equipment.

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You already have a basic qualification in one of the federations. Regardless of which one, further courses and specialisations can be done interchangeably in other federations. Now, therefore, is the time to confront the offer of development in each of them, in relation to our expectations.

Underwater navigation – This is the training we should be interested in first. The art of moving underwater with the help of a compass is invaluable at every stage of the diving path. Knowing the coordinates, we can move without any problems even in very limited visibility. It is certainly a specialization which significantly increases our safety, but also helps to save time and air, which we would use when looking for the right way, or surfacing in order to orientate ourselves. The course takes 1-2 days and includes theoretical and practical classes.

Our skills are growing, we already know how to use a compass, now it is time to add another skill. Thanks to the nitrox course, we will gain the ability to swim in air with increased oxygen content, thus extending the time we can spend at depths of up to 30m. Swimming on nitrox will also improve our well-being. Symptoms of tiredness and sleepiness, which can be troublesome, will disappear, especially if we have a car journey ahead of us. Nitrox specialization is based on only two days of theoretical classes and allows us to breathe underwater with air with a maximum 40% oxygen content.

We have already improved our orientation and the time we can spend underwater. It’s time to do something about depth. Depending on the federation whose offer we like, we will decide on the next level, e.g. P2 in CMAS, or specialisation, e.g. Deep Diver in SSI or PADI federation. We still avoid decompression dives, but our limit has increased from 18-20m to about 40m.

What we can do at this point is quite a lot. With the capabilities we have at our disposal, we can penetrate a wide range of bodies of water. This also gives us the opportunity to improve further skills. Courses concerning wreck diving, night diving, diving rescue, classes in buoyancy and proper balance, as well as many others, which various federations have in their offer for us, will allow us to do so.

However, we should remember to use the new skills that our qualifications give us in a safe manner. Although we have completed the course, there are still many elements that we should improve in order to be able to fully use our abilities. Only then will we gain the experience necessary to perform many dives, which are within our reach thanks to the training we have undergone.

Source: Divers24