Scuba Diving is one of those activities that changes you in many ways, not just through the training, but also by what you see and experience underwater has this lasting effect on how you experience the world above. A lot of sports and hobbies can reinforce your character and teach you valuable life lessons. So what parallels can we draw from Scuba Diving that translate into lessons we can take with us and apply in day to day life? Here are five ways in which we think, Scuba Diving has changed our lives.
Becoming more Appreciative of Nature
“I never really was a true conservationalist or one of those tree-hugger types, sure I liked nature, but wouldn’t be bothered by what we’re doing to protect it. However after taking up Scuba Diving and experiencing the wealth of marine life and coral that exists in out oceans, something changed. I started getting interested in what we are doing to our oceans, and started to do my bit to protect it.”
Sound familiar? Scuba Diving can do that to you. Even if you get in to the sport for the fun of adventure, there is no way you will be unmoved by natures beauty at some stage in your diving career. While you may not become an activist, experiencing the fragility of a reef ecosystem first-hand, you’ll surely learn to respect it. There is something awe-inspiring each time we submerge underwater and get to witness the other 70% of earth that changes us inexplicably for the better and helps us appreciate our world.
To Stay Calm in a difficult situations
One of the best life lessons that scuba diving can teach you, is how to stay calm even in the most difficult of situations. This is imbibed into each diver as they undergo each stage of their diving certification courses, open water, advanced open water, rescue, master etc. and is the underlying principle of all scuba diving safety. This lesson is reinforced in every diver each time, a mask gets flooded, one runs low on air, the current is too strong for a dive, or you lose sight of the dive master etc. This lesson in how not to panic when things go wrong, stop think and act, is something that you can easily translate into everyday life. The rigor of being prepared for all eventualities and always having a contingency plan in place is another lesson that scuba diving can teach you to apply into everyday life.
Breathe & Relax
Stressed underwater? Well every diver knows when they get stressed, panicky or overexert themselves, the sound of their breathing through their regulator quickens, and they will immediately slow down, calm down and regulate their breathing to conserve air. Diving teaches you to pay attention to your breathing and breathe constantly at all times at a regular rate. Yoga and meditation teaches you the same principles, how to pay attention to your breathing and calm yourself. Scuba diving teaches you whether intentionally or not, how to calm yourself down by paying attention to your breathing. Learning this technique is simply invaluable in our day to day stress filled lives.
A Buddy can help you out in a Crisis
The importance of having a dive buddy beside you at all times to help you out in a pinch is another wonderful lesson that we could take a page out of in our everyday lives. Having someone close that you can trust, a good friend, family or a spouse, can mean the difference between a rescue and disaster. The need to clearly communicate with and create a trusting bond or understanding is something we all need to do in our everyday lives. We all need a dive buddy and a life buddy.
Most importantly Learn to Have Fun
While there are several other life lessons we can take away from Scuba Diving, we felt that the one that was perhaps the most important was to always learn to have fun in what you are doing. We wouldn’t all be scuba diving if it were purely educational, or scary or dangerous. The reason we Scuba Dive is because it’s fun Despite the dangers, the risks, and the need to stay focused, Scuba Diving is a whole lotta fun which makes the experience worthwhile. If we can try and learn to have as fun in our jobs, and daily activities, suddenly the risks, and hardships don’t really account for much, and we will be better off for it.
