#1376
RockRat2008 - 4/29/2019 3:36 PM
You’ll get to rescue diver before Divemaster, and you’ll love it. Rescue diver is the hardest and most rewarding class there is, in my opinion.

One of the things you’ll go over in class is buoyancy:
Positive = going up
Negative = sinking
Neutral = stationary

When you get underwater to your dive depth, say 50 feet, you’ll want to put just enough air in your BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy so you can swim without fighting to stay down or keep from sinking.

This is a skill that it takes a lot of work to master, but once you do then diving become easy. If you’re fighting your gear, or fighting to stay where you want in the water, then you burn through a lot more air and diving is a lot less enjoyable.

On dive boats now I am usually the first one in and the last one out because I have learned how to maximize my air usage and get as much bottom time as possible. After all, that’s why we dive, to be underwater seeing all the cool stuff. :-)

Fitness and endurance definitely pay a part in it, but some of that is hauling all your gear around to get to the water. LOL