Three ways to prepare for the dive season

With the worst of the winter seemingly behind us, it’s time to begin preparations for a return to the water. 

Historically, the Easter weekend used to be seen as the point when everyone came out of hibernation and made a beeline for the coast. But whenever and wherever you plan to jump back in the water some appropriate degree of preparation will undoubtedly be necessary. 

Here are three things to consider before taking the plunge:  

Prepare yourself

The central component of your diving or snorkelling system is you yourself. It is all too easy for the excesses of the festive season to take their toll and with all the demands on our time, it can be difficult to find the motivation to get out of any self-imposed winter rut.

Setting an objective at least can instil some motivation and anything you can do to prepare yourself for the coming season can only be a good thing. One of the tricks is not to try and immediately get back to absolute peak fitness because you are not aiming at the Olympics.

Trying to do too much initially can not only increase the risk of injury and a setback but also can be frustrating and may undermine your initial motivation. A simple first step would be to get down the pool for some initial swimming practice.

Prepare your equipment

The time to ensure your kit is still fit for purpose is before you commit to the lengthy travel to the coast. A little preparation and forethought will help avoid a sudden failure that could result in a lost dive or two.

So check all your kit, have essential servicing done and make sure your cylinders are in test. If you are reliant on any group equipment such as O2 kits and/or an RHIB then make sure the club ensures that that is fit for purpose as well (the annual Menai boat run began precisely for that purpose).

Have an objective for your diving or snorkelling this year

Getting the motivation to get everything above done (and more) is a major part of the process. Having a fixed objective, such a dedicate trip or a project, can have a real positive result in getting you into the right mindset to achieve everything in time and be properly prepared to enjoy your diving or snorkelling for another year. 

Jim Watson
Safety & Development Manager