Of course, we’re not here to replace a proper scuba diving course, but these tips might make starting your underwater adventure easier. If you want to master the aquatic environment and feel like a fish in water, the skills we detail below will help you turn water into a welcoming space where you’ll experience countless thrills.
Pay attention—here we go!
How to Handle Your Diving Mask?
Our skin emits heat, so when we put on the mask, this vapour can cause fogging. To prevent this, you have two options:
- Use your own saliva, which contains a protein that prevents fogging. Before using the mask (while dry), spread saliva with your fingers on the inner lens—this will help the protein adhere. Then rinse the mask with water, and you’re ready to dive.
- Use commercial anti-fog products, which are highly effective.
How to Clear Your Snorkel?
Once you’re in the water and need to put the snorkel in your mouth—or after free diving—the snorkel will fill with water. So, when the top of the snorkel is above the surface, you’ll need to exhale forcefully through the mouthpiece to clear it before inhaling again. It sounds tricky, but with practice, you’ll see how easily you can expel all the water in one go.
We’re used to breathing through both nose and mouth, but with a snorkel, you’ll need to dissociate your breathing and learn to breathe solely through your mouth. A good exercise is to wear your goggles backwards (strap on your face, lenses at the back) and attach the snorkel to the strap. Once set up, submerge yourself—you’ll be fully underwater, so the only way to breathe is through the snorkel. Do a few laps like this to gradually get used to it.
Mastering this exercise is crucial for handling common situations, like water entering your mask, or rarer but possible scenarios, such as a broken strap leaving you maskless mid-dive.
Proper Propulsion Is Essential
Your fins are your underwater rudder—your means of propulsion—and you must know how to use them. Remember: fin movement doesn’t come from your feet or knees but starts at the hips. Put on your mask, enter the pool, and begin with a ventral fin kick (face-down, arms stretched along your torso).
For efficient propulsion, focus on two key points:
- Avoid excessive knee bending. Keep your legs as straight as possible, allowing ample ankle movement.
- Don’t kick above water. Keep your heels below the surface.
How to Move with One Fin
To improve balance and coordination underwater, try using one fin. This also prepares you for situations like a broken fin strap or losing a fin. Start face-down on the surface, hands behind your back (as in the previous exercise), but with one fin. Try moving while maintaining ventral balance. Once mastered, make it fun by adding the ball exercise.
Another great exercise is synchronised finning: pair up with a buddy on a swimming cork board, each wearing one fin (opposite sides), and coordinate to move forward. Fun and practical!
The Descent: The "Duck Dive"
To descend, position your body parallel to the surface (prone or streamlined), starting static or with a ventral kick. Then, drop your arms perpendicularly downward, gently bending your torso until it’s vertical. Keep arms stretched toward the bottom to ease entry.
Once submerged, lift your legs to align with your torso, letting them breach the surface. Momentum will sink your body. Now, start finning.
Remember: to equalise your ears, perform the Valsalva manoeuvre (pinch your nose, close your mouth, and gently exhale).
Want to Spin Like a Dolphin?
When wearing a wetsuit, you’ll notice countering lateral inertia from the tank’s weight is key. You might unintentionally descend backward (facing the surface). To fix this, learn to rotate along your body’s longitudinal axis—like dolphins.
To master spins, start with dorsal kicks (face-up, arms forward, palms joined—wearing basic gear, no excessive knee bending or kicking above water). Next, practise lateral kicks (same position, but sideways). Repeat both sides.
With this, you’ll have the foundation for slow rolls: start prone, roll right, advance, switch to dorsal kicks, then left side, and back to prone.
Since you’ll start breathing through the snorkel, it’ll flood during spins. Clear it when prone (face-down). Alternate directions. Gradually, you’ll master this and perform it with brief apnoeas along the pool floor. Focus on equalising during descent. Soon, you’ll move effortlessly.
Spatial Awareness Underwater
Knowing where the surface and bottom are—and moving agilely—is vital. Use water’s weightlessness to perform acrobatic spins impossible on land. Here’s how:
- Wear basic gear, take a deep breath, and duck dive. Tuck your chin to your chest, and you’ll flip forward effortlessly. The tighter you tuck, the faster you spin.
- Remember: your snorkel will flood, so clear it each time you surface (save air for this). Make it fun: two buddies hold a pole underwater; grip the middle and spin forward. With a wetsuit, use arm rotations to counter its drag.
- Forward spins mastered? Now try backward rolls: lie face-up, stretch arms back, tilt your head toward the bottom, engage your core, and bend knees to your chest. You’ll flip backward. Arm thrusts help. Note: backward spins in a wetsuit are harder and require more practice/fitness.
Weight Control
To calculate precise weight, wear full gear (ensure your BCD is air-free). Find deep water and float vertically. A buddy adds weights to your BCD pockets. When your eyes are at surface level (lungs full), you’re correctly weighted.
Handling Weights Post-Dive
Practise this in your wetsuit, with mask, fins, and 2–3 kg on a belt. A buddy waits poolside to collect it. To remove the belt, always grip the end opposite the buckle (grabbing the buckle may drop weights). With one hand holding the belt, use the other to grip the pool edge/boat. Kick forward and pass the belt to your buddy.Progress by adding full gear and more weights. Finally, try using both hands to remove the belt.
Want more? Don’t stop at theory—enrol in a scuba course and dive into one of the most thrilling water sports out there!
