I am always looking for new diving experiences, so when I was offered the chance to try out a rebreather in a swimming pool, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity for the world. Rebreathers are completely different from normal scuba systems, and it was an educational (and humbling) experience to try out a new kind of diving. While I wasn't very good with the rebreather, experimenting with a new underwater activity did lead to some interesting realizations about my own diving.


I think it is important for every diver, even a scuba-obsessed know-it-all dive geek like myself, to challenge himself periodically with new diving experiences.

No matter what your diving level, there is always something new to learn about diving. Even though I am an expert open water diver and a proficient cave diver, I felt like a total beginner once I strapped on the rebreather. It was great. Recreational divers, and even open water scuba instructors like myself, can easily fall into the habit of sticking to easy dives which make them feel like experts. This is how (dare I say it?) diving becomes boring. I like to keep diving fresh and interesting by challenging myself with new, and sometimes difficult, diving experiences. Rebreathers, advanced diving courses, night dives, wreck dives or learning to use an underwater camera are only a few of the ways that divers can keep from falling into a same-old-dive rut.

As divers become complacent and overly comfortable at their diving level, bad habits creep into their diving technique.

Different kinds of diving can lead to different bad habits which are reinforced when divers do not see immediate negative consequences from them. A good way to weed out these bad habits and to become a better diver is by attempting a different style or type of diving activity. In my case, using the rebreather made me realize that I breathe out my nose unnecessarily and sometimes skip breathe or hold my breath out too long as a method of controlling my buoyancy. While these are bad habits in all types of diving, they do not have immediately obvious negative consequences on my normal dives. On a rebreather, however, breathing out my nose and messing with my breathing rate had an instantaneous effect. I never would have noticed and been able to correct these bad habits had I not tried out a new kind of diving.

Experimenting with different diving activities will keep a diver interested in diving, but more importantly it makes for a safer diver. A diver who is constantly forced to analyze his diving and learn new techniques will be less complacent and more aware when diving. In my case, playing with a rebreather for less than thirty minutes helped me catch some really naughty habits. Challenge yourself to an advanced diving course, or new underwater activity. Not only is trying out something new fun, it's good for you too.

Speak Up! Do you think it is important to continuously challenge yourself?

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