Bookmark Scuba Diving

Thanks to the internet, a scuba diving enthusiast can peruse his monitor for a scuba diving book. By visiting sites, he can get summaries of a particular book and make the selection with just one click of the button.

At the moment, these are the best-selling books tackling the popular water sport scuba diving.

* Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II
Author: Robert Kurson

It may be a long title and it doesn’t necessarily tackle scuba diving but what makes this book a best seller is because it is based in real life. In 1991, two scuba divers discovered a sunken German U-boat along the New Jersey coast. 60 dead men were inside. It was a mystery so over the years, these two scuba divers turned discoverers identified the sunken U-boat and its crew.

* Deep, Dark and Dangerous: Adventures and Reflections on the Andrea Doria
Author: Gary Gentile

The reader can easily get engaged in the well narration of the deep compartments and dark passageways where danger lurks around the corner and death is just a breath away. The author recounts in full detail the slow and inevitable fall of the Andrea Doria. Andrea Doria is a ship that remained to be intact even upon sinking. She served as a time tunnel for scuba divers/explorers, transporting them to a time now extinct.

* Deep Diving: An Advanced Guide to Physiology, Procedures and Systems
Authors: Brett Gilliam, Robert von Maier, John Crea

First ever book to tackle sport diving in depth and allocate space for a the complicated medical concerns of scuba divers. There is a balanced view on the fascination as well as the hazards of scuba diving, assisted by extensive and factual chapters.

* Basic Cave Diving
Author: Sheck Exley

This scuba diving guide discusses the procedure when cave diving in Florida. It is an interesting read for cave divers. The author is the greatest cave-diving pioneer of all time, therefore making the book full of ideas and insight that can help the readers learn how to engage in the sport in a safe manner.

* The Technical Diving Handbook
Author: Gary Gentile

The sequel to the popular and successful Ultimate Wreck-Diving Guide, the author updates, expands and revises his original ideas in this book. Underwater explorers have found this book helpful. The Technical Diving Handbook is a must for extended range-divers. The chapters discuss each aspect of the sport to the technical diving details every diver must know.

Is there such a thing as Nude Scuba Diving?

Many people find nature very relaxing, especially when they stay beside a body of water. Example, the singer Sarah McLachlan. She couldn’t imagine living away from the ocean.

Some water babies prefer scuba diving because it allows them to be closer to marine life. Diving underneath the deep recesses of the ocean allow them to witness first-hand coral reefs and underwater marine life such as dolphins and sharks.

But did you know that there is an alternative in the scuba diving sport we, normal people (those who are not into diving) are aware about. There is nude scuba diving. In fact there are even clubs which have members who enjoy being so free when they’re deep down in the water.

For these people, diving in the nude is so exhilarating. They like the feel of water naturally caressing their body. Their number is actually surprising.

Just like any activity people engage in, there are safety considerations in nude scuba diving. For example, there are some tropical and subtropical waters that have sea lice which can be caught under clothing. If this happens, the lice sting is quite painful. Sea lice don’t cling to the skin but they do cling to body hair. Therefore, if one is going to scuba dive in the nude, the recommended body hair must be shaved or trimmed.

Also, nude scuba diving assists the diver in becoming better in his sport by making him more conscious of his surroundings. The underwater environment will teach him improved and advanced diving skills. For example, rocks, coral, cliffs can be brushed against when the diver is wearing a wetsuit. This can damage the expensive gear and even result in a safety hazard. But in scuba diving, the diver can “be” in his environment. However, this means that he should be all the more careful.

There may be advantages in nude scuba diving, but there are also some disadvantages naturally. Like, male divers must avoid feeding fish because some of the fish can’t tell food from a man’s private organs. The fish can bite it. Also, men should always protect themselves when a school of fish comes their way.

I bet you’re snickering as you are reading this, but it is a serious matter any nude scuba diver must take notice of. A fish bite is hazardous. Just be conscious of the diving environment you are in – especially if you aren’t wearing a wetsuit or bathing suit.

If you would want to try nude scuba diving, you can go to Mexico, Honduras, Antiqua, Bahamas, Bonaire, Dominican Republic, Florida and Jamaica. A majority of nude scuba drivers frequent the beaches there.

Scuba Diving History

Scuba diving is a marine sport that is pretty much enjoyed by water babies. Actually, SCUBA is an acronym for “Self Contained Underwater Breath Apparatus”.

Through the development of technology, scuba diving continues to evolve. At the moment, diving activities pertaining to scuba include:
- recreational diving
- public safety diving
- technical diving which includes ice diving, wreck diving, cave diving and deep diving
- military diving
- commercial diving
- scientific diving

History of scuba-diving goes back centuries. Men and women have practiced holding their breath underwater way before the apparatus for the sport was invented.

Indirect origins come in the form of ancient artifacts found in Greece showing divers hunting for sponges and sometimes engaged in military endeavors. The most popular would be the story of Scyllis dating back in the 500 BC as quoted by the famous Greek historian Herodotus.

The story goes that during the Grecian naval campaign, Scyllis was held captive by Xerxes I, the Persian King. Upon knowing that Xerxes was attacking the Greek fleet, Scyllis grabbed a knife and jumped overboard.

Persians couldn’t find Scyllis. They assumed that he drowned. At night, Scyllis resurfaced and swam all the way to Xerxes’ fleet, cutting every ship off from its moorings. He used a reed as his snorkel so that he couldn’t be seen. Afterwards, he swam nine miles (approximately 15 kilometers) and joined his fellow Greeks.

Move on to the 16th century when people started using diving bells which were the first effective apparatus used in staying under water for a long period of time. The bell was held at a stationary level which is few feet away from the surface. The bottom was open to water while the top contained air compressed with the water pressure.

The diver stood upright and held his head in the air. Then he could leave the bell so that he could collect sponges or explore the bottom of the sea. Afterwards, he returned to the bell to get air. He could keep on doing this till the bell was no longer breathable.

At that time, England and France were manufacturing full diving suits. These were made from leather and used to submerge under 60 feet. The air was pumped from underneath the surface through manual pumps. Later on, metal helmets were made in order to hold greater water pressure for divers who went deeper.

19th century, scientific researches led by French Paul Bert and Scottish John Scott Haldane concluded the effects of water pressure within the body. From these study, compressed air pumps, regulators and carbon dioxide led to the creation of the Scuba diving apparatus we know today.

Scuba Diving in the Caribbean Seas

The Caribbean islands is popular to scuba divers because its beaches are the finest destinations of this marine sport. The islands stretch of reef and are teemed with tropical fish. The walls drop from six to 6000 meters.

There are also caves and wrecks to explore, unleashing the adventurer in every scuba diver. Pinnacles, fumaroles, volcanic gases, sharks, dolphins – the list goes on an on.

In connection to this, tons of dive shops are situated in almost all of the islands so it is very easy to plan diving activities in the vicinity. If you aren’t an experienced or licensed diver, you are only allowed to dive with trainers. As for those who have AOW cards, they can explore the open water dives in the Caribbean islands.

Popular Caribbean Islands for Scuba Diving:
1. Anguilla
One of the Caribbean’s top destinations at the moment because of its astonishing beaches. It also has a slew of top-notch restaurants, luxurious and accommodating hotels and superb villas. It may be expensive because of its exclusivity but if you can afford it, why not?

2. Antigua
With its grandiose bays in between peninsulas, the 108 square miles mast of land rolls on a limestone base that is covered by reefs. It even has a little forest. It’s not only popular for scuba diving, it is also the perfect location for sailing. It is home to the Antigua Race week, a famous sailing regatta.

3. Barbados
With exclusive possibilities, Barbados is often visited by countless tourists from all parts of the globe. The developed islands and hospitable islanders, plus the fact that it is accessible from the States, Canada and Europe are additional perks to its marvelous beaches, accommodating hotels and grandiose villas and restaurants.
If is your first time to go to the Caribbean, Barbados is the best island to check out.

4. Cayman Islands
Consisting of the three islands in West Caribbean, south of Cuba and West Jamaica, Grand Cayman is charming to tourists because of its accommodating islanders. The main beach is eye-catching and relaxing. It has an American feel. Scuba divers can choose to stay in various hotels, inns, apartments or condominium.

5. Grenada
Spinning around Grand Etang, which is the mountain center of the island, Grenada has extraordinary scenery composed of finger coves. Its white sand beaches are perfect for scuba diving and sailing. It may not be as developed as a tourist destination but the real appeal of Grenada is that its safely tucked away from most people, thereby making it exclusive to scuba divers who venture here.

Tips for an Advanced Scuba Diver

Just like school, learning is progress. You can’t simply remain at the same level year in and year out. Scuba diving requires the same progression. First, interested scuba divers have to enroll themselves in basic scuba diving courses. After they have obtained the fundamental skills and the needed knowledge of the underwater hobby, then they can proceed to the advanced level.

The next step is the Advanced Open Water Diver Course or what is simply known as the AOW. Here, advanced scuba skills are directly applied to the marine sport scuba diving. A card from the AOW is issued to the diver who passes this course.

This card must be presented at several diving areas in countries such as Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines because they won’t allow you to dive at advanced locations if you don’t have the AOW card.

Operators wouldn’t want to take the risk of putting Open Water divers to an advanced level. They would have a harder time coping with rocky currents or dangerous, azure water environments.

An advanced scuba diver must be knowledgeable of the education ahead of him. There are 5 dives required for the completion of the Advanced Open Water Diving Course. The required 2 basic Core dives are Underwater Navigation and Deep Navigation.

The scuba diver has the liberty to select which three remaining Adventure Dives he would like to master. The course is targeted specially for certified divers who want to gain more experience, obtain more knowledge and gain more practical skills.

The most popular Adventure Dives are 1.) Underwater Photography or Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive 2.) Underwater Navigation or Naturalist Dive and 3.) Night and Deep and Photography Dives.

Examples of advances scuba diving tips:
1. In the navigation dive, you will be taught how to use the compass better for natural navigational aids that will assist you in your underwater journey.
2. In deep diving, you will be allowed to dive 18 meters or 60 feet. After having completed the course, then you will be allowed to go beyond that range and reach 30 meters or 100 feet.
3. In adventure dive, you will be able to explore diving like observing the underwater lide and plants.

After knowing, the basics of diving, there is the desire to acquire knowledge and skills for more diving enjoyment. As a diver, have you ever tried surfacing far, far from the crew boat you were in then have that long indepedent swim back? Having obtained advanced scuba diving lessons would allow you to do so – with confidence.

Best Dive Sites on the Planet

Diving is perhaps one of a few activities that integrates excitement with serenity and relaxation. This is why it has become a favorite hobby all around the world.

The activity gives traveling a whole new meaning. It allows a person to be able to have a new perspective about how he relates to this surroundings and to the planet in general. Diving in the best dive sites in the world is one of the common dreams that are shared by thousands of diving enthusiasts out there.

This article tries to give some narrative pictures about some of the best dives sites in the world. The totality of a certain dive should be seen to be able to appreciate it. One shouldn’t look at a dive site in terms of the aquatic wild life, or the clarity of the water, but he should also look in to the history and the culture that is embedded in the waters.

Yongala

The Yongala dive site is perhaps the best dive site in Australia, or perhaps in the world. It is actually a shipwreck and the stories behind it are what make it a very good dive site.

In the early 1900’s, the ship was wrecked by a magnanimous cyclone in Queensland. The unfortunate event cost more than a hundred people and a famous racehorse. The 109 m. long shipwreck was officially protected as a historical site during the 1980s.

As one diver puts it- “The Yongala is all about the fish!” One can see teeming aquatic life beneath the surface of the site’s waters. Sea snakes, manta rays, turtles, octopuses, tiger and bull sharks, corals, you name it, the Yongala has it.

For those people who are interested in taking a peek inside the shipwreck, there’s some bad news. Divers are forbidden to enter the ship and it would cost him a lot if he breaks this rule. The mystery of the shipwreck adds up to the value of the dive site.

Tubbataha

The Tubbataha reef in the Philippines is also a very popular diving destination. Why? Because the biodiversity in this dive site can compete with any of the dive sites in the world. The Tubbataha reef, in fact, was named as one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage Sites in 1994.

If you want to take a dip in the Tubbataha reefs, then you should set your schedule ahead of time because the diving season in the reef is only from the middle of March up to the middle of June. This is to protect the vast amounts of fish species that feed on the reef during the other times of the year.

Barracuda Point

It is a dive site that is located in the small island called Sipadan which is near Sabbah. One will have to take a boat ride from Semporna which will take about an hour to get to the dive site.

Divers love this spot because of the swarming schools of fish (especially the barracudas) that swims around. A negative comment about it is that the currents can be too strong sometimes but nonetheless, it’s one great dive site.

The best time to dive at the Barracuda Point is from December to February.

Florida Keys

Perhaps the best dive site in the United States is the Florida keys. The main reason why divers go here is that it has the longest reef in the western world. The waters are crystal clear down to more than a hundred feet. There are around 500 shipwrecks which can be explored. There’s also an underwater hotel! Would you believe that?

There are many entities within the area which can help you with your diving needs. You can hire a professional guide or rent video equipment from the nearby shops at the dive sites.

Illes Medes

Illes Medes is located in L’Estartit in Spain, Costa Brava, Spain. It is approximately 135 kilometers from Barcelona. The temperatures here are very conducive for diving. The fish here are somewhat friendly because they aren’t that scared of humans and they actually come close to the divers. The peak season for diving here is August.

These are just some of the wonderful dive sites in the world. Take your pick now and dive your way towards the heavens under the seas.

Practical Tips on How to Conserve Air in Scuba Diving

Man has a natural inclination towards being one with his surroundings. Everything is interconnected and each person feels the need to be able to feel every medium that intertwines between the complexities of his being. This is the reason why so many people are going crazy about scuba diving.

Scuba diving has attracted the attention of many enthusiasts all over the globe. It seems to be a very fulfilling and enjoyable activity. Some people have made careers out of their passion for scuba diving. The world has sensationalized scuba diving in such a way that it has helped preserve the environment and greatly contributed to the awareness regarding the environmental issues that are associated with our aquatic resources.

One of the major and popular issues that are continuously being discussed in the scuba diving arena is the conservation of air under water. An emerging scuba apparatus design is called a rebreather, which can help people address the concern about rapid air consumption. The apparatus functions in such a way that the exhaled air by the diver is stripped of carbon dioxide and is re-circulated to the air chamber. This way, one can enjoy the deep seas much longer. However, in most cases, divers don’t have such an apparatus.

Having insufficient air under water poses grave risks for the diver. One of the major causes of brain damage from scuba diving activities is the prolonged lack of oxygen that flows into the brain. Our brains rely on oxygen to deliver the necessary nutrients for it to function and if a diver doesn’t know how to properly manage his air, he is exposing himself to the risk of running out of breathable air.

So, what are some of the ways by which a scuba diver can conserve air while diving? One of the most controversial suggestions regarding the issue is to hold one’s breath during dives to be able to conserve air. In real life, one shouldn’t make breathe holding as a diving habit. A simple analogy for holding one’s breath is it is like killing the chicken to be able to get the eggs. It’s really a matter of priority. Do you want to conserve air from your tank while risking yourself to the negative effects of carbon dioxide saturation? The build up of carbon in the brain is dangerous because it pollutes the blood stream and deprives all the parts of the body from the much needed gas that is oxygen.

However, holding one’s breath has some useful applications. It can be used to be able to control one’s buoyancy under water. It is usually used by professionals to ascend a maximum of one foot, but nothing more than that. One should also remember that it is a “no-no” to hold one’s breath while ascending rapidly.

A more accepted way of conserving one’s air under water is to practice slow breathing. When you inhale and exhale, you should do it in a way that you fully go through the process. Breathing completely and slowly is the way to go if you really want to conserve water under water. It makes the whole process of respiration more efficient and effective as compared to taking short inhales and making short exhales.

Another tip (which is related to the one given above) is that it is more advisable to make big kicks as compared to making tiny ones. The concept behind this is that it is a more efficient way to move under water, therefore, you conserve your energy and less oxygen is needed by your body.

Sometimes, divers usually do all the things that are mentioned above and they still find themselves consuming too much air. For all the air hogs out there, the problem might not be under water. Being physically fit is very important in scuba diving. A diver who smokes would most definitely consume much more air much rapidly than a diver who is in good physical condition. Looking at the issue of air conservation under water from a more holistic point of view is perhaps the best tip that one can imbibe.

Got Plans? Dive On Them.

Whether this will be your first or fourth, you have to plan your scuba dive well. Scuba diving isn’t like any other swimming activity where you just bring your favorite swim suit and a few changes of clothing. It involves much more planning, but in the end, all your hard work will be worth it.

In order to stay safe while underwater and make scuba diving a wonderful experience, you should ensure that you are able to get a proper training before you dive in. Scuba diving isn’t a sport that you can learn all by yourself. You have to consult the expertise of scuba diving instructors and undergo some specialized trainings to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of scuba diving.

If you’re planning to scuba dive over the weekend, the first thing you should check is if you’re physically fit for the challenge. Aside from being a decent swimmer, you have to pass a certain fitness level. Scuba diving could be fatal to those who aren’t physically strong enough. If you’re not sure about your level of fitness, you can try talking about your scuba diving plans with your doctor.

Even if you’re just planning to make scuba diving a one-time experience during your vacation in the tropics, you have to go through a basic scuba diving course. Most resorts have dive shops and scuba diving courses. You may want to check on these. Knowing the basics of scuba diving will enable you to go scuba diving, but you will need proper supervision from scuba diving professionals to ensure that your scuba diving experience will be as safe as possible.

When you’re about a hundred feet below the surface, pressure builds up and your body starts reacting to too much nitrogen in your bloodstream. When this unexpected difficulty happens, you might not be able to think clearly. In fact, you could start panicking, which isn’t advisable when you’re underwater. That’s why, it is important to have proper training.

With proper training, you’ll be able to plan your dive. So when you’re feeling a bit nervous while underwater, you don’t have to think about what you need to do, you just have to follow your dive plan.

To help you achieve your dive plan, you will need some scuba diving equipment, such as a dive computer. A dive computer calculates and displays your dive depth, ascent rate, time, etc. These details are very helpful to prevent any decompression or pressure related injuries. These injuries such as Nitrogen Narcosis, could be fatal to divers.

Once you’ve tried scuba diving and you’ve enjoyed it so much that you want to make it your lifetime sport, you will have to go a little further with your scuba diving training. There is a lot of recognizing scuba diving training agencies where you can get your certification.

A Basic Certification in scuba diving involves both theoretical and practical aspects of the course. You can work in a swimming pool or diving school and pass written exams on diving to get certified. Once of the toughest challenges a diving student may face during his certification courses is learning to use a dive table. Usually, a student will undergo a dive operation using a giant dive table. Hopefully, this will aid him in mastering the subject.

An Open Water Certification on the other hand, will require you to go somewhere, maybe in the tropical areas, where scuba diving is in season. Children who are 14 years old or younger won’t be able to get fully certified, but if they plan to obtain a full certification soon, they can enroll themselves in some scuba diving classes to prepare them.

A good diving course will also teach you how to properly select, care and use scuba diving gears. Of course, you will learn how to scuba dive safely, even without any supervision. By taking up a scuba diving course, you can improve on your breathing techniques and other scuba diving skills to make your diving experience more enjoyable.

So if you’re up to the exciting scuba diving challenges, then get started, breathe deeply, and dive just right in. Scuba diving could be your ticket to an extreme underwater adventure.

Scuba Diving: A Chance for Underwater Life

All year round, scuba diving is a popular activity. It is basically defined as the act of entering the water and remaining below its surface to explore, work, of simply just have fun. There are several famous scuba diving spots all over the world. Scuba diving isn’t limited to the oceans, however. Many divers dive into other forms of water, such as lakes, ponds and rivers.

Scuba refers to the tank containing air that divers carry with them to enable them to breathe underwater. The word scuba stands for “self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus.

For centuries, people have been fascinated by the life found underwater. In fact, there is an estimated six million active divers around the world. Commercial, cave, wreck and military diving are just a few purposes for diving. The most popular of which is sport or recreational diving.

However, before you go diving, there are several issues to be considered. Scuba diving is a potentially hazardous sport. Thus, you need to look at a few of its physiological concepts to help familiarize yourself.

Diving requires special training, especially when you plan to go more than 130 feet below the surface. Due to the water pressure, you would find yourself experiencing decompression sickness and air embolisms.

Also, it would be helpful to know that a person tends to consume more air the deeper he goes underwater. It follows that with the same amount of air, divers at a shallower depth last longer. Also, air consumption varies per person, depending on their diving experience, general relaxation and physical fitness. Also, those who have a healthier lifestyle, which means less alcohol and tobacco intake, expect to last longer underwater.

The dangers in scuba diving stem primarily from its physiological hazards. Unlike aquatic animals that have gills to extract oxygen from the water, humans need external devices to breathe underwater. Thus, it is important to strictly follow the procedures learned during scuba diving certification process. You should never attempt to dive beyond your abilities and experience.

To breathe comfortably underwater, it takes more than good supply of air. You need to consider the pressure exerted by water onto your chest and lungs. That means, you should be able to exert enough pressure when inhaling to counter the surrounding temperature, or else, you might not be able to safely inflate your lungs.

Fortunately, there are modern devices such as valve regulators to ensure that the diver can breathe naturally and almost effortlessly underwater, regardless of depth. You won’t be using your nose in inhalation since it is usually encapsulated in a diving mask. However, you don’t need to worry since inhaling from the regulator’s mouthpiece will come out spontaneously.

It is also important to ascend or descend slowly, to give your body enough time to equalize the pressure. Sudden changes in water pressure can be very harmful. A significant difference from the pressure outside and inside the diver can cause severe injuries, referred to as barotraumas.

Bends or decompression sickness is caused by staying too long in great depths then ascending very quickly. The deeper you dive underwater, the denser the air you breathe, which allows you to breathe nitrogen more than safe amount. Nitrogen forms tiny bubbles on your tissues and bloodstream. If these bubbles stay trapped inside your body, they could burst and cause extreme pain.

Another fatal pressure related injury is air embolism. When you ascend too quickly, the gases in your bloodstream will form a large bubble which can impede the flow of blood to your brain. To allow excess air to escape from the body, a diver should ascend slowly enough.

To avoid these risks, you must be able to calculate how long you can safely stay at a certain depth and how long you should dive again. Of course, there is also the risk of running out of air and breathing contaminated air when underwater. Scuba diving certification courses should teach you how to avoid these and what to do should a fellow diver experience such problems.

So before you explore the underwater world, make sure you have passed a scuba diving certification. This will allow you to do unsupervised dives, refill your air tanks and buy scuba diving gadgets. Of course, when you go scuba diving, make sure that you have somebody with you who can assist you if something goes wrong.

Scuba Diving Tips: Breathing Control

Breathing is easy, isn’t it? We do it all the time. Good air in, bad air out. Simple, and easy, right? Wrong! In scuba diving, breathing properly serves three major purposes, and missing out on knowing how to breathe properly can lead to a messed up dive.

Why should your learn a different way to breathe for diving? Well, the technique that will be given here isn’t just for diving, it’s meant to increase the efficiency at which your body processes oxygen in general, and will benefit every aspect of your life that requires physical activity.

First off, proper breathing helps you to control your buoyancy. If your scuba instructor tells you to hold your breath while adjusting your regulator to control your dive depth, you’ll quickly wind up blue in the face. Definitely not a pleasant experience. Instead of holding your breath and relying on the weights and regulator to adjust buoyancy, breathing properly can cause subtle shifts in your floatation.

Secondly, proper breathing on a dive extends your air time. The breathing technique given here helps the body process more oxygen, sending it to the body with greater efficiency and maximizing the amount of oxygen that gets introduced into the blood stream. You won’t use your air up as quickly, and can extend your time underwater.

Lastly, proper breathing combined with good control over your descent and ascent rate helps to minimize decompression sickness, which is a problem that hits divers when the sudden changes in external pressure on the body trigger collections of air pockets in the blood stream, heart, and sinuses. Those little air pockets cause a condition that divers refer to as The Bends, which can be anything from merely painful and annoying, to outright fatal by leading to a stroke or brain damage.

That said and done, let’s get into the actual breathing method to use.

Speaking from personal experience, the breathing technique that should be employed in diving are related to that used by martial artists, singers, yoga practitioners, and gymnasts. This is a method called diaphragm breathing, and goes by many different fancy names depending on which discipline is using it, like in martial arts where it is referred to as Ki or Chi Breathing.

To practise diaphragm breathing, either stand or sit up straight (your choice), and just breathe in. Don’t slouch. Observe how you take the air in. Most people will have their chests expand when they take a breath. This is normal, regular lung breathing. In diaphragm breathing, the lower stomach expands instead of the chest.

To do this properly, the biggest key is to relax. Your abdominal muscles will actually instinctively tighten up when you take a breath and try to focus on your gut. Don’t focus on your gut, just relax and breath in, but make a point of actually relaxing your navel area when you inhale. Most people get diaphragm breathing wrong because they tense up the muscles in their gut in an effort to send their breath there. Tensing up these muscles actually causes them to contract, which keeps air from going that deeply. That’s all there is to this form of breathing, really. It’s simple, once you get the hang of it.

It’s also important to keep your breathing rhythm deep, slow, and even when you’re practising this method, inhaling as far as you can go, holding the air in your lungs for just a few seconds, then exhaling the air slowly and evenly. Shallow, rapid breathing, as most medical practitioners know, is a very, very bad thing, which leads to asphyxiation, a state where not enough oxygen gets cycled through the body.

By the way, the air, of course, isn’t really going into your stomach. It just expands because the diaphragm is positioned right above it in the body. Basic anatomy lesson here: the diaphragm is a membrane which controls the expansion of the lungs, which causes the inhalation and exhalation of air. Basically, what this form of breathing achieves is to strengthen your diaphragm itself, as well as increasing the capacity of your lungs. Keep practising this method until it becomes automatic and natural, and you’ll be surprised at the results. Not just in your scuba diving, but in your overall physical condition.