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Drift Diving – Considerations before your first experience

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By Roy Cabalo

Every diver has their preferred dive, be it reef, wreck, or cave diving.  And every diver knows that each type of dive has its nuances that they wish they would have known better when they started. In my case, it was drift diving.  Let me share a few things that you might want to think about before you get wet.

Negative Entry

The negative entry is one you don’t learn in the basic open water course and can be critical to a smooth descent and not missing your target.  In a negative entry, you aren’t waiting around on the surface to signal OK and wait for your buddy.  Communicate prior to make sure you both understand: you’re going in with your BCDs empty, equalizing early and often, using a long stride into the water on a deep exhale, keeping vertical body posture starting out, checking on each other at about 5-7 meters deep, and getting to the bottom as soon as safely possible.

A little extra weight doesn’t hurt

A little extra weight is just that – 1 to 2 pounds, not 4 or 5!  This goes hand in hand with your negative entry towards making your decent smooth and easy.  You aren’t racing to the bottom, but you aren’t making a leisurely descent!  A good captain will give you a reasonable lead to start your drift and the lead should be something that’s part of the dive briefing.  Remember, too little weight and you don’t sink fast enough, too much weight becomes dangerous!

The Dive Briefing

Remember the dive briefing that divers tend to overlook?  It could provide you with the information that makes the difference between a good dive and a GREAT dive.  A dive briefing should have a few routine things you’ve heard several times before – boat rules, where the dive guide will be (if you have one), time limits, depths and such. Some key parts are unique to each dive: identifying your objective – drifting over a reef, ledge, or wreck trek, key things for you to look for, geographic features that will indicate you are drifting along the correct path, and so on.  Really listen to this briefing!  I can’t tell you how many divers are having sidebar conversations and miss so much great information.

Don’t lose your cool if you surface and the boat isn’t right there

Different divers will stay down different amounts of time, and the boat will take time to pick everyone up.  Add a little air to your safety sausage while you’re waiting for the boat.  Stay close to your buddy; it’s very easy to unknowingly drift apart.  Take the time while on the surface to talk about the dive and what you saw.  If the waves seem to be a bit much, leave your regulator or your snorkel in your mouth.  This is a great time to relax and think about the things you saw that so many other don’t.  Divers see the other 71% of the world, so your memories are some of the greatest things you’ll be able to share with others.

Hopefully, these few thoughts will come to mind next time you get ready to drift and they become a valuable reference for future dives.  The weather is beautiful, let’s go Dive Dive Dive!


To find out more about International Training, visit www.tdisdi.com.

From its humble beginning in 1994 to today, the group of training agencies Scuba Diving International (SDI), Technical Diving International (TDI), and Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) form one of the largest diving certification agencies in the World – International Training. With 24 Regional Offices servicing more than 100 countries, the company today far exceeds the original vision the founders had when they conceived the idea on a napkin, sitting at a kitchen table in the early 1990’s.

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Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire

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idc

Dive Friends teaches the Instructor Development Course (IDC) several times a year to students who are eager to share their passion for diving with the world.

Dive Friends is known for the personal approach throughout the course. Their in-house course director will lead the students through every essential step, mentoring them to achieve their fullest potential as a dive instructor.

Applications for the following IDC start dates are now open:

  • 12 April
  • 5 July,
  • 20 September
  • 29 November

Partnership with Casita Palma

If the student opts for the IDC-Deluxe or IDC-Supreme package, their accommodation will be arranged for them at Casita Palma. This small and quiet resort is within walking distance from Dive Friends Bonaire’s main dive shop location and has everything you need to relax after an intense day of IDC training. Breakfast is included, so the student will always be fuelled and ready for their day.

Contact Dive Friends Bonaire’s Course Director Eddy for more information: coursedirector@divefriendsbonaire.com.

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Scubility: Achieving Success through Adaptability

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scubility

Introduction to Scubility

Being a scuba diving professional, I am always fascinated by the beauty of the underwater world, filled with colorful coral and a variety of marine species. Every dive site around the world has something unique to offer, attracting the diving community to immerse themselves time and time again. The feeling of being underwater is a unique experience, akin to being in space, where you can escape Earth’s gravity to enjoy the freedom of movement. However, water sports are often believed to be accessible only to those with good physical strength, leaving others to only dream of being there.

The Genesis of Scubility

Scubility was developed as a way to help people with disabilities experience the magic of scuba diving or snorkeling. A few years back we became involved in the SDI Scubility program as a way to use our diving experience and knowledge to bring disabled people beneath the ocean. To empower them with a feeling where they can forget their disability and limitations. The image of a Wheelchair Hero from the movie ‘AVATAR’, who could walk and run only in dreams, was the first seed of the idea for a local Scubility program.

scubility

Launching the Scubility Course

Since 2014, my friend has dedicated himself to helping disabled people. Knowing that I am an SDI/TDI Instructor Trainer, he called upon me to help bring them into the world of scuba diving. Captivated by this idea, I decided to offer a special diving course adapted for disabled people: the SDI Scubility Course. The sole purpose was to bring happiness and a feeling of belonging back to our precious disabled students, by giving them an immersive experience under the sea. Perhaps, the mother ocean has a way of treating us all equally, to rebuild confidence and give hope of being alive.

scubility

Adapting Diving for All Abilities

Initially, most Scubility divers in our programs were wheelchair users. The main challenge was to design a unique technique suitable for each Scubility diver, based on their limitations. To do so, we set up a protocol keeping in mind all the scenarios that could arise during diving, starting from boarding the boat, to diving, and the communication signals during the dive. Training was also provided to volunteer participants, mostly instructors and assistant divers.

scubility

The Scubility Program in Action

In the last four events, we have enrolled many Scubility divers in the program. We also have a team of trained instructors and assistants; without them, this wouldn’t be possible. The main objective was to make safe and comfortable diving experiences for Scubility students. In fact, in the last Scubility program, which concluded in March 2023, we included a blind diver along with six other Scubility divers. We also had 8 instructors and more than 10 assistant participants to make this possible.

scubility

The main challenge for blind divers is to set up a communication signal. So, I designed a unique ‘touch signal’ for blind students where they just need to touch an arm to convey a message. For example, when an instructor touches your arm twice, it means he is asking, “Are you okay?”. In case of any emergency during the dive, the blind diver just needs to squeeze the arm of the instructor to get his attention to solve the problem. For each Scubility diver, there were at least two personnel, an instructor, and an assistant, assigned.

Impact and Emotions of Scubility

The most satisfying experience of this program was to see Scubility divers happy, with emotional, teary eyes. I could imagine that probably for the first time, or perhaps the only time, some of them could walk, stand, and move again underwater without a wheelchair, feeling alive again. Seeing a courageous Scubility diver overcoming all challenges and obstacles to make it possible definitely inspires me to organize more events like this.

scubility

“Scuba Diving for All” Event

The biggest local Scubility program, named “Scuba Diving for All,” was organized in Khao Lak, Phang-nga Province, south of Thailand, from October 30 to November 5, 2018. We invited international Scubility participant divers for this event. Leading up to this program, we put in lots of effort, preparing hotels and resorts in a friendly design, making sure of choosing good dive sites, and above all, to bring a smile to our precious Scubility students.

scubility

I hope that this endeavor will serve as an inspiration for people worldwide to achieve what may seem impossible, while also raising awareness about the importance of charity and kindness in our society. I look forward to welcoming you soon to our joyful underwater realm.

As an SDI TDI & Scubility IT, Dan Phutthakhun Prungkananon, owner of All Star Diving Academy located in Thailand, has a deep-rooted passion for ensuring safety and fun in the water. Keep up with Dan and the All Star Diving Academy via Instagram  or Facebook and by checking out their Dive Center Facebook.

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