Dive Training Blogs
The Mental Game
With all the political troubles in Cairo, Sharm has been transformed into a ghost town. Most of the tourists left days ago and now the hotel at Freediving World is almost empty. Only a few freedivers grace the pool with their presence and the sea is all ours.
With just 3 weeks to go before the World Championships, I can’t help but look back over my summer of training and feel slightly disappointed. When I began training depth a year ago, I sailed down to 45 metres within just two weeks. Another week spent training at Freediving World in February and I was at 50 metres. So of course I assumed that in five months of training over the summer, a 70 metre target seemed very realistic. But the reality was much different. All summer I’ve been stuck at 50-55 metres and it’s been frustrating. For the first three months we could only train twice a week, I had a cold for six weeks, a mask squeeze, a lung squeeze and often couldn’t dive because I had nobody to train with while Rolf was working. So after all these set backs, I was left frustrated and slightly anxious about the Championships. After about 3 weeks of dwelling on my frustrations, I realized I had to push aside any doubt or negativity and regain my focus and belief in myself.
I’ve been lucky enough to be training side by side with some top athletes while I’ve been at Freediving World. Their advice through my frustrations has helped hugely and it’s clear to see that most competitive freedivers have had the same problems while training. You can train for months on end and get nowhere. Sometimes, your training goes backwards even. It’s all part of the game and the most important thing is that you don’t let it get to you and you stay focused on the positives and keep smiling.
A year ago when I first started training depth, a friend of mine told me about a mental block he had at 50 metres. I replied to him “I wish I could be stuck at 50 metres! That’s an amazing depth!” Well now it seems that I got my wish and instead of focusing on the negative side of not being at 60 metres, I recounted this moment that over the past year I had forgotten and decided to focus on how great 50 metres actually is. I know my time will come and I will reach 60 metres, but until that day, I have put aside any numbers from my head and decided to just enjoy the ride!
Blogs
Four opportunities to go pro in 2024 with Dive Friends Bonaire
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.
Blogs
Scubility: Achieving Success through Adaptability
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.
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.
“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.
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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