Diving in the swimming pool is an aquatic sport that allows you to learn about scuba diving and to train, whatever the time of year.
This sport can be practiced in a “normal” pool, the depth of which generally goes up to 3 meters or, if your municipal swimming pool is equipped with it, in a diving tank whose depth can go up to 30 meters!
Why dive in the pool?
The swimming pool offers an appreciable reassuring universe for performing a first dive. During your first immersions, you will learn to swim with a compressed air bottle in the back, to breathe in a holder, to put the ears, to use the stabilization vest.
The complete equipment is provided (bottle, regulator, vest, diving mask and fins) and diving is always done in the company of an instructor. Before venturing underwater, some breathing exercises by mouth are essential. You will learn to fill your lungs by completely obscuring your nose breathing. Once you have integrated the sign language of the diver, to be able to communicate underwater, the experience can begin. The descent is gradual, so as not to make the eardrums suffer.
When the tiles at the bottom of the pool have no more secrets for you, you will be completely ready to go explore the seabed!
Do you want to dive in the pool?
It is not necessary to be a great sportsman to practice diving, but a minimum of physical condition is essential.
The diving clubs often require also a medical certificate.
These clubs are quite common, and you shouldn’t have trouble finding them near you.
Scuba diving: decompression stops
Scuba diving puts a heavy strain on the body and puts great pressure on it when the descent is to great depths. It is therefore essential to respect decompression levels for the body to get used to pressure changes. What is a decompression stop? What is it for and how do you assess its duration and depth?
What is a decompression stop?
The decompression stop is the time spent at a certain depth in order to reduce the level of nitrogen or helium remaining in human tissue. It allows the body to decompress and thus avoids decompression sickness. The depth and time of each decompression stop varies depending on the time spent underwater and the depth reached. It responds to a decompression table used by all diving clubs.
What is a decompression stop for?
During a descent, a diver is subjected to a certain pressure and the more he dives deeper, the higher this pressure will be. This pressure has no real impact on most of the body which is made up of incompressible liquids and solids. However, the air present in the different cavities is affected by this pressure. The volume of air present in the lungs is inversely proportional to the ambient pressure. During the ascent, the pressure decreases and the air present in the lungs expands. If the diver ascends too quickly, the lung pressure can cause serious injury. Also be aware that pressure causes the nitrogen present in the blood to dissolve. The more the diver descends, the more his blood is charged with dissolved nitrogen. If it rises slowly towards the surface, the pressure gradually decreases; the nitrogen remains soluble and is rejected by the lungs at the time of respiration. If the ascent is too fast, the pressure decreases too quickly and the nitrogen escapes in the form of pathogenic bubbles. The diver risks a decompression accident. Gas bubbles can cause circulation problems and can starve some vital organs of oxygen.
Dive tables
The minimum ascent speed is 15 m per minute. If the diver has accumulated a lot of nitrogen during the dive, he will have to take one or more breaks at the time of the ascent. The number of decompression stops, their depth and their duration is determined from diving tables.
If you dive an hour to a depth of 35m. The tables indicate a first stage of 22 minutes at 6m from the surface, then a stage of 50 minutes at 3m.
If you dive for 30 minutes to a depth of 20m there is no need to make a decompression stop. It is however advisable to carry out at the end of the dive a stage of 3 minutes to 3m deep. This is the “level of principle”.
10 reasons to dive this summer
Summer holidays are the best time of the year to discover new activities. We are more relaxed, more rested and more open to new experiences. What if you take advantage of the summer period to go diving? Pool guide gives you 10 reasons to dive this summer.
Discover other horizons
Scuba diving is a great way to discover the aquatic flora and fauna, so little known to swimmers in general. You discover the sandy bottoms, the rocks and the coral reefs. You go to meet fish, turtles, shells and you live a unique experience.
Relax
The underwater world has the distinction of being silent. Underwater, no noise except that of bubbles at each expiration. You are also weightless and move much more slowly. It is therefore the ideal environment to relax, empty yourself and forget the stress of everyday life.
Discover new sensations
Diving is discovering new sensations. You move very slowly, you change the way you breathe and you feel an incredible feeling of lightness.
Spend yourself
By swimming with fins, your muscles consume more oxygen, you develop your cardiovascular system and you burn more calories than on land. A 45-minute diving session allows you to spend around 550 kcal, the equivalent of an hour of cycling. You also tone your thighs and glutes without even realizing it.
No physical suffering
In water, the body is almost weightless, the joints are protected from any impact on the ground and the stiffness is nonexistent.
Make friends
Diving is a great way to expand your circle of friends. The divers are pleasant and passionate people and the atmosphere which reigns in the clubs and after the sea trips is really very friendly.
A diversified activity
Diving opens up many possibilities and it is not only a sporting activity. It is ideal for nature enthusiasts but also for fans of underwater photos or caving!
Develop another way of communicating
To communicate underwater, it is obvious that divers cannot use speech. They must therefore adopt a new way of communicating using signs, looks or body movements.
Overcome fear of water or depth
If you don’t feel comfortable with the depth of the water, diving may be a way to overcome your fears. By discovering the beauty of the underwater world, your apprehensions can disappear and make you love this new environment.
An accessible activity
Diving is a sport accessible to all which does not require any particular physical condition. The baptism of diving is also accessible from the age of 8 years.
Free diving techniques
Free diving is about holding your breath for as long as possible. Free diving is practiced underwater at different depths (especially in the context of diving or spear fishing). The goal is to save the oxygen in the lungs to hold without breathing for several minutes. It is a difficult exercise.
To cut your breathing underwater and keep in apnea, you must limit any muscle activity as much as possible, relax and show great concentration. It is through training that you improve your performance.
The apnea techniques that will allow you to increase your capacities depend on the type of apnea performed (static, dynamic, deep, etc.). Here are some examples:
Duck: It is a way of diving into the water without making any unnecessary effort. In a horizontal position with your head underwater, you make a right angle with your legs (the bust “plunges” downwards), then you stretch the body and descend underwater, the body straight.
The kicking: It represents the regular beating of the legs with the palms. You can do a vertical or surface kicking, for example. Large and slow movements are recommended for apnea.
Balancing (or compensation) maneuvers: If you are snorkeling, the pressure between your outer and middle ear becomes unbalanced. You can use balancing techniques: Valsalva , Frenzel or Toynbee maneuvers , for example. The Toynbee maneuver consists of a swallowing movement, the nose blocked and the jaw closed.
Carp: This is to store air in your lungs by making a mouth movement similar to that of fish (carp). It is a difficult technique to master, reserved for very good free divers.
Some tips for free diving
Do stretching exercises before going into the water, to ease your chest and relax your muscles.
Breathe deeply and slowly through your mouth before diving.
If you dive in cold water, opt for a full suit: your body will stay at the right temperature and will not expend energy to warm up.
Get your first scuba dive in phuket booked with us today