Team Crest Dive, Author at Crest Dive https://www.crestdive.com/author/team_crest/ Crest Dive Center - Limassol Top Rated Dive Center Fri, 31 May 2019 05:12:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.crestdive.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/cropped-CrestDive-Image-32x32.jpeg Team Crest Dive, Author at Crest Dive https://www.crestdive.com/author/team_crest/ 32 32 Open Water Scuba – Breathe in, breathe out… let’s do this https://www.crestdive.com/open-water-scuba/ https://www.crestdive.com/open-water-scuba/#respond Sun, 31 Mar 2019 05:00:17 +0000 http://54.93.85.99/?p=6731 The post Open Water Scuba – Breathe in, breathe out… let’s do this appeared first on Crest Dive.

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I’ve always admired the beauty and power of the sea. There’s something wonderfully cathartic about watching the waves roll and crash towards the shore. Yet despite my love of the ocean, I had never taken the time to unravel the fascinating, beautiful and eye-opening world that exists below the surface. That was until I took the plunge and decided to give my PADI Open Water Diver Course a go with Crest Dive.

Having received the PADI manual for my 30th birthday, I quickly realised that the course was comprised of many different parts. While I knew I’d nail the theory side (after all I’m relatively studious when I want to be), I was slightly more fretful about the practical side.

Would I panic underwater? Would I accidentally switch off my air? Would I lose a fin? What if I was attacked by a shark who decided to rock up on the Cyprus shores for a holiday? What if I didn’t sink? Maybe I’d be the one person bobbing around on the surface while everyone else had the time of their lives. What if I shot to the surface too quickly?

Yes, all of these thoughts went through my head, but when I met my diving instructors and worked my way through the confined water dives step by step, I felt completely at ease. There’s nothing quite like taking those first breaths underwater. The experience is both unnerving and surreal to start with, but quickly becomes somewhat of a natural process.

In fact, diving makes your feel alive. Dramatic? Maybe! But as you swim along in a neutrally buoyant position, all you essentially have to worry about is breathing in, breathing out and letting all your worries float away. Literally. And, as breathing continuously is the most important rule in diving, keeping those bubbles coming is a good way to pass the course.

Listening to each and every breath also exposes the fragility of being a living human being in a way that’s hard to replicate in other scenarios. It helps you to connect with your body and somehow feel at peace as you navigate each underwater environment. As a new diver, I actually used my breathing to help calm my mind and this I found almost meditative.

Breathing slowly and steadily is one of the most important diving skills to master. Other skill tests included using the emergency regulator of a buddy diver and taking off essential equipment underwater such as the mask and BCD. All tasks were challenging and rewarding in their own way and it was great to make continuous progression.

My conclusion? Diving is addictive. It is like nothing else and I can’t wait to dive once again.

Kelly Pentland,  Diver

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]]> https://www.crestdive.com/open-water-scuba/feed/ 0 How to choose the right diving centre! https://www.crestdive.com/how-to-choose-the-right-diving-centre/ https://www.crestdive.com/how-to-choose-the-right-diving-centre/#respond Thu, 28 Feb 2019 05:00:56 +0000 http:/?p=1 Choose the right one!
Whether you’re a certified diver or a lover of the sea who wishes to become one, the time will come when you’ll be looking to pursue this passion.

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Choose the right one!

Whether you’re a certified diver or a lover of the sea who wishes to become one, the time will come when you’ll be booking holidays solely to pursue this passion.
You’ll do online research, ask friends, read reviews to try to narrow down your choice of diving destination. But, regardless of the location, and especially if it is famous for its diving, you’ll probably be bewildered by the presence of so many vendors. Kiosks, diving centres, information boards at your hotel and tour guides all promising you spectacular underwater encounters.
So how do you choose where to go and who to dive with? Here’s our advice on things to consider and questions to ask that will help you make the right choice without relying on the first centre that comes to hand.

Destination research
There are hundreds of free online tools that can help you choose both your destination and dive centre: use them. TripAdvisor, dive centre Facebook pages, blogs, forums, tour operator’s advice. A simple internet search will throw up masses of information and enable you to see what others are saying about places and vendors.
Our advice? Dedicate a quiet day to plan, read as much as possible and to identify the consistency of the information found on the various channels.

Equipment queries

Before your arrival, or even if you are already on site, ask for information about the equipment available at the Centre, even if you have, or are planning to bring your own. Are the sets a known brand? Are the wetsuits in good condition? Does the storage of the masks and equipment appear high quality? The answer to these questions will give you an important indication of the organisation’s ethics. Choose a centre that at first glance gives you confidence.

A well maintained diving center reflects the general approach to work. It is also true that not everything that glitters is gold, but having this information definitely helps.

Twenty questions

Whether you want to book diving activities before you arrive in resort or wait until you get there, don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you send an email for more information, send a private message to the diving centre’s Facebook page, or if you ask directly once on the page and your query is ignored or glossed over, forget it and look elsewhere. Think of what you need to feel safe and ask questions about. Some examples of important issues you might want to know include, how regularly is the equipment inspected? Does the centre hold globally recognised quality certifications? Is the center affiliated with a specific agency? Does the center own independent compressors and/or theirown boats? Don’t be afraid to ask to view the site and equipment.

Are the certificates on the wall well-presented or recent? Are instructors able to show their certifications? You don’t need to be in the trade to get a feeling of whether a centre is reliable or not. Trust your eyes, your ears and your sixth sense. If your questions are met with reticence, it is not a good sign.

Follow your instincts

It’s your first day on the boat and you have a bad feeling with respect to security. There’s no oxygen for emergencies in sight, or fire extinguishers. In the initial briefing the guide makes no mention of the emergency procedures. Our advice? Walk away and find someone better. Talk to other divers who are already in your resort, share your views, ask where they dive and if they are happy. You may find that they too, have had bad experiences before finding the right dive centre to suit their needs. There is nothing better than getting information from others who share the same interests.

Make an informed choice

After eliminating all the options that do not inspire you, you should end up with the best solutions. Make sure the centre you choose is an informed choice and not just the one closest to your hotel, or with the best looking instructors. Gathering your facts and following your instincts should help you to plan and enjoy a safe and fun diving holiday.

As always, good bubbles!

 

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