Beginner Dive Mistakes

When divers experience severe pain in their ears while diving down, it may also be due to a feeling of impatience during the descent. You want to see the wonders of the sea as quickly as possible and get down there immediately. However, newly certified divers often neglect to equalize the pressure in their ears in time or they choose a method that isn’t optimal for them.

The descent into the depths of the ocean should always be done as slowly as possible, meter by meter. As soon as even a slight pressure is felt on the ears, a gentle attempt should be made to equalize the pressure. The diver should not proceed with the descent until this has been done successfully. Poor pressure equalization is not only uncomfortable, but can also lead to serious injury. If you are unsure which method and which frequency results in optimal pressure equalization for you, some experimentation is advisable. It’s also better for beginners to avoid deep dives where you have to descend more quickly. For practicing pressure equalization, relaxed and gentle descents are best at first.

Once the pressure equalization is taken care of and the diving depth has been reached, buoyancy is the next big challenge. Ideally, the diver wants to float almost effortlessly at a constant depth. With a relaxed body position, you move around with steady, slow fin strokes. This is called buoyancy control. Beginners often struggle with this key discipline of diving. Many newly certified divers float up and down uncontrollably, lie crooked in the water and are simply restless. This can have several reasons: the wrong number of lead weights, too much or too little air in the vest or just excitement. The only thing that really helps here is practice. Dive again and again, observe yourself and make constant corrections. In time, every diver knows how much lead he or she needs and when and how to adjust the air in the vest or other buoyancy aids. For inner peace while diving as well as a relaxed posture and breathing, only routine will help. The more dives you do, the better you get at buoyancy control.

Especially in the beginning novice divers are easily overwhelmed. Your buddy makes strange signs, the dive computer flashes at you, you can't read the air gauge correctly, your mask fogs up or you can't find your way back to the boat. In order to feel as comfortable as a fish under water, good preparation for the next dive is essential. Communicate with your buddy to clearly formulate your limits, emergency plan and underwater signs. The obligatory buddy check before each dive makes sure your own and your buddy's diving conduct is in synch and correct. As a beginner, it also helps to get acquainted with your own equipment on dry land and learn to use it blindly.  For orientation underwater, it’s important to study the dive site map and pay full attention during the briefing. If you’re well prepared, know your equipment and have studied the dive site intensively, you can dive in a relaxed manner.

As soon as your certificate arrives, it wants to be taken on a diving trip. There’s so much to discover! Hammerhead sharks, ship wrecks and atolls – all this and more awaits you just a flight away. But diving isn’t always as weightless and easy as it looks. Many of the world’s fascinating dive sites are located in inaccessible regions with sometimes strong currents. The dives are often quite challenging: cold water, extreme diving depths or narrow wrecks. In order to enjoy such highlights underwater, it’s important to have a certain amount of diving experience. Divers should always dive within their limits and not take on too much too fast. You can only enjoy each dive if you’re able to relax. Because if you can't enjoy the diving, your dream trip might not turn out to be as great as you had hoped. To book the right diving trip for you, it’s best to seek advice from a dive tour operator. The exhibitors at boot Düsseldorf are experts at finding the best diving destination. They make sure that the diving holiday is perfectly adapted to each diver's needs.