![\"\"](\"http:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/First-dive-now-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everyone has a different emotion when it comes to diving for the first time. I\u2019ve seen it all, a sense of
\nimpending doom, unbridled excitement and somewhere in-between. Whichever category you
\nbelong in, there is always a sense of estrangement when your face first goes below the surface,
\ntaking your first breath is hesitant, because whether we like it or not, we are land animals.
\nI always tell my students, particularly the ones who might be experiencing some nerves, that the
\nbest thing you can do for yourself is prepare. I get questions like \u201cis it safe?\u201d or \u201cwhat about sharks?\u201d
\nand my answer is always the same \u2013 The most common cause of diving related injuries is DIVER
\nERROR. Put your faith in the gear, it\u2019s designed to keep you safe. Put your faith in the sea, it\u2019s not
\ntrying to hurt you, and most importantly, have faith in your own ability. If you take the appropriate
\nsteps, preparation and always remember to BWRAF (buddy check! If you haven\u2019t already, your
\ninstructor will teach you what this is during your confined water sessions), diving is one of the safest
\nsports out there.<\/p>\n
Preparation for diving comes in many forms, the more you dive, the more you\u2019ll get to know your
\nown routine. For myself, if I know I\u2019m going for a dive, I\u2019ll hydrate, avoid watching Jaws and check
\nover my kit the day before. When you\u2019re gearing up for your first Open Water dive, there are
\ndefinitely a few things you can do.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, please vocalize any concerns you may have! There is no shame in asking. Your
\ninstructor will have heard it all (my favourite question to date is \u201ccan I wear nail polish under my
\ngloves?\u201d) there truly is no such thing as a stupid question, if it\u2019s on your mind, it\u2019s worth it to ask. I
\nguarantee your instructor will have an answer for you.<\/p>\n
Revisit your study material \u2013 I mean honestly, need I say more?
\nConsider buying some gear. Having your own equipment will be 100% more comfortable on the day.
\nMost dive shops do have quality equipment available for use and I expect it will be included in your
\ncourse costs, however, that\u2019s not to say there will be a mask that fits your perfectly, which will make
\nall the difference.<\/p>\n
The night before and the morning of, be conscious of what you\u2019re eating\/drinking. Avoid grease and
\nalcohol. There\u2019s nothing worse than an unsettled stomach during or before a dive. Not only does it
\nmake getting into the wetsuit that much more fun, breathing the dry air with a hangover is a feeling I
\nwouldn\u2019t wish upon my worst enemy.<\/p>\n
Diving is a phenomenal sport. It allows us to explore places that not many others have the privilege
\nof seeing. The feeling of weightlessness is the closest thing we non-astronauts can get to visiting
\nspace. The creatures you\u2019ll see under there are beautiful, and the diving community is one I promise
\nyou\u2019re going to love. I could go on and on about how great diving is, but it will be a bit quicker if you
\njust give it a go. Good luck for your first open water dive! Maybe we\u2019ll see you on your Advanced
\nOpen Water Diver course sooner than you think?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Everyone has a different emotion when it comes to diving for the first time. I\u2019ve seen it all, a sense of impending doom, unbridled excitement and somewhere in-between. Whichever category you belong in, there is always a sense of estrangement when your face first goes below the surface, taking your first breath is hesitant, because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":543,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539\/revisions\/543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divehq.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}