Rory the Water Cat's Tips & Tricks
Hi, I'm Rory the Water Cat!
Like you, I like to be wet. Here I am, dripping wet, fresh out of the tub. I had this great idea today when I fell in the tub to offer tips and tricks for staying safe and mastering your skills in the water. (Rule 1: Don't jump on the side of a slippery bath tub - you might fall in! )
Today's tips come from my human friend Chaela's recent dive with her friend Grant Ausk of Townsend Bay Dive Shop in Pt Townsend.
What Others Think - a Dangerous Habit
One of the most dangerous habits that a diver can have is the “worrying about what others think” syndrome. I know. I’ve got this habit. I’m working hard to break it.
Call me silly but when I dive with other people (my beloved partner and dive buddy excepted) I worry about what they are thinking of me….are they judging me? Do they think I am not good enough? Are they getting impatient because I am taking too long to clear my ears? Are they mad because my fins are stirring up silt? My mind can stir up more stories than silt, guaranteed. And what does it do for me as a diver? How does this affect my dive? Here’s an example:
Recently I had buoyancy issues when diving. A bubble would get trapped in my dry suit and I couldn’t release it fast enough before I started to float to the surface (I’ve since received great assistance from my buddy Grant Ausk of Townsend Bay Dive but that’s another story you can read about if you click this link). A few weeks back, I was diving at one of my favorite dive spots in Pt Hudson. My partner and I went down to around 65’ that day. Not much to see, vis was OK, buoyancy was good, all was well. We got to about 45’ and did a deep stop. I turned to see some friends swimming by. Uh oh….the story starts to spin. What are they thinking of me? They must think I’m an idiot. Will I have buoyancy problems while they are in the vicinity? Will I look like a beginner?
As you can guess, when I get in this mode I become anxious. My breathing becomes shallow and rapid. We started our ascent again and guess what? The buoyancy problems began. I got caught in a little current moving up and over a slope. In my anxiety I have no control. I am grabbing at seaweed to slow me down (I know, I know, it pulls right out from the roots and does nothing to slow me). I feel as if I’m zooming along, completely out of control. And I’M STILL WORRYING ABOUT WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL THINK IF THEY SEE ME!!!
I zoom to the top of the rise and pop to the surface. I quickly recover my bearings and go back down.
Now think about it. If I had not been worrying about what others were thinking of me I may very well NOT had buoyancy problems (at least not due to social anxiety), plus, even if I got caught in the bit of current going over the rise I might have handled the situation better. Last week Grant told me “You dive for YOU, no one else. What other people think is of no matter. Dive for you and you alone.” That is my new mantra which will be repeated religiously until it has sunk deep into the depths of me. I am diving for me.
Contact Info
If you want to dive the Pacific Northwest, or fantastic warm water destinations, let us assist you! We can plan your trip from start to finish, or give you suggestions of our favorite spots. Just drop us an email or give us a call at 360-881-0274.