What Skills Make An Expert Diver? 1/6

One of the most intriguing questions I get from students is one that is near to my heart as an instructor: “What skills do I need to be an expert diver?”

By Mike Ange

The answer is that being a true expert requires three things:

• A specific set of water skills


• An in-depth understanding of the academic principles of diving


• A fair amount of experience.

There is only one way to get experience – go diving!

There are a number of ways to get academic knowledge, ranging from formal certification classes to a host of supplemental reading materials. I personally recommend every diver read “The NOAA Diving Manual,” a book called “The Commercial Divers Handbook,” and my own book, “Diver Down.” For those into the more esoteric, there are a number of medical and more advanced physics texts that you may find interesting.

So, that brings us to the final piece of the puzzle – what skills do you need and how do you get them? Over the years, I have had the privilege of diving with a number of experts in our sport and based on this experience, I consider the skills of an expert diver to be:

• Careful preparation of dive gear


• A very streamlined gear configuration


• Packing equipment for efficiency


• Superior water entry and exit skills


• Superior buoyancy control and excellent trim


• Excellent underwater navigation ability.

In this series of articles, we’ll examine each of these skills.  Look for the first skill set below and then a new post with a new set of skills every few days.



Expert Dive Skills Part 1

Prepping Your Gear

Preparing your equipment should be done well in advance of the dive. Only a true rookie shows up at a dive site with a piece of equipment that does not work as the result of some minor and easily anticipated issue. Preparation includes two basic steps: Preventive maintenance (like annual servicing and post-dive cleaning) and a thorough check of your equipment a day or so before you depart for your dive trip. The check should be done close enough to your dive departure that the condition of the gear is not likely to change before you dive, but far enough in advance that you have time to pick up replacements for suspect straps, o-rings and the like.

Here’s a convenient checklist to follow:

1. Fins: Check the straps on your fins for dry rot damage, cracking, cuts and tears. You should also check each buckle to be sure that it functions smoothly and holds the strap securely when it is locked down.


2. Mask: Check to be sure the glass is intact and that face seals are smooth and without damage. Check the strap and buckles using the same procedure for the fin straps.


3. Snorkel: Check to be sure that the mouthpiece is intact, that the snorkel keeper is there and functioning properly. If you use a purge snorkel, make sure the purge valve is in good condition. The so-called mushroom valve at the base of the snorkel, the purge, should sit smooth and evenly against the sealing surface of the snorkel.


4. Regulator: Check all hoses for cracks, abrasions and cuts. If possible, connect your regulator to a tank and ensure that both the octopus and primary second stage breathe smoothly and aren’t leaking.


5. SPG & gauges: Pressurize the reg and check for leaks, especially at the o-ring where the SPG console meets the hose. Turn on your computer to be sure that the battery has enough life to get you through the coming series of dives. As a general rule, I never start a dive trip with batteries that are below 50 percent of useful life.


6. BCD: Inflate it fully, ensuring that both the inflate and deflate valves are functioning properly. Let the fully inflated BCD stand for an hour or so to ensure there are no slow leaks in the bladder. If it loses a noticeable amount of air, you need to have it serviced. You should also check all the straps, buckles and pocket closures, to be sure that they are intact and functioning properly.


7. Exposure suit: Make sure that the zippers function properly and that there are no cuts or other damage to the suit.

Performing this check prior to every dive trip will prevent most gear failures and can save you from what can be costly on site repairs. Now, you are ready to pack your gear.

Rigging Your Equipment

Before we move to packing your gear, we should look at how to rig your equipment since this is really a part of preparation. As a general rule, good equipment rigging simply means being environmentally friendly and entanglement-resistant. In other words: No dangles.

Most regulators have multiple hose ports. Choose the ports so that the hoses are routed as close as possible to your body. Regulator hoses that stick way out before coming back into the diver’s mouth add to jaw fatigue and increase the probability that your regulator will be knocked from your mouth while diving.

Next, evaluate all of the additional equipment that you carry with you on every dive. With the possible exception of inland cave diving, you should have a surface marker buoy or safety sausage, and a sonic alert device, like a Dive Alert, on every dive. You should also have a sharp, well-maintained cutting instrument that is preferably mounted on your BCD or upper body. An oversized knife strapped to the leg is a true sign of an inexperienced diver (or a “Sea Hunt” wannabe) because your leg is the appendage where the knife itself is most likely to become a source of entanglement and the leg is the place you are least likely to be able to reach in a true emergency.

Other than these items, most everything else that divers carry is usually excessive. Obvious exceptions are cameras for photographers and spearguns for sprearfishermen. Unless you are diving for the express purpose of recovering pirate gold from a known Spanish shipwreck, leave that flapping net bag on the boat. Be sure that you have a way to secure everything that you carry, preferably in a pocket or securely strapped down in a location that does not dangle. A properly rigged diver can lay face down in the water with nothing dangling below his body or below the bladder of his jacket style BCD – yes, this includes the octopus and gauges. You should be able to drag your body over a shipwreck rail, facedown with few or no snags to stop your forward progress. Keep in mind that dangles do more than put you at risk of entanglement. They also stir up silt and destroy delicate reef structure. Remember: If it dangles, it tangles and it mangles. (For practical experience and training on how to rig gear for streamlined perfection, enroll in a cavern certification course with a qualified instructor.)