Happy Diver: Val Improvising Pre-Dive Stretches
Mind, Body and Spirit Scuba – A Case Study

Two years ago, a co-worker of mine, Valerie Y., and I were talking about scuba diving. Val, it seems had passed her certification a few years back but no longer had a dive buddy and wanted to start diving again. She also had problems equalizing on her last dives and was concerned that she might not be able to dive, even if she did find a buddy.

I taught Val how to visualize herself completing the dive and the equalization perfectly, as a way to practice and prepare herself for her refresher dives. This visualization is a skill that is part of the Mind, Body and Spirit Scuba program. It worked, and Val and I have been diving together a few times a season ever since. She even took a three week dive trip to Australia and Palau. Yesterday we were at the Dutch Springs quarry practicing underwater relaxation breathing, hand feeding wild bass, and staring at the ‘Nuclear Goldfish’. At one point, we were sitting next to a woman who was concerned about having difficulty equalizing. Val helped her out with some expert advice, and when we asked the woman later, it worked like a charm. You go, Val.

If you haven’t been diving in a while and feel that you don’t have a dive buddy to get back into the water with, contact your local dive shop for a refresher course and ask if there is a dive club that might provide you with an experienced buddy. It’s a lot better than not diving, and who knows, maybe you could make a new friend.