My family says I’m the black sheep because I live on the other side of the world working as a diving instructor. I think they die of envy because I work on a paradisiacal beach with white sand and coconut palm trees. What would you tell them?
Some people have never left their village and the greatest adventure of their life has been to take a cold shower. Those people, will always see adventurers like us as “lousy loser lazy hippies”. If you tell them that you are following your dream and working on your passion, or that you want to live in nature or away from the hustle and bustle, they might not understand you. Instead, you can tell them that, thanks to people like you, many others can enjoy their vacations and adventures, with professionals who make their lives easier. Cheap marketing never fails with primitive minds.
I’ve taken a diving course and I kind of like it, but I’m not sure I want to progress with it. How do I know if I’m really going to like it?
There’s a foolproof trick to this. You walk into a dive store, or a surf shop if you’re closer. You just open the door, walk in, take two steps and close your eyes. If you say: “mmmhh, that neoprene smell…”, and memories of your dives come to your mind with a smile on your lips, then there is no doubt about it, diving is your thing. I believe neoprene has pheromones of some kind.
Can you imagine an “Axe Dark Neopren” deodorant, or a “Paco Rabanne Black Neopren XS, or ‘CK Neopren Summer’ perfume? I’m sure it would be a hit. For a girl we could combine it with a touch of jasmine. If anyone is interested in creating a fragrance line, just let me know…
Why do divers jump standing backwards if you can jump with a giant step?
Because if they jumped forward, they would fall into the boat! Okay, I know it’s an old joke, but if I don’t say it, I’ll burst… The answer is easy: If you can jump forward and you prefer to jump backwards, it’s because it’s cooler!
I always used to go diving with my girlfriend and now that we broke out, I don’t feel like it anymore. What do you recommend?
One of these days I’ll have to open a sentimental advising. Look, if everyone who has gone through this would shed a tear, the sea level would rise two meters. So, instead of getting depressed, you get up off the couch, grab your gear, and go diving with your friends or by yourself and you’ll find a buddy. You can also try to find a partner, but don’t let it show that you are desperate, because they will all run away. In short, let your motivation always be to dive into the blue for new adventures.
I’ve started dating a cute instructor I met at my dive center, but now I’m finding that he’s flirting with everyone. How do I stop my instinct to drop the weights on his feet?
This is what’s known as the “Chinese restaurant syndrome”: you’ve ordered a spring roll and they bring you sweet and sour pork. The best solution is to order another dish or go to another restaurant. I trust your female intuition to understand the comparison 😉.
I have an existential doubt: are Dr. Dive and Dr. Snowboard the same person?
All I can say is that we have never been seen together in the same place.
My buddies are very nice, but the other day I had a problem underwater and they left me alone. They continued the descent while I stayed on the line trying to connect a hose on my BCD that had come loose in the current, and they didn’t even turn around. Do you think you can call this a buddy?
Some people seem very nice, until they don’t seem so anymore. I would look for people who were partners and yet friends. And now you ask me: how do you know that? Well, like everything in life: you can tell, even if you don’t have any problems. If they care about you, if they are attentive to you, if they laugh at your bad jokes, if they invite you to parties despite you don’t like reggaeton?
Remember that there are so many people who dive, that sure you will find someone you can choose as your diving family. Don’t settle for just anyone, even if they seem nice at first glance because they don’t like reggaeton. There are many places, physical and virtual, where to look.
I’m not sure about deciding to try scuba diving because I see a lot of posts where they say that diving is the most expensive sport. Is it true?
First of all, don’t believe everything that you see on the social media. Besides, there are a lot of whiners out there who are looking for a little push back. Ask Doctor Snowboard how much it costs for his equipment, which also lasts 3 or 4 seasons if you are lucky, depending on the use, of course. On the other hand, a diving equipment lasts you half a life, you amortize it 10 times. Then, it depends on how close you live to the sea, how expensive will be the displacements, but this always applies to any activity you want to do. Of course, it also depends on the sea you want to go to and how much you like 5 star hotels. If you get picky, that’s your problem. I have never seen any backpacker complaining about how expensive things are, because they always find alternatives and make do, what matters to them is the adventure. So, there is no excuse, you try it and then decide. But remember it’s addictive, you’ve been warned.
Why is diving equipment always the same? In other sports, they change every season, new models, designs, colors. In short, they could do a little more work.
They do it better than anyone else and thanks to that, they design such good equipment that there is no need to change it every year. Besides, any piece of equipment can last you ten years or more, because it is made to last and give the best performance. Nobody wants to have an accident underwater. What happens is that, in other sports, everything is “mega cool fashion super pro”, or “urban streetwear casual lifestyle”, or “ultra mega premium plus de luxe” and breaks at the drop of a hat, in order to sell like hotcakes. I’ll stick with the former.
My mask fogs up and I’ve tried all the tricks: spitting, spray, toothpaste, lighter… It can’t be that it keeps fogging up. Can it be defective?
Cleanliness is very important. And I am not referring to personal hygiene, which is also important, because some people only seem to have a bath when they dive. If the lens is dirty inside, it will fog up for sure. Wash it well with soap and water and a soft cloth and it will be cleaner than my service sheet. Then, you can use the other standard techniques.