5 tips to diving:
Breathe consistently: Inhale as quickly as you want to—whatever feels good—then pause and count to eight on the exhale. Then inhale again. This is similar to yoga breathing and will help you practice stable breathing so you're able to relax and spend more time in the water.
Focus on finning: There are several types of kicks that will help you swim better in specific conditions and help work different muscle groups while diving.
When using the flutter kick, keep your legs as straight as possible to maintain effective movement through the water and to strengthen your leg muscles. Another great kick is the frog kick. With this kick, you bend your knees at a 45-degree angle and propel yourself forward (or backward) by extending your fins out to the side and then pulling them back to center, much like a frog swims. Think of it as the ultimate thigh exercise.
Having more than one efficient kick allows you to rest tiring muscle groups so you are less likely to cramp. The frog kick also protects the fragile reef beneath you and prevents silting if you are swimming over a soft bottom composition.
Strength train year round: If you don't do resistance strength training, start now. Cardio is great exercise, but resistance training is imperative for anything that has a physical aspect to it, like diving. Squats, lateral lunges, pushups and pull-ups are exercises that don't require equipment, take little time, and can be done anywhere.
Warm up your hamstrings, calves and core: Prep for every dive like you would for a typical gym routine by stretching. The pigeon pose is a great exercise for loosening up your hip flexors and hamstrings, while a basic overhead and side stretch are perfect for warming up your core.
Cool down your muscles—especially your calves: While you should be stretching your entire body after the dive, it's especially important to focus on your calf muscles, which tend to cramp up.
For a calf stretch, go into the downward dog position. As you're working to bring your heels toward the ground, deepen the stretch one leg at a time by pressing down on one foot while bending your other leg. Switch after a few seconds and repeat.
One of the most common misconceptions about scuba diving is that it's time-consuming, inaccessible and expensive to learn. Learning to dive is equivalent to the cost of a day's worth of surf lessons and can be done at one's own pace starting with PADI eLearning, the online guide to scuba theory.
With more than 6,200 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts worldwide, you can dive just about anywhere. Use the "dive center locator" on PADI.com to find a local dive shop. Learning to dive is an investment that can be used for years to come, as a diver's certification never expires. Once you have your Open Water Certification, you're certified for life. Diving is also a great family sport because kids as young as 10 years old can become certified divers.
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