What do you do top-side to enhance your diving?

[ClayJar]

The divemaster course I've been waiting for and working toward finally begins in earnest this week. One small part of the course, as anyone who has taken one will recall, are the swim tests. To prepare myself for them, I'm starting a little "zero to one mile nonstop in six weeks" schedule. It's not diving, and it's actually rather "overkill" for the requirements I have to meet, but it's something I'm doing in order to be better prepared for what my diving (and the course) require.

That got me thinking. What else do people do top-side to enhance their diving? Getting in shape is a rather obvious answer, of course, but I'm sure there are others. Do you often work on your gear configuration? Do you practice fiddling with camera settings? Do you practice kicks on the coffee table in front of the football game? Do you walk blindfolded in the front yard to get used to the viz? Do you frequent sushi bars to keep your fish identification up to date?

So, what about it? Obvious or indirect, logical or humorous, what do you do on the tankless side of life that in some way relates to and enhances your diving?

 

[The Chad]

I go to sleep at night and hope for a few diving dreams to come. I find if I fiddle with gear I just want to go diving worse

 

[fisherdvm]

I try to go swimming 2 to 4 times a week, 1/2 to 1 mile at a time. I alternate running on the treadmill every other day with the swimming, using for 30 minutes. Bare minimum, I believe, to be in good enough physical shape for any strenous demands of diving with my son. I encourage my son to go swimming with me also at least once a week. I quiz him frequently on diving skills, and we'll propably do a few pool sessions before the summer diving for him. My son also does karate, and occasionally runs with me outside.

 

[ev780]

Lotto!!!


Somebody's gotta win!!!

 

[dkatchalov]

Read SB for tips on skills and equipment config
Fiddle with equipment
Swim 4 times a week, 40 mins non-stop each time (1.7km)
Cycle 5 days a week, 15 kms per day
Yoga once a week
High-intensity aerobics once a week
Looking to start running again this week. 4km, 3 times a week at high speed (12-15km/h).

 

[drbill]

I spend much of my time researching and learning more about the marine life in our waters (including writing my weekly column and producing the TV show and DVD's). After nearly 40 years here, I still don't know it all... which is one thing that keeps me diving and learning!

 

[TSandM]

When I was learning, I spent a fair amount of time walking around the front pasture with a towel over my head, following my compass. If you ask my husband, it didn't do much good

Both of us have festooned the yard with cave line, running a reel. I need to start doing that again.

I intermittently swim, usually when there's a swim test coming up and I'm panicking. I really ought to do it regularly, but I haven't got that much self-discipline.

I have also been known to spend quite a bit of time in my swimming pool on scuba, practicing whatever is frustrating me the most at the time. I don't know -- Does that count?

 

[biles]

Spend time with my wife (a non-diver) so that I take less grief when I get back from diving.

 

[robertarak]

The divemaster course I've been waiting for and working toward finally begins in earnest this week. One small part of the course, as anyone who has taken one will recall, are the swim tests. To prepare myself for them, I'm starting a little "zero to one mile nonstop in six weeks" schedule. It's not diving, and it's actually rather "overkill" for the requirements I have to meet, but it's something I'm doing in order to be better prepared for what my diving (and the course) require.

That got me thinking. What else do people do top-side to enhance their diving? Getting in shape is a rather obvious answer, of course, but I'm sure there are others. Do you often work on your gear configuration? Do you practice fiddling with camera settings? Do you practice kicks on the coffee table in front of the football game? Do you walk blindfolded in the front yard to get used to the viz? Do you frequent sushi bars to keep your fish identification up to date?

So, what about it? Obvious or indirect, logical or humorous, what do you do on the tankless side of life that in some way relates to and enhances your diving?

Great thread, thank you for posting it.

In addition to frequenting sushi bars to keep my fish identification up to date, I read all I can about diving, gas management, physics, etc. Like you, I too am working on my surface swimming skills, and there always seems to be a new class I am studying for.

One of the things I do that I have never seen written about is visualization. I will sometimes sit and visualize a whole dive. From gearing up, to entry, navigation, buoyancy control, right through to my exit. I do this all just sitting at home in my chair. I think about where each piece of equipment is, my breathing, my environment, my gas, everything.
Just like building muscle memory by doing certain repetitive tasks, I find I can build muscle memory of my brain in a similar fashion. I truly believe this has improved my diving.

…and it beats sitting down and paying bills.

 

[Zeeman]

Researching, and spending way too much $$$ on gear..
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