Do you know what is the most important piece of scuba diving equipment?

Well, although regulators, cylinders and dive computers are certainly important, having a cool and collected mind is the most essential.

By using your heads and working as a team, you can anticipate potential issues then take decisive actions regardless of the type of the challenge and any equipment failure.

In this article, we will give you 3 mindful techniques that can help you improve your focus, settle nerves and increase situation awareness.

3 Techniques to Improve Your Diving 

Mindful techniques can improve your diving by promoting focus, relaxation, and awareness underwater. Practicing mindfulness can increase enjoyment, safety, and connection with the underwater environment. In this article, we will discuss together about 3 techniques to improve your diving, including:

• Breathwork to settle nerves.
• Body scan to improve focus.
• Visualize your surroundings.

Breathwork to Settle Nerves 

It is normal to feel anxiety before scuba diving and it will be a good idea to double-check equipment and the dive plan. If you want a quick way to ease anxiety, try some simple breathwork.

Take one or two deep breaths slowly while closing your eyes. Relax into the normal breathing pattern then concentrate on how your chest rises and falls.

If any stray thoughts occupy your mind, don’t reject them, instead, acknowledge them and concentrate once again on your breathing, for example, observe the moment of transition between your inhalation and exhalation.

Still unable to control your anxiety after practicing this exercise for a few minutes? Look for the reason behind your discomfort. If you feel severe anxiety, it is better to trust your gut and postpone your dive.

Body Scan to Improve Focus 

You can easily feel overwhelmed and scattered while being at a busy dive site or on a crowded boat. The Body Scan is a recommended exercise to refocus your attention.

First, close your eyes, then take one or two deep breaths, after that, direct your attention to your toes for some breaths and notice any discomfort or other sensation. 

Move your focus up slowly through the feet, ankles, calves, knees and thighs while trying to release any tension that might have built up. Don’t stop moving your focus through your body until reaching the top of your head.

This exercise will help you establish a baseline of your feelings before diving, refreshed and energized or sore and tired. If you feel a sudden increasing discomfort while diving, may be it is the time to surface.

Visualize Your Surroundings 

As a scuba diver, you should have situational awareness, as this will allow you to anticipate potential issues before happening. Is your dive buddy getting too far away? Are you consuming gas faster than expected?

Visualization is considered a great way to prime your mind. Close your eyes and take a moment to clear your mind with some deep breaths. 

After that, start walking step-by-step through each phase of the dive slowly. It is recommended to start with assembling your equipment and checking out everything you will need to complete your dive.

Continue with every phase, imagining what things feel like, your wetsuit or drysuit against your skin, the sensation of weightlessness with adequate buoyancy and trim in addition to the resistance of your regulator. 

Put into considerations any procedures you might perform, for example checking your gas, rolling into the water or shooting an SMB.