| When I was a child in the early sixties,
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| | last twelve years. I vowed on my
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| the age of sixty was old, not because I
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| | fortieth-birthday dive that I was not
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| was six and anyone older than 21 was
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| | going to dive with anyone under thirty
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| decrepit, but because seniors in their
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| | ever again, whatever the circumstances,
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| sixties were seen as waiting by their
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| | and since I have adhered to that rule, I
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| firesides to die.
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| | have encountered no problems. The eldest
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| Five decades later, the conceptual view
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| | person I have ever personally been diving
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| of seniors is more likely to be them
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| | with was 76, but I know for a fact that
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| bathing on the beaches of Borneo or other
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| | Jacques Cousteau died at the age of 87
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| exotic places instead of sitting by their
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| | and he was still diving. I have also been
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| firesides. Greater advances in health
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| | diving with someone who was seventy-three
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| care mean that people are not only living
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| | and a learner.
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| longer but are fitter and ealthier, in
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| | When I learned to dive, there was none of
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| control of their health and lives.
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| | the gadgetry that is available today. You
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| Seniors over fifty are thankfully no
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| | had to work out how long, how far, and
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| longer prepared to accept their life is
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| | how deep you could dive. These days, a
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| over. There are many things that they are
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| | computer does it all. If you are older
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| attempting both by travelling and being
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| | than sixty, you will remember double
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| more adventurous on their own doorstep.
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| | de-clutch while driving and how easy it
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| I have been a passionate scuba diver for
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| | is now. If you don't know what I am
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| over thirty years and I have learned a
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| | talking about, well, you are too young to
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| thing or to about it and the first is
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| | be reading this article anyway!
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| that scuba diving is not one of those
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| | We are being told at every juncture that
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| hobbies that age is a barrier to; age is
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| | exercise is good for us. Well, there is
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| of a positive benefit to the scuba diver.
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| | nothing like diving because once under
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| Is scuba diving dangerous? Yes, it can
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| | water, you have the buoyancy of the water
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| be--but so is driving, and for that
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| | and all the aches and pains disappear.
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| matter, living. And I am not sure that it
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| | There is nothing like swimming with fifty
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| is not one of those things that everyone
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| | or more species of fish within a few feet
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| insists is more dangerous than it is!
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| | of your head. It is something that you
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| Is it such things as shark attacks that
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| | never ever tire of; and night diving is
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| make scuba diving dangerous?
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| | different again and offers a completely
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| Statistically the majority of people
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| | new world.
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| bitten by sharks are bitten while
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| | Age is no barrier to diving: age bestows
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| standing on a beach not far from the
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| | common sense and a healthy respect for
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| shoreline. I have been on hundreds of
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| | the deep. If it is something that you
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| dives in the Pacific, the Red Sea, and
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| | have always wanted to do, go ahead and
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| the Indian oceans. Have I ever seen
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| | try it. Have one test dive and see how
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| sharks or whales? Yes many times. Do I
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| | you feel. Once you have done it, there is
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| consider them dangerous? Yes, I do. Has
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| | no going back--you will have opened your
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| it ever stopped me from diving among
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| | horizons forever.
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| them? No, it hasn't. However, neither
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| | All the rules you need to know about
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| fact is highly relevant: it is a fact
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| | scuba diving are below.
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| that in the vast majority of dives, you
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| | 1) Gently equalize your ears and mask as
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| will not see either.
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| | you descend. That means nothing more that
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| What has accounted for the greatest
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| | holding your nose and exerting a gentle
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| number of diving incidents I have
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| | blow-out pressure.
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| personally witnessed? That one is easy:
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| | 2) Never hold your breath while
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| the vast majority of incidents have been
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| | ascending. Always breath normally and
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| caused by sinus and breathing
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| | come up slowly and steadily.
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| difficulties, nothing to do with
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| | 3) Always dive with a buddy.
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| equipment error, but just the simple
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| | 4) Never drink and dive.
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| human error of not knowing how to
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| | 5) Don't fly for 12 hours after a
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| equalize pressure properly. I was very
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| | no-decompression dive, 24 hours if your
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| fortunate when I learned to dive--I
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| | dive required decompression stops. It
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| listened to my dive instructor. Sounds
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| | won't kill you but it is something you
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| stupid but it is true.
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| | will not want to repeat after you feel
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| I was terrified of water, and that is why
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| | the effects.
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| initially I wanted to learn to dive to
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| | 6) If you have friends and family that
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| face my demons. I was very heavy at the
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| | have concerns about your diving, don't
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| time and frightened witless, so much so
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| | tell them until after you get your diving
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| that I threw a wobbly and refused to even
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| | certificate.
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| walk in the water. It was under a pier in
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| | 7) You do not even have to be a strong
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| Savu Savu, Fiji. My diving instructor
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| | swimmer to dive; I have often been diving
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| hauled me in the water and apparently
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| | with people who can not swim at all.
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| took me around the pier while holding my
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| | However, I would personally recommend
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| hand. Apparently I missed seeing a whale.
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| | that you can swim thirty yards because
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| I was so frightened that I had my eyes
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| | you have to get to the boat!
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| tightly shut. However, I learned a very
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| | 8) Scuba diving is a lot harder than
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| valuable lesson despite being hysterical
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| | snorkelling. That is a myth that
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| before getting in the water: once in,
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| | snorkeller's will tell you but no diver
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| there is little choice; you have to
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| | ever will.
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| breathe! Trust me, it is either that or
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| | In conclusion, scuba diving is a relaxing
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| drown. That was the lesson I learned: all
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| | hobby and most if it is done less than
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| you have to do to make a good diver is
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| | thirty feet from the surface. Most of the
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| breathe, nothing more and nothing less.
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| | world's coral reefs are not deep; we are
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| Once you have mastered the fact that you
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| | not taking about forty thousand fathoms
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| can breathe under water quite normally,
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| | under the sea. A few people say they
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| nothing else matters.
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| | can't bear the idea of all the weight of
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| Once you breath deeply and naturally
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| | the sea above them: while diving, you can
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| underwater, you are in a different
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| | feel neither the weight above or below,
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| environment: it is your own personal
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| | and in fact, it is the nearest thing to
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| underwater Jacques Cousteau television
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| | weightless that I can imagine. A common
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| show. It is too exciting to worry about
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| | misconception about diving is "I would be
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| anything. No one anywhere in the world is
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| | too frightened!" The chances are that you
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| allowed in the water without a diving
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| | will be so enthralled that you will
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| certificate. Earning that diving
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| | forget to be frightened, and you will
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| certificate teaches you everything you
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| | surely not forget to breathe! Then the
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| need to know, including how to cope with
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| | excitement of your own private aquarium
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| most minor incidents.
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| | will never leave you, even if you dive
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| Have I ever personally felt threatened
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| | only once in an open water dive and stay
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| while diving? Yes, I have; but not in the
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| | a landlubber ever after.
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