Top 10 myths about diving … its just like that on the internet
30 November 2007 – 16:05I was reading the DEMA marketing plan for 2008 today and in it they included the top 10 myths of non divers about diving. Sure it’s funny to divers but it also occurred to me that its just like that on the internet for many people. We developed theDiveBuzz to counter many of these issues so I thought I’d let you know the funny way round.
- Its an isolated experience
The number 1 myth is that diving is alone time. Even when diving with a buddy you might think its lonely because you cant talk underwater. Tell that to a deaf person! Divers learn simple hand signs to help them talk and you can learn more from SeaSigns or with your deaf signing community and feel as free to talk underwater as you do above.its just like that…
Logging your dive in your paper book is also quite an isolated experience. How often do you open it up and share your notes with your friends or even your buddy on the dive? TheDiveBuzz lets you share your dive logs with a world wide community and it is the only dive log that lets you link your dive to your buddy’s. Buddylinkâ„¢ locks your dive logs together so that you can click through and get another perspective on the same dive. You dive log need never be isolated again. - You breathe pure oxygen
Divers’ tanks are filled with good old fashioned air. The only difference is that it is specially cleaned so it feels a little dry when you breathe it. You can train to dive with a little extra oxygen in the mix or some helium for deeper dives but most divers breathe the ordinary stuff. - You breathe differently underwater than you do on land
Like yogic breathing perhaps? In fact yoga is recommended because it teaches fluid, easy and relaxed breathing which is good for diving but it’s not essential. Most of us can figure out how to breathe through the mouth in a few minutes and enjoy years of comfortable diving without ever having to to our legs behind our ears..its just like that…
That different dimension and different rules of breathing we think of often happens on the web where the normal rules of living are turned on their head. It can be fun but for some people flashy new features can be disorientating and off putting if they are not comfortable with computers. TheDiveBuzz aims to be somewhere in between. We are not the flashiest and we not the most mundane. We aim to be so easy to use you forget that you are breathing through a regulator. - All dives are between 50 and 200ft / 15m and 60m
This is such an odd one because so much of the best diving is done under 30ft/10m where the sun shines through the best and lots of fish and coral live. Perhaps its because we cannot see the actual dives that people do?its just like that…
TheDiveBuzz is the first and remains the only online dive log where you can search real dives by depth and find out just how many people dive shallow and love it. You can also search by marine life, by buddies, by location, in fact we have the most comprehensive search of any dive log online. You have to toot your horn sometimes! - You must be strong, in top condition and you cannot dive if you are overweight
For sure diving can be easier if you are reasonably fit and flexible but by no means do you have to be super athletic. There are some specific health restrictions because of the pressures your body is put under but most people can enjoy the world underwater after they check with their doctor and dive with a professional dive center.its just like that…
There are some great websites out there that expect you to be a super athlete computer wise. You’ve the latest hardware, downloaded this weeks software and always upgrade to the biggest broadband. I’m glad they are doing it and enjoy the benefits of them being ‘out there’ but have these guys ever been to a fantastic dive destination and tried out their stuff? We have and that’s why we designed theDiveBuzz so that it works on 10 year old operating systems, it works without javascript, it works without a fat broadband. Cutting edge is essential but so is focusing on service for all, no matter where you are or what computer you have access to. - Sharks are deadly and everywhere
There are divers from the early 1970s who will tell you when sharks really were everywhere though they were never as deadly as made out. Our fear and our bad fishing practices have decimated the populations and many divers now have ambitions to actually see a shark on a dive.its just like that…
Unfortunately there are sharks on the internet, human sharks that is. Some people seem to think that when you do business on the internet that somehow the normal business rules don’t apply. They don’t tell you who they are, where they are based, which countries laws govern the storage of your data and most importantly many don’t even give you an email address to contact them. Our approach to business is the exact opposite. We are open about who we are, where we are and how to get in touch with us. There’s a link at the bottom of every page to our about page which includes our staff bios and all the contact information you should need. - Its very cold underwater
Another funny myth because it is true – sometimes. Winter in the temperate zone can be harsh above land and its no surprise that seas also get colder. Instead of jumping in with your bikini and shortie wetsuit you need several thermal layers and a dry suit to keep you warmer. The natural world changes with the seasons above and below the water line and it is good to experience it all year round but nobody will force you.its just like that…
Our advanced search lets you find dives in all temperature ranges using the units that you are familiar with. So if you want to find ice diving (I don’t think we have any yet) or tropical diving them just write temp<2C or temp>70F into the box and browse the diving results - Its dark and murky underwater and difficult to see
This is my favourite myth because it is so true. At least in northern climes. If you live in northern Europe or USA you will hear divers talking about not seeing their hands in front of their faces. You might wonder why they bother. I promise you that no matter the fogginess underwater you can still see fishes and crustacea enjoying life to the full. Of course much of our oceans are much clearer than that as natural history programs prove and thousands of divers in tropical climes will attest to. - You cannot see anything underwater if you need any form of corrective vision
For those of us lost without our glasses it might seem pointless to go underwater with a flat glass mask. You can get masks with prescription lenses but you might not need it. When light moves from water to the air inside your mask and in front of your eyes it bends slightly. That bend means we see things underwater magnified by almost a third.its just like that…
There’s folks out there that forget you might be reading their webpage on a different size or resolution monitor and by sizing everything up with pixels they make it impossible for you to read. We’ve made everything relative so you can increase or reduce the font size as much as you like. You can switch off the background colours and make contrast easier. We are aiming to be accessible in voice browsers as well but we are not there yet. If you find something that is tricky then please get in touch and tell us how we can change it. - There’s no margin for error, one mistake and you are dead
Humans are not naturals in the underwater world that’s true. That’s why divers learn how to use their equipment, learn helpful skills and always dive with a buddy.its just like that…
Sound familiar in a computer context? That dreaded ‘Oh No!’ moment after you hit the wrong key and deleted the last hour’s work. On theDiveBuzz we do our best to help you out so that doesn’t happen. You can’t delete anything without clearing it first. It might sound a little fiddly but means that you never delete anything by accident. And if you do, well give us a call because we back up everything on a regular basis and should be able to recover something for you.