With two trips to Bonaire, a good portion of my diving has been from a shore. I love the freedom provided by not being stuck to a boat’s schedule. Your dive can be as short or as long as you want, and the only other person that has to be considered is your buddy. Not to mention there are no half-hour boat rides to the dive site.

It comes with its own set of challenges, though. Waves and surge can be rough, especially with all your gear strapped to your back. In addition, many sites have a variety of rocks, coral, and ledges that have to be maneuvered while waves are crashing against you. It can catch the unaware by surprise.

The good news is a little bit of forethought goes a long ways. Here I’ve compiled a list of tips to improve your experience.

• Spy out the best entry point. Shore diving entries are not always sandy beaches, and even if they are, there may be unseen dangers beneath the waves.

  If other divers are around, watch them to see where they enter (or exit) the water. Even if they are inexperienced, watching someone else have difficulty lets you know to avoid a certain entry point. Sometimes just a quick look around can help you avoid a nasty entry.

  If you have other resources, use them. For instance, Bonaire divers have a book made for this very purpose. Check for similar resources in your area.

• Be prepared. Before you get in the water, make sure you and your buddy are clear on the plan for entry and descent. This becomes even more important in choppier water.

  Have your fins hanging over your arm (if using open back fins). I like to strap my mask on the buckle in front of my chest. Alternatively, you could have it around your neck, backwards on your head, etc. The idea is that it is out of your way and your hands are free to grab rocks or break a fall if necessary.

  Try to have nothing dangling from your body. It’s a bad feeling to hear that “CRAAACK” after seeing your expensive regulator smack into a rock.

• Slow down. There’s no hurry. Rushing an entry can make you tired and more susceptible to stress in the water. It also increases chance of injury. Take your time, breath, assess the situation, and make as smooth an entry as possible.
• Time the waves. Slowing down gives you a chance to observe the waves / surge. This has two advantages. First, when the water goes out, you can sometimes see rocks and obstacles hidden by crashing waves.

  Second, you get a feel for the timing of the water. It’s not a good idea to advance while the waves are crashing. Wait until the water begins to draw out and follow it. As soon as another wave comes, find solid footing and hold your ground. It may help to bend your knees slightly (lowering your center of gravity) and turn your back to the wave’s impact. After the crash, move forward again.

• Float as soon as possible. After you pass rocks and other obstructions, and the water is around your chest, try to float with your inflated BCD.

  Take a moment to catch your breath before putting on your fins (spring fin straps make your life easier here). If you are waiting for buddies to enter the water, you have even more time to relax.

• Try swimming on your back. Swimming on your back is usually not taught (or encouraged) in open water courses, but it can be far easier, and more relaxing for swims out to drop-off points.

  Before you turn over, you may want to check under the water. You could be passing over some great snorkeling sights worth checking out during the swim.

• Don’t forget your sunscreen. The water entry and swim out leave you exposed to the sun for more time than you think. Take this into account and apply sunscreen liberally. The back of my neck is particularly exposed during these times, so I like to put a little extra sunscreen there.

Shore diving is awesome, and everyone should try it out at some point. It can be hard work, though, so take the time to be prepared, and I hope these tips come in handy for you.

Do you have any tips to make shore diving a better experience?

It’s official, I finally received my PADI divemaster certification card in the mail!

Turnaround was quick, about three weeks. I also received 12 of the 15 specialty cards I was expecting. My mail lady probably hates PADI.

Next up, assistant instructor then open water scuba instructor!

Scuba dive for any length of time and you’ll start wanting your own equipment. A natural follow-up question then is, “What equipment do I buy?” Let’s look through all the equipment a diver needs, which you should buy, and in what order.

Your own mask is usually high up on the list of equipment to own. This could be for a few reasons. Having a properly-fitted mask increases the comfort of your dives. Masks are one of the more “personal” items you own, so having your own that you are comfortable with is an advantage. They also are small and easy to travel with. Factor in the price on top of that, and a mask is one of the first things you should own.

Snorkels are almost always bought in conjunction with a mask, so all the previous applies.

Fins complete the trio of a beginner’s set: mask, snorkel, and fins. Some shops even require that you own each of these before beginning your open water certification. These three items also double as snorkeling gear, so their uses extend beyond scuba diving.

I was debating where to put wetsuits. In my opinion, I would rather have my own wetsuit than my own pair of fins. So why did I put it after? Buying a wetsuit is not so easy, since you feel like you are committing to a single diving locale by having to choose one thickness of wetsuit. Having to make this decision early in your diving career can be confusing. Thus, I say buy your mask / snorkel / fins set and use it for a while, then when you have a good idea where you’ll do most your diving, purchase a wetsuit (follow our wetsuit guide for help).

Having said that, owning your own wetsuit is wonderful. I personally love knowing that I’m the only person that’s peed in mine. Add a hooded vest for additional comfort and versatility.

Now we’re getting into serious diving. A BCD is not a purchase for the casual diver. They are often bought by those beginning divemaster training, or people who have been scuba diving for years and are finally tired of paying BCD rental costs.

When buying a BCD, you don’t need anything expensive or flashy (unless that’s your thing). Make sure it has enough lift and fits you well, and you can get out with your wallet intact.

Regulators often go hand-in-hand with BCDs. This time, things can get pricey. Go with a solid regulator, even if it costs a little more. Remember, you’re gonna be breathing off this thing under 90 feet of water.

I’m lumping pressure gauges, depth gauges, and octopuses into this category, since you will usually buy them with the regulator.

Weights are boring, but required gear. Don’t bother buying them unless you often go diving locally without a shop. Traveling with them is unnecessary, since you can find weights anywhere.

Ditto for a cylinder. If you’re in the market for one, you already know it. Otherwise, be glad you can get away with renting one.

This is all the required gear for scuba diving. Naturally there is other equipment, like computers, that comes up, but does not fit into this guide.

One last thing, buying gear is a big decision, but it’s not life-changing. There are a lot of choices, so don’t get too bogged down out there. Some people prefer to buy inexpensive gear as a beginner, and then upgrade later. The life on most of this equipment is in the 4-5 year range, so keep some perspective when making your purchase.

What are your thoughts? Would you recommend buying gear in a different order? Make your opinion heard in the comments.

I really want a pair of spring fin straps. Slipping my foot into my fin and pulling the spring around it seems much nicer than awkwardly tightening straps. You only fit spring straps once, to buy the right size for your fit and fin. After attaching them, you get a perfect fit every time.

They’re also really nice for anyone who does a lot of shore diving, where you don’t always have the luxury of sitting down to put your fins on. Even when sitting down, putting on fins can be difficult.

For anyone buying a pair, look for the recommended straps for your fins, but don’t hesitate to check if any generic spring straps will work just as well.

Black triggerfish are also known as black durgon, but should not be confused with their close relatives the Indian Triggerfish and the Black-finned Triggerfish.

Physical description

Black durgon average about 12 inches in length, but can grow as large as 14 inches.

They have the common triggerfish body shape: oval with soft dorsal and anal fins of equal size. Both fins are white at the base, while the rest of the black triggerfish appears black. I say appears, because taken out of water and put under light, the fish is colored dark blue / blue-green.

Geography and habitat

Black triggerfish live in tropical waters across the entire globe. They are found in practically all depths.

The fish is also usually solitary.

Further reading

Wikipedia
Freshmarine.com
Animal Pictures Archive

Diving can be a meditative process—just you, the sea, and the rhythm of your breath. It’s very easy to find yourself in such a state of mind. I’ve been exploring this further by reading Raja Yoga: A down-to-earth manual on spiritual consciousness with advanced meditations on purification, energy transmutation, and the five states of mind. This book delves deeper into the mysteries of a meditative state of mind, and the seemingly impossible tasks that can be achieved.

In particular, I hope to master the process called Elemental Transmutation. Transmutation is the changing of an object into another form. Elemental implies something’s primary or basic components. In this case, I am learning the art of breaking water down into its constituent parts: hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen bonds in water are strong, which is reflected by its relatively high boiling point. This means it takes quite a bit of energy, and thus focus, to mentally break these bonds.

Mastering this process enables would enable me to complete my transformation into an ocean-dwelling creature by giving me “gills”, so to speak. There are various monks and gurus who have achieved this feat, breathing underwater without a regulator. Through intense meditation, these amphibious men can take water into their mouths and transmute it into a breathable form.

The trick is not so much to be able to “just do it”, I have achieved this much. Rather, the true skill comes in attaining this meditative state with such ease that I am free to enjoy my dive and take pictures of any fish I see. You must also be so relaxed that you are not disrupted by boats passing overhead and drown.

When completing the process, the hydrogen and oxygen are not a problem, but other elements can be difficult. In particular chlorine, which when inhaled bleaches the cilia (tiny hairs) that line the lungs. Swallowing a high-quality hair conditioner pre- and post-dive alleviates this problem. For reasons like this, it is advised to have an experienced counsellor to guide you through the process.

You must be careful, for sea water is about 85% oxygen. To reduce the risk of oxygen toxicity, you should not practice Elemental Transmutation at pressures greater than 1.4 / 0.85 = 1.65 atm, or 6.4 m / 21 ft. Reducing the partial pressure of oxygen during transmutation is an even more advanced skill that is as difficult as it is dangerous.

There are various levels of accomplishment with Elemental Transmutation. As I said, I am comfortable performing this feat in a bath tub, but have yet to finish my Open Water certification. I hope to at least get up to a Rescue certification, that way I am comfortable helping others who accidentally choke while performing transmutation. For information about certification, please click here.

I hope to see you one day regulator-free under the sea.