Physical Skills
The circle of satisfaction - I am an educator by trade and diving is an education-intensive activity. Safety is paramount, followed by enjoyment. Like many other activities in life, the better we are at something, the safer and more enjoyable this activity becomes. Education and experience play important roles in achieving this level of comfort.

The “Dive Dojo” - At Discovery Divers, we strive to create a culture of learning among participants. Learning is always going on, whether it is actively through formal course education, or passively through mentoring, buddy input and observation. As well as having fun, I hope we are learning form each other all the time. In many respects, I really do treat the shop like a dojo; knowledge is always flowing downstream.

My hovercraft is filled with eels - The central foundation of your skills platform is buoyancy. If a pilot cannot properly fly a plane, he certainly cannot fly while doing tasks or handling challenges that may arise. When diving, you are a hovercraft. Become an expert at hovering while moving, and while motionless; every dive is a chance to practice. You can learn a lot by observing other divers who have trained at our shop. From a stable platform of solid buoyancy skills, divers can become skilled and confident in the water, able to capably handle other tasks and challenges that arise. Get the eels out of your hovercraft - ( cheesy Steve Martin reference, circa 1980’s)

Knowledge, Planning and Procedures
The thinking diver - This is the more cerebral aspect of diving and is often lost in the quest for fun and spontaneity. While it may be true that for calm, shallow dives the planning needs of a dive may be small compared to more advanced or challenging dives, it is good to get into the habit of good planning and procedures based on sound knowledge.

Practice makes perfect - To this end, we always have thorough briefings for each dive site before entry and frequently practice important procedures such as air sharing, rescue and CPR/O2/First aid.

Know thy buddy - Good buddy communication before and during each dive is also key to being familiar with your buddy’s equipment as well as sharing the same knowledge of the procedures you will use in various situations. Being a good buddy is something that takes awareness and practice, and is always appreciated by your partner.

Equipment
Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree – At Discovery Divers, we predominantly prescribe to a minimalist approach to diving gear. Improperly stowed hoses and lots of unnecessary dangly gear creates the visually captivating, though ill-advised configuration known as the Christmas Tree.

Charlie Brown - Gear that does not clutter the chest and stomach area allow the diver to move more easily through the water, conserving air and energy. This smaller diver profile also reaps benefits when swimming against current. The Backplate and wing system is a prime example of a BC system that provides balance and flotation, while minimizing bulk. This is the system that we at Discovery Divers favor. If you must be a Christmas tree, be one of those poor, sparse Charlie Brown Christmas trees.