Diving is a challenging and fun water sport that allows us to explore the underwater world in a safe and efficient manner. Whether it is recreational diving (scuba diving) or free diving, proper training is essential to ensure safety, comfort, and optimal performance. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to train yourself to become a skilled diver, especially for beginners who want to start their diving journey.

1. Mental and Physical Preparation
Before starting physical training, it is important to prepare yourself mentally and physically for diving activities that require high concentration and good endurance.

Breathing Exercises:
Diving requires the ability to breathe efficiently, especially under high pressure conditions underwater. One of the most important basic breathing exercises is the diaphragmatic breathing technique and deep breathing. This exercise can help you regulate your breath and increase your lung capacity.

How to Train for Breathing:

Deep Breathing: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, take a deep breath through your nose, feel your stomach expand. Hold for a moment, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat for a few minutes.
Abdominal Breathing: Focus on taking deeper breaths using your diaphragm, not just your chest. This exercise will help you conserve oxygen while underwater.
Increase Stamina:
In addition to breathing, physical exercises such as running, swimming, and yoga are also very helpful in increasing endurance. Core muscle strength and body flexibility are needed to maintain balance and comfort while underwater.

2. Basic Diving Technique Exercises
There are various basic techniques that must be learned and mastered by divers to ensure safety and comfort while diving.

Buoyancy Control Technique:
Controlling buoyancy is very important in diving, because divers need to be able to float at the desired depth without rising or falling quickly. Using devices such as a BCD (buoyancy control device) or other aids, you must be able to adjust your body position while diving.

How to Exercise Floating:

Try floating on the surface of the water with a horizontal and relaxed body position. Focus on deep breathing to control your body's buoyancy.
During deeper dives, practicing air management in the BCD is essential. Try to stay steady and avoid sudden movements.
Mask Clearing Exercises:
When diving, it is common for the mask to fog up or get water in it, which can be very annoying. Therefore, practicing mask clearing is essential.

How to Practice Mask Clearing:

Put a small amount of water into the mask and try to remove it by tilting your head and blowing air through your nose into the mask. This exercise helps you stay calm when facing this situation underwater.
Equalizing Exercises:
During diving, the pressure at deeper depths can cause discomfort in the ears or sinuses. Equalizing is a technique used to balance this pressure to prevent injury.

How to Practice Equalizing:

While diving, try to squeeze your nose, close your mouth, and exhale slowly to equalize the pressure in your ears (Valsalva technique).
If you feel the pressure in your ears is too strong, rise a little to the surface and try again to equalize slowly.
3. Navigation and Diving Equipment Practice
As a diver, you need to understand the correct use of equipment, such as regulators, diving compasses, and depth gauges.

Navigation Practice Using a Compass:

Using a compass while diving is very important to know the direction and location, especially when visibility is limited. Kakek Merah

How to Practice Compass Navigation:

Dive in calm waters, then take a direction using the compass and try to navigate along the specified line.
Practice turning right or left using the compass and maintain stable breathing.
Using the Regulator Correctly:
A regulator is a tool used to regulate the air supply from the oxygen tank to the diver's mouth.

How to Practice Using a Regulator:

Practice breathing using the regulator on the surface first, then do the same thing in deep water.
Practicing breathing with a regulator will get you used to regulating your breathing underwater.
4. Diving Practice with Professional Supervision
After mastering the basic techniques above, it is highly recommended to do open water diving practice under the supervision of a professional instructor. The instructor will help ensure that you do each technique correctly and overcome the challenges