Scuba diving is a relaxing, fun, and exciting sport that seems to be attracting a younger crowd looking for adventure! The number of young adults who participated in scuba diving has been on the rise, increasing from 275,000 in 2011 to 567,000 in 2015. When you think of scuba diving do you immediately think of exploring coral reefs and seeing tropical fish in their natural habitat? What about extreme underwater ironing? Or being a professional mermaid? There are some new and highly unusual activities out there for scuba divers looking for unique activities in the deep blue sea. These are not things that you will try during beginner diving so look into becoming scuba certified to indulge in all the fun it has to offer.

Being a professional mermaid is definitely a dream pursuit for many lovers of the sea. According to the website deeperblue.com, in the U.S. alone, an estimated 1,000 women and men make a living out of professional mermaiding. Many work at aquariums, resorts, and underwater photo shoots. As a mermaid you need to have exemplary physical strength and breath holding technique as well as a tolerance for cold water. Many professional mermaids will enhance their skills with scuba certification classes.

Extreme underwater ironing is an offshoot of extreme ironing that started in the UK. “Team Steam” the extreme ironing group says the sport “combines the thrill of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-ironed shirt”. The same can be said for underwater ironing! The current Guinness World Record is held by a Dutch diving club, who organized a mass underwater ironing event in 2011 that involved 173 divers. Scuba training is also a must for this strange but real activity! If you are looking to break the world record for people ironing underwater you better get scuba certified first!

If you are looking for something a little more extreme than ironing underwater you can also join an underwater hockey team. Or, for the extra brave, you can join an underwater ice hockey team. According to Wikipedia, underwater hockey is also known as Octopush and consists of two teams competing to move a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team’s goal with a hockey stick. It is usually played underneath an ice rink or frozen pond. Traditional underwater ice hockey is reserved for freedivers (diving without equipment) but scuba diving lessons would definitely help with training for such an extreme activity.

As you can see, there are some weird and wacky activities that scuba diving can lead to, if you’re feeling adventurous. But, don’t forget that regular scuba diving, without hockey sticks or mermaid tails, is just as enjoyable and exciting. Becoming scuba certified is a must if you want to explore the deep blue seas on your own; even though scuba diving is a fun sport, it can be dangerous if you are not properly trained.

Whether you’re a certified scuba diver or you’re still in scuba training, it’s crucial that you master the basics. And one of those ever-important basics is air sharing. Here, we’ll discuss how to air share and a few precautions you should take while practicing.

Sharing Air: The Basics

Like the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. But even more than that, perfect practice makes perfect. Before you can have an effective practice, you need to master technique.

• Signal
  Before air sharing can even begin, it’s important that you signal to your diving buddy. The more distinctive your signal, the better. Make sure you have a designated signal before you even hit the water!
• Buddy’s Move
  Once you’ve signaled to your buddy that you’re low on air and want to share, it’s their move. Your buddy should know to move toward you and offer an air source.
• Breathe
  Once you have the offered regulator in your mouth, begin breathing normally. But don’t forget that if your buddy offers their primary reg, they need it back! This shouldn’t be standard for your practice drills, as it can quickly become a dangerous situation.
• Physical Contact
  No matter what, keep physical contact with your buddy when you’re practicing air sharing. Grabbing onto an arm or tank valve will ensure that when you practice scuba diving, the reg won’t be pulled from your mouth prematurely.

Extra Precautions to Take

No matter how advanced your scuba classes are, air sharing requires a few essential precautions. Here are some of the most important precautionary steps to take before practicing air sharing on a scuba diving course:

• Review your drill before the dive begins. You and your buddy should know which air sources to use, as well as your signal for air sharing.
• Don’t forget about your buoyancy! Safe air sharing is important, but it shouldn’t absorb all of your attention.
• Inform your instructor before the dive. If you plan on practicing without telling your divemaster, they might mistake the situation for a real emergency.
• Don’t start with single regulator “buddy breathing.” As previously mentioned, this can be dangerous for both divers, especially if you’re inexperienced.

Almost 80% of diving problems involve the head and neck. That includes your regulator and breathing! But if your scuba training is done with diligence and accuracy, you’ll improve your safety and the safety of those around you.