People ask me all the time; “How do you do it? Don’t you get bored?”
What are they talking about? Extended decompression.
For me, the dull part of the decompression starts at the 12-meter stop and shallower, they are longer and less complicated than the deep stops. During the shorter, deeper stops, there are regular buoyancy changes to deal with and gas switches, but once the stops are shallower and longer there is little else to do but wait.
Some people endure the long hangs on the line by “zoning out”; others are able to sleep with careful watch from their buddy! Lucky divers have a reef or wreck that reaches the surface, but not all! Ask any technical diver the same question and you will more than likely get a different answer. How do you pass the time during decompression?
What else could a responsible publication like Deeper Blue do, but to answer this question of under water boredom? Investigate what is available to entertain you, of course! Here is what we found…
Toys
Scuba Rangers of Narabeen, Australia offer under water toys that deserve your attention. There is no solo diving if you want to play with these toys, but large groups should have lots of fun! Watch your buoyancy though, and possibly a safety diver is required to retrieve any lost items!
The Scuba Ranger Toypedo glides up to 12 meters under water. It is constructed of solid rubber and can be thrown like a spear underwater. There is also an Aquadisc, which can can glide for 10 meters and is essentially an underwater frisbee.
Some Old Favourites
Rubik’s Cube
The Rubiks Cube, an 80’s phenomenon that we thought was past its best! But, how wrong could we be? It is not easy with thick gloves or mittens, so possibly for the warmer water diver. You must also take care of your cube when you leave the water, like the rest of your diving equipment. It requires fresh water rinsing, and some silicon spray will keep it working well.
Tennis
A couple of old rackets and a golf ball tied to the deco line is all that you need for this. Definitely, recommend taking spare golf balls, since they are negatively buoyant and it does take some practice to get a rally going.
Games
What about some traditional parlour games, both chess and backgammon are available from Gammon Village to buy in magnetic format, which will avoid losing the peices.
Books
Melcher Media, a New York-based publisher, is promoting books that are manufactured using a technology it calls "Durabooks." The books pages don’t absorb water, and they stretch instead of tearing. The dunkable books are made from plastic resins and inorganic fibers, rather than convention wood based materials.
For those who like that sort of thing, there are also some erotic novels available in the same format.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,55845,00.html
Electronic Books
By using an Aquapac sealable bag to protect your PDA, Ebooks can be obtained from Amazon and other suppliers. Although, the “waterproofness test” described by the manufacturer, doesn’t guarantee fully submerged use.
If you do try it, test carefully first.
The aquapac is available in a variety of sizes which would provide protection for other electromic devices, such as hand held game systems etc.
http://www.aquapac.net/ukstore/erol.html#496×0&&
Gadgets
The ultimate underwater gadget is available from Diver Entertainment systemas, Inc.Our mission is to innovate and continuously bring new entertainment solutions for divers and water enthusiastics. Since DEMA 2002 we have been working hard on improving our product performance and increasing the depth rating to 200ft. Several industry professionals have been testing our products and the feedback on the new product has been tremendous", says Rany Polany, President of Diver Entertainment Systems. "We have validated the market need for our products and are now delivering a high-end audio systems for all divers".
Did you have any idea you could have so much fun? Remember, that’s why we do this!
