Check dive, and if this is a good idea?

On my diving expeditions and other diving trips, it is often the same thing, the dive shop asks me to do a check dive. 

Because it’s well known, when diving every week of the year in cold northern waters, you have to get used again to warm water, excellent visibility, strong light and light weight diving equipment 😉

I generally I have no problem to do this exercise and take advantage of it to make beautiful pictures in often shallow waters.

But in addition to that, what is the purpose of a check dive?

My first paragraph above is obviously written with humour. In practice, there is a real interest for a check dive. 

Here are 3 good reasons to do a check dive:

1. (Re) find your marks 

Some of us occasionally dive as “tourists” only during holidays. Others had to stop diving for multiple reasons (birth, professional overloads, health problems, etc.). Finally, some are “anxious” and/or distracted and need to get back on track regularly.

Check dives allow you to recover your sensations, gestures,… before starting the next dives.

2. Adjust (if necessary) your equipment.

It happens that the equipment taken on holiday is not a replica of your usual equipment. Or that we decide to rent everything on site.

Of course, the question of the weight must be addressed during this check dive.

A check dive is an opportunity to adjust your equipment to the particular conditions of the dive spot.

3. Have a first approach to the spot.

Very useful when you stay on the edge of a bay where dives are made from the beach. Doing a check dive helps to identify the spot. But also to understand the topography of the spot and some of the points of interest shown by the guide.

A check dive saves time and allows you to discover the area while being taken away… 

In conclusion

I perform mostly this with  good will, and even if sometimes it seems useless to me (but sometimes I think it is), I recognize that it may also be of interest.

Even if you don’t need to find your marks, adjust your equipment or get a first approach to the spot, that kind of dive can also be a good time to get into the water without worries, in a cool way and let yourself be guided.

This may provide you with a nice moment of relaxation after a sometimes long and tiring trip.

Check dive, do you like it, do you find it useful/useless ?

I am curious to hear your feedback about it

And above all,…… Don’t forget to be happy 🤗

Hélène

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