DOWN TO SCUBA | #1 Scuba Diving Resource for New Divers.

Ultimate Guide to Rays: Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays

OCEAN

Emma Ong - PADI MSDT

-

Ultimate Guide to Rays: Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays

Let’s take a look at some rays! Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays. Much like siblings, they may be related but are actually pretty different in many ways.

Growing up and learning how to scuba dive in the Midwest, I will never forget my first ocean dive. The crystal-clear, warm water of the Caribbean made it easy to enjoy a shipwreck, more fish than I could count, and a majestic ray all in the span of thirty minutes. When I got out of the water, gushing about my dive, one of the instructors asked me if the ray I saw was a stingray, a manta ray, or an eagle ray. I sheepishly admitted that I had no idea, and after some research I learned that the ray I saw was a spotted eagle ray. That day began a never-ending journey for me to work on improving my reef creature ID skills.

Rays can be easy to confuse, but here are some differences that may help you determine which is which.

Table of contents

Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays
Size of Manta ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Ray
Distinctive Features of Rays
Tails of Rays
Diets of Manta Rays vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays
Lifespan of Rays
Are Rays Dangerous?
How to Identify Which Ray?
Threats to Manta Rays, Eagle Rays and Stingrays

Two spotted eagle rays gliding above — Majestic spotted eagle rays. Photo / DilettantO

Differences between a Manta Ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays

First, what are rays?

In science, fish are separated into those with skeletons of bone, and those with skeletons of cartilage. Cartilage is what makes up our earlobe or the tip of our nose, and it helps these animals be both tough and flexible.

There are about 600 species of rays, which includes everything from ocean-crossing manta rays to stingrays that prefer to spend their time hiding in the sand. Rays have flat bodies that they move by flapping or rippling their pectoral fins. They have a slender tail, which in some species is paired with a venomous spine.

Some species live on the seafloor and hunt for their meals, but some traverse the open ocean and eat plankton from just below the surface. Rays are an important part of the ocean food web, and without them sharks and orcas could go hungry, and little invertebrate populations like crabs and oysters could explode.

So, can we tell them apart, and how?

Size of Manta ray vs Stingray vs Eagle Ray

Manta rays are the biggest of the rays. Adults can range from reef mantas with a 3.5 m (11 ft) wingspan, to giant oceanic manta rays with a 7 m (23 ft) wingspan! Oceanic manta rays can reach 3,000 kg (6,600 lb), and yet they glide through the water most gracefully.

The size of eagle rays is dependent on species, with an average at about 2.8 m (9 ft).

Stingray sizes varies greatly by species, but the average is around 1 m (3 ft). Equally important are the massive (2.2 ft wingspan) short-tail stingray and the tiny (10 cm wingspan) snort-nose electric ray.

Distinctive Features of Rays

The bodies of all kinds of rays are diamond-shaped, and they move using their pectoral (side) fins, but they do have a few differences that may help you decide which is which.

Manta Ray Features

Manta rays are the biggest, and they move by flapping their triangular fins like wings. The easiest way to recognize a manta ray is by their cephalic fins, horn shaped fins on either side of their mouth. These fins are used to guide plankton into their mouths while they feed. Manta rays also have prominent gills on their underside.

Eagle Ray Features

Eagle rays have very distinct snouts, which come to a point and make their mouths look almost like the beak of a bird. They need a snout to help them dig through the sand to feed. Eagle rays range from brown in color to elaborate patterns like the spotted eagle ray, or the ornate eagle ray.

Stingray Features

Stingrays have the roundest body, but it is still diamond-shaped. Stingrays are often found lying or swimming along the bottom. Unlike manta and eagle rays who flap their fins like birds to move, stingrays ripple their pectoral fins to swim along. And because it’s in their name – stingrays can be recognized by their tails. They have the shortest tail of the three kinds of rays, a tail that starts out thick and then tapers off, concealing a venomous barb (or sting) they use for defense.

Bluespotted ribbontail ray — The bluespotted ribbontail ray is a species of stingray. Photo: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash

Tails of Rays

Manta rays have long tails with no spines or barbs on them. They use their size and speed to evade predators instead of having a defense mechanism like the eagle rays and stingrays.

Eagle rays have 2-6 venomous spines that start behind their dorsal fin, right at the start of their tail. They use these spines in self-defense, when they can’t swim away fast enough from predators.

Stingrays are names for their venomous barb, a last resort self-defense mechanism that sticks out halfway down their tail. They don’t use these barbs for feeding, only to protect themselves from predators. They can regrow this spine if they have to use it on a predator, but it takes a long time to regrow.

Diets of Manta Rays vs Stingray vs Eagle Rays

The diet of rays depends on where they spend their time, and what organisms are in those places for them to eat: manta rays swim in the top of the water column, and stingrays hang out on the bottom.

Manta rays do not hunt for their food, they filter feed. This means that they filter plankton out of the water as they swim. They use the two fins on either side of their head to help guide the zooplankton into their mouths. Zooplankton, or planktonic animals, consist of a mixture of crab larvae, fish eggs, mollusk larvae, tiny shrimp, and other tiny creatures. Manta rays may be the biggest of the rays, but they eat tiny creatures to survive.

Eagle rays use their snouts to dig in the sand and unearth all kinds of small animals to eat. They eat things like crabs, clam, oysters, shrimp, sea snails, even octopus and small fish! They can break through those tough shells using their teeth – two grooved plates made especially for crunching shells.

Stingrays hunt for their food and will eat clams, small fish, sea worms, shrimp, and oysters. They move along the bottom and can skim the ocean floor for food. When they do find something to eat, they suck it into their mouths like a vacuum and then chew it quickly.

Lifespan of Rays

The lifespan of rays is dependent on what species it is. Some species of stingray only live for 6-8 years, while eagle rays are hypothesized to live up to 25 years. Not much is known about the growth and development of ocean-crossing manta rays, but some have been reported to live for 40 years.

School of spotted eagle rays in Saipan — A school of spotted eagle rays. Photo: Henry Manipon

Are Rays Dangerous?

In short, no. Like many creatures in the sea, rays are only dangerous if they are intentionally provoked. They’re generally shy around humans, and you can consider yourself lucky if you see one in the wild!

Fatal stingray attacks are famous because of Steve Irwin, “the Crocodile Hunter”, but they are extremely rare. Most stingray “attacks” are an accident – if a human steps on a stingray buried under sand, and the stingray panics. Most of these stings have been described as similar to a jellyfish sting – a pain that dissipates in a few hours with professional medical care.

How to Identify Which Ray?

In the water, how do you tell the difference between these kinds of rays? The easiest method is location.

A stingray will often be found on the seafloor, resting under sand or swimming along the bottom to find a good spot to feed. Manta rays and eagle rays will be in the water column, closer to the surface.

If you’re scuba diving, you’ll often have to look up to see these majestic creatures. Remember that manta rays have horn-like cephalic fins on either side of their mouth for guiding plankton in and are much bigger than eagle rays.

In science, sometimes we use dichotomous keys to identify creatures in the wild based on observable traits. These questionnaires guide you to your species with some easy yes/no questions. Here’s an example of one to try out with your fabulous ray pictures:

What was your ray doing?
1. Swimming in the water column – go to Question 3
2. Resting on the seafloor – go to Question 2
Is this ray diamond shaped with very triangular fins?
1. Yes – Go to Question 4
2. No, it has a very rounded diamond shape – Congratulations, you saw a stingray!
Does this ray have cephalic fins?
1. Yes – Congratulations, you saw a manta ray!
2. No – Go to Question 2
Is the ray bigger than 3 m (9 ft)?
1. Yes – Congratulations, you saw a manta ray!
2. No – Congratulations, you saw an eagle ray!

Threats to Manta Rays, Eagle Rays and Stingrays

If you have the joy of seeing a stingray, an eagle ray, or a manta ray, that experience is extra special because 1) those encounters are rare, and 2) because the future of these creatures is uncertain. While some species are doing well, species of stingrays, eagle rays, and manta rays all over the world have populations that are decreasing. Rays are fished for human consumption, accidentally caught in fishing vessels targeting other species, or hunted for their gill rakers. Loss of their habitat and climate change also affect stingrays.

However, in 2015 a group of experts created a 10-year strategy to protect sharks and rays on a global scale. This plan involved several international organizations and hopes to continue to expand conservation efforts while also creating stronger management of fisheries to prevent overfishing. More information can be found here: Shark Advocates International.

One of the best ways to share the importance and beauty of these animals is to use our access to the underwater world – scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming – to take photos and share our experiences with those who aren’t able to see rays in real life. Best of all, you can share your new knowledge about what kind of rays you’re seeing, and what makes these related and majestic animals different.

Can You Scuba Dive the Titanic?

DIVE
OCEAN

DTS Contributor

-

0

When thinking about shipwrecks and deep diving the first name that will probably pop into your head would be the RMS Titanic. Since the sinking and subsequently, the discovery of the Titanic wreck, many people have been trying to figure out ways to get down and explore the wreckage. As technology has advanced tremendously in recent years, we want to know if and how we can investigate this famous wreck. Can you scuba dive the titanic, freedive down, or use a submersible vehicle to reach its depths and secrets? Today we will look into if this is possible or still out of reach.

How Deep is the Titanic?

In Belfast, Northern Ireland it took 14,000 men two and a half years to build the Titanic, and at the time it was the largest passenger ship in the world. Thought to be unsinkable, the Titanic set sail for its maiden voyage on 10th April 1912.

Around 2:20am on the 15th April 1912 the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. The Titanic was located about 400 miles south of Newfoundland in Canada, but the exact location remained a mystery for many years.

It wasn’t until September 1st 1985 that explorer Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic. While mapping two sunken US Naval Submarines, Ballard used extra time allowed by the US government to look for the Titanic. During this time using underwater camera equipment suspended from his vessel, pieces of the Titanic were seen for the first time in 73 years.

The wreck of the Titanic lies at a depth of roughly 3,800 meters (12,500 ft) in the ice cold water of the Atlantic Ocean. We now know the location to be about 370 nautical miles south-southeast of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It lies in two main pieces about 600m (2000ft) apart.

Read More: Q&A with a Maritime Archaeologist who studies ship wrecks!

Can you Dive to the Titanic?

We have many types of diving that we can take part in, be it freediving, scuba diving or inside a submarine. In the following paragraphs we will talk about each of these individually.

The safest way to dive to the Titanic is with a submarine or using a remotely operated vehicle. Due to various factors such as depth, pressure, water temperature and location, using scuba equipment or freediving to the Titanic’s depths are not realistic options.

As most of us don’t have access to a submarine the chances of actually seeing the Titanic with your own eyes are very remote. However as of 2021 tourists can now book trips to go down and see the Titanic. The OceanGate Titanic Survey Expedition is making it possible for you to go and explore the Titanic using a state of the art submersible. As you would imagine however, this is not the cheapest activity you can do in the water, costing around $125,000 per trip.

The coin is issued on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic. — Remembering the tragedy of the Titanic. Photo by zlataky.cz / Unsplash

Can you Scuba Dive to the Titanic?

The simple answer to this is no, but let’s look at why it is not possible.

Depth

The biggest problem or factor that we need to think about is the depth. 3,800m (12,500ft) underwater is a very long way down. The maximum depth for recreational diving is 40m (130ft), while the world record depth for a scuba dive is 332.35m (1090ft 4.5in) so as you can see we are a long way off making it to the Titanic.

Pressure

The pressure caused by the weight of the water above also makes it impossible for humans to go to the depth of the Titanic. The pressure at the depth of the Titanic would be 380 bar (5510psi). This means we have 370 times more pressure than what we experience at the surface acting on our bodies. This would make it impossible for our lungs to expand fully to allow us to breathe.

Tanks or Cylinders

The next challenge would be taking enough air with us to last the dive. The submersibles that have been down to the Titanic for filming and research take around 2.5 hours to get to the bottom. A normal scuba cylinder would last around 45 minutes to an hour at 20 meters / 65 ft. I can’t even work out how many tanks would be needed to complete a dive to the Titanic but it is far too many to be a sensible and safe option.

Gas Narcosis

Next up is gas narcosis. Going to this depth using even Nitrox or even a tri-mix of games would still result in breathing far too much nitrogen, causing extreme gas narcosis which would induce an altered state of consciousness that is not safe. It is similar to the effects of alcohol intoxication such as severe loss of judgement, and increases in intensity the deeper you go.

Decompression Sickness

We would also have big problems with Decompression Sickness diving to the Titanic. Diving to that depth would require an extraordinary amount of time completing decompression stops to avoid DCS. This comes back to not having enough gas to complete all these stops.

Temperature

For argument’s sake, let us say we have figured out a way to have enough gas to dive down to that depth and the pressure wouldn’t be a problem. (This is a very hypothetical argument I know!) We would still have the freezing cold water of the Atlantic Ocean to contend with. For reference, when the Titanic sank, the water temperature was recorded as being −2 °C (28 °F). Being submerged for such a long time in similar temperatures would result in hyperthermia setting in, even with the use of a drysuit.

Read More: How Does a Drysuit Work?

Can you Freedive to the Titanic?

As we have just learned, one of the biggest problems of trying to scuba dive down to the Titanic is the amount of air we would need to carry with us. So can we get around that problem by freediving down and holding our breath?

Again, sadly the answer to this is no. The same problems we had with scuba will still apply to freediving. The immense depth being the main factor. The current world record freediving depth is 214m (702 ft) with the longest freedive time being 11 minutes 35 seconds. Both of these would not be sufficient enough to reach the Titanic.

The First Dive to the Titanic

Since the Titanic was discovered in 1985 there have been several dives completed with various submersibles, some being manned while others have been remotely operated. It was using one of the remotely operated submersibles that had been designed specifically for photography that explorers were able to see the interior of the Titanic for the first time since it had sunk. It was during these various excursions to the Titanic that scientists were surprised to find around 24 different marine life species including corals, crabs and fish.

Since then numerous excursions have taken place, for either research or artifact removal. The most famous of these excursions being the one that film director James Cameron undertook in 1995. Over the course of 12 dives James Cameron recorded as much footage as possible which he later used in his 1997 Blockbuster film Titanic.

Conclusion

Can you scuba dive the Titanic? This is a very commonly asked question to dive professionals when talking about wrecks or diving in general. Most people know the story of the Titanic but might not be aware of why scuba diving to see it is just not possible.

As we have seen, due to the depth and extreme pressure at that depth, any kind of scuba or freediving is just not possible. Sadly for many of us if we wish to see the Titanic in this lifetime, it would be a documentary on TV. A lucky few might have the chance to go on excursions for scientific or research purposes, but most of these people would be looking at a live feed rather than viewing with their own eyes. Unfortunately, arguably the most famous shipwreck in the world is just too deep to make visits affordable or logistically viable. For me, part of the intrigue with the Titanic is the fact that we can not go and see it. If the Titanic became a popular tourist dive site, I think the mystic and charm would be lost.

Workouts for Scuba Divers & Fitness Requirements for Diving

Emma Ong - PADI MSDT

-

0

With any sport, maintaining a good level of fitness will always make it more enjoyable and easier to perform, and scuba diving is no different. Try running 10 kms with no previous training, then do it again six months later after consistent training and compare your times, and I am sure you will see an improvement. Scuba diving is the same. Maintaining your fitness will help with such things as air consumption and your ability to help in an emergency situation. So what do we need to do to keep ourselves fit for diving and are there specific workouts for scuba divers?

Workouts for Scuba Divers

When you think of diving you would not think you would need to be overly fit, as in theory, we are just swimming slowly weightless underwater. It’s not exactly the most demanding activity when you compare it to other sports, or is it?

A full set of scuba equipment can weigh around 20kg (44lbs), and this is before you add any extra weights needed for buoyancy. Just standing on-land, carrying your scuba equipment for a short time will begin to feel very heavy, especially on your back and shoulders. Luckily, once in the water the kit feels a lot lighter.

Depending on your dive location you may be required to walk some way in your equipment to your entry point, or even do multiple trips carrying equipment to the dive entry spot. This can be very physically demanding.

Once we are in the water on our dives, we still use more energy than you might imagine. Research has shown that while scuba diving you can burn between 400 – 700 calories an hour. Some variables such as temperature of water, currents and amount of exercise performed during the dive will affect the actual amount.

To compare that to running, a general estimate for calories burned is about 100 per mile. So running at a pace of one mile every 10 mins you would burn about 600 calories. Obviously this number can be affected by differences in body weight.

Given the choice between running for one hour and going on a dive for an hour, I know which one I would choose.

Workouts for scuba divers are workouts that will benefit you as a diver. This will include any kind of cardio, from walking, running, using a cross trainer or even an exercise bike. These types of exercises will really help build your stamina, increase your lung capacity, and help you feel less tired after diving.

Other good workouts for scuba divers would be strength training, especially in your legs, as this helps you carry the weight of the gear and can also help you kick in strong currents. Training your upper body can also help. Arms, back and shoulders will all be used when putting your equipment on and taking it off again, and also when carrying equipment to and from the dive site.

Using scuba equipment to create a home-made gym. Photo: Martin Walsh

Exercises to Prepare for Scuba Diving

There are three main areas that you should focus on when training for diving. Cardio, Legs and Core muscles are key areas to focus on when preparing workouts for scuba divers. We will also look at what we can do to help with our upper body as well.

Cardio Workouts for Scuba Divers

For most people, doing cardiovascular exercises can feel like a bit of a chore. From my own experience, it is my least favorite thing to do in my workouts. However, it is very important to work the heart and lungs to increase our fitness and stamina levels.

The great thing with cardio is you can do it in so many different ways which can keep it fun and challenging. Most gyms will have treadmills, cross trainers, static bikes, rowing machines and more. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes are also a great way of getting a cardio workout if you are short on time, and these can be done either at a gym or home.

Any of these will give a good cardio workout. If you don’t have access to a gym or are lucky enough to have hiking trails nearby, then a hike is a great fun way to get your cardio workouts in, plus the scenery is usually a lot nicer.

Leg Workouts for Scuba Divers

Any diver will tell you that most of our movement is done by our legs while in the water. As divers, we try to move as little as possible to conserve energy and air (so we can get a longer dive underwater). This means our legs are the most used body part.

Kicking in strong currents, standing up from a seated position with the tank on your back, or just getting back on a boat using a ladder, takes strength from your legs. There are also emergency rescue scenarios in certain scuba diving courses which require you to practice towing and even carrying another diver back on a boat or to shore.

Divers have also been known to mention their calves hurting after scuba diving. This is due to pointing your toes to maximise the fin kick underwater. To use the most efficient kick in diving requires using your calf muscles, so it’s a good idea to strengthen these too.

Recommended exercises to help with your leg strength would be:

Squats* – either with weights, air squats or against a wall
Lunges* – depending on ability with or without weights is fine
Calf Raises* – rolling to the balls of your feet while holding weights will work best
Leg Extensions – this will help strengthen the quads (front thigh)
Hamstring Curls – these focus on the back of the thigh (hamstring)

*These exercises can be performed at home.

Core Workouts for Scuba Divers

Just how much work our core muscles do during a dive trip surprises a lot of people. Maintaining trim position requires being in a position that we don’t usually find ourselves in, where we arch our back with feet and head up. This can result in people saying that their backs hurt after a dive.

Muscles always work in pairs, so if we are using our back muscles we will also be using our stomach muscles (abdominal). This means we need to train both to make sure they are evenly strong.

Some good exercises to do for your core and abdominal strength would include:

Planking – holding your body tight while resting on your hands or forearms will really work your abs. It’s harder than it looks.
Superman – this involves laying on your front hands either stretched out or fingers together behind your head, then lifting your legs and torso off the floor, really working on the lower back.
Stomach crunches (sit ups) – can be performed in many different ways. It can be done in the decline position to add an extra degree of difficulty. Remember to focus on your abs.
Flutter Kicks – laying on back hand down by your sides, lift legs from the floor, now kick alternate legs without touching the floor. This will work both abs and lower back while also replicating the kicking movement from scuba diving.

These are the main exercises that will help with diving fitness.

Upper Body Workouts for Scuba Divers

Other exercises that will help with your back, shoulders, and arms are:

Lat Pull downs (back) – this will work the middle of your back and will help strengthen the muscles used when wearing the equipment. It is also very helpful if you have to lift tanks around, as these are the muscles that perform that movement.
Shoulder press – can be performed with weights or a resistant band. This works the shoulders, which will really help when lifting equipment up for buddies or moving dive equipment around at piers or dive shops.
Bicep curls – when diving we don’t use our hands or arms that much, are strength is helpful before and after the dive. Lifting bags of equipment, moving tanks, setting up weight belts all require the use of your arms.

**Before starting any fitness program, consult a doctor and seek advice from a qualified trainer on the best workout plan for you.

Exercises for Snorkeling

Snorkeling only requires a very basic level of fitness. This is because there is no heavy scuba equipment to carry around. If you are a good swimmer and comfortable in the water, then you can start snorkeling just about anywhere with a mask and snorkel. Snorkeling with fins can help if you plan on moving around a lot, but swimming bare feet is fine as well.

Making sure you have enough stamina to swim back to shore or back on the boat when you are finished with snorkeling is very important. It can be very easy to get distracted by all the amazing marine life, end up swimming far, and then finding yourself quite far from safety.

As with scuba diving it is mostly your legs that are involved in snorkeling, so any leg exercises such as squats and lunges would be very beneficial.

Other exercises to help with snorkeling would be cardio exercises; running, walking, cycling or HIIT classes at gyms. This will really increase your stamina and definitely help if you feel like doing a duck dive and holding your breath while exploring underwater.

Read More: Learn How to Snorkel

Scuba Diving Fitness Requirements

For any open water diver certification a medical questionnaire will be required to be completed before commencing the course. This questionnaire will have various questions about potential health problems that could be an issue while diving. If any question is answered ‘Yes’ then clearance from a medical professional will need to be given before diving can commence.

There are two in-water assessments that also need to be completed for certification. These are a 200 meter swim test and 10 minutes of treading water or floating. Many people are not aware that these skills are required for the Open Water certification. These assessments are to ensure that in an emergency you will have the stamina to either swim to help or remain on the surface of the water until help arrives.

While swimming 200 m and floating for 10 minutes can seem easy, these assessments can actually end up challenging most decent swimmers. Remember, swimming is a full body workout, and requires a good level of fitness. Depending on the person, floating on the surface of the water with no buoyancy aid for 10 minutes can be as easy as laying in the bath, or for others, like me, it requires a lot of effort and can be very challenging.

When training at the professional diving levels such as becoming a Dive Master, these swim tests are made that bit more difficult. You will be required to complete a 15 minute tread/float with no hands allowed to be used in the last two minutes, a 400m swim, a 800m snorkel and a 100m tired diver tow. These are all timed with scores given between 1-5.

Having a good level of fitness for either recreational or professional diving courses will benefit you greatly, and make the experience all the more enjoyable.

How to Work Out with your Dive Gear

Using your dive gear to work out can be a fun and creative way to mix up your workouts while also strengthening the specific muscles we use in diving.

If you have your own scuba gear with you at home then you can perform some good workouts with minimal equipment. All you will need is a BCD, weights and weight belt.

Lead diving weights and weight belts can be used in your workouts.

Using your BCD with weights in the pockets, you can perform lunges, squats, weighted push-ups and depending on ability, even weighted pull ups. Athletes who practice CrossFit will often wear weighted vests to increase the difficulty of exercises, and using your BCD can be a great way of replicating this.

Having weights on weight belts can enable you to perform quite a few exercises, such as bicep curls, shoulder raises, behind-the-head tricep extensions and even shoulder presses.

You can be very creative with your workout, depending on what you have laying around. During the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, gyms were closed but I wanted to carry on working out. I managed to rig myself a weight station from some old tanks and weight belts. Luckily, there was an old bench and some scaffolding already set up so I adapted these into a bench press and dip station.

Using two old tanks, a bar and some weights on belts, I was able to do a full body workout. This included bench press, arm curls, shoulder press, squats, deadlifts and more. This kept me going until the gyms opened up again. As you can see using scuba equipment can be a great way to add to or even create new workouts.

Old scuba tanks used for a bench press — Adding weights to a weight belt and incorporating them into your workout can be highly effective. Photo: Martin Walsh

Military Scuba Exercises

If you are looking for ultimate scuba fitness then look no further than the workouts for military scuba divers. Now obviously anybody wishing to enlist into the military needs to be physically fit. Here is an example of a workout designed to help people pass the physical requirements for entry into the US Navy to become navy divers.

As you would imagine, these are pretty intense but you can see some of the same exercises that we recommend are used by the military as well. Below are three different workouts that would help build stamina and strength for diving and military fitness.

Human Performance Test	Tactical Fitness	Tactical Strength Test
800m Swim	500m Swim plus 25m Buddy Tow	500m Swim any stroke
3 Mile Run	3 Mile Run	Kettlebell / Snatch 5min test 30% bodyweight
Standing Long Jump	400m Sprint	1-2 x Bodyweight Squat
Bodyweight Bench Press (Max Reps)	Bodyweight Bench Press Max. Reps	1 Rep Max Bench Press
1 Rep Max. Deadlift	1.5 Bodyweight Deadlift Max. Reps	1.5 – 2 x Bodyweight Deadlift
Pull Ups (25lb vest) Max. Reps	Pull Ups with 25lb vest Max Reps	Pull Ups with 25lb vest
300 Yard Shuttle runs (12 x 25 yards)	300 Yard Shuttle runs (6 x 50 yards)	300 Yard Shuttle runs (12 x 25 yards)
	Plank 1-5 minutes	Strongman Hang from Bar for time
	100m Fireman Carry (equal body weight)	4 Mile Run with 50lb Rucksack
	4 mile run with 50lb rucksack

Keeping Fit for Diving

Keeping a good level of fitness is good for you, whether you are a scuba diver or not. If you are lucky enough to dive regularly or work in the diving industry, then keeping your fitness levels up is pretty easy as you will be using the muscles and cardiovascular system regularly. However, for many of us who are not able to dive regularly or only dive every few years or so, then staying fit is something you need to consider before jumping in for a dive.

Staying fit for diving is something that many of us may neglect or not really think about. It is easy to forget the physical demands of diving if you are not diving frequently. Being fit to dive will really help improve the enjoyment of diving, make you feel safer, and more confident in the water. Workouts for scuba divers doesn’t have to be super intense military-style, but doing some basic cardio, leg, and core work goes a long way in maintaining a good level of fitness for diving.

Using scuba equipment can also be a good way to mix up your workouts or help if you are unable to get to a gym. Remember that bodyweight exercises such as planks and push ups are a great way to workout as well. Whatever workout or exercises you choose does not really matter too much. As long as you are maintaining your fitness and are physically ready for your next dive then you will be sure to have fun!

Open Water Diver Certification Facts

DIVE

Emma Ong - PADI MSDT

-

0

If you are thinking about going scuba diving then you will have come across the term ‘open water diver certification.’ But what does it mean exactly, and how deep does it allow you to go? We cover this, and more, such as refreshers, referrals, and what to expect when getting your open water diver certification below!

What is an Open Water Diver Certification?

An Open Water diver certification is also known as a licence to go scuba diving. It is the first level that you can achieve in recreational scuba diving. This certification allows you and another certified diver to scuba dive together, within your training limits.

The certification is proof that you have completed all the necessary practical skills and theoretical skills needed with scuba diving. It is generally recognized around the world. You may receive this certification or licence through a diving agency.

There are many scuba diving agencies to choose from, and they will follow similar protocols in training. Some well-known diving agencies include; PADI, SSI, RAID, BSAC, NAUI, SDI, and more.

How Deep can you Scuba Dive with Open Water Certification?

In your open water diving certification you will have a maximum training depth that you should adhere to. This is because you will have only been trained to dive at that certain depth. Generally, the open water certification will allow you to dive to a maximum of 18 – 20 meters or 60 – 65 feet.

Read More: How Deep Can You Scuba Dive?

Open Water Diver Depth

PADI Open Water Divers are certified to go to a depth of 18 meters or 60 feet.

SSI (Scuba Schools International) Open Water limit is 18 meters or 60 feet.

BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club) Ocean Diver limit is 20 meters or 65 feet.

RAID Open Water 20 limit is 20 meters or 65 feet.

NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) is 18 meters or 60 feet.

CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques) 1 Star Diver limit is 20 meters or 65 feet.

SDI (Scuba Diving International) Open Water Scuba Diver limit is 18 meters or 60 feet.

The reason is because there are more risks and considerations when diving to even deeper depths.

If you feel the need to dive deeper than your certification, then you should consider the option of more training and completing the next certification.

Read More: The Differences between NAUI vs. PADI

PADI Junior Open Water

The PADI Junior Open Water Diver course is similar to the adult certification program but with smaller teacher-to-student ratios and shallower depths depending on the age. The minimum age for the PADI Junior Open Water course is 10 years old.

After certification, 10-11 year olds must only scuba dive with a parent, guardian, or a PADI Professional (Divemaster level or higher). They are restricted to a maximum depth of 12 meters / 40 feet.

After certification, 12 – 14 year olds must dive with an adult certified diver. Therefore, two 14 year olds cannot buddy up and dive alone. They are allowed to dive to the maximum Open Water depth of 18 meters / 60 feet.

When the diver turns 15 years old, their Junior certification automatically switches to the standard PADI Open Water certification. To receive a new PADI card (or at least, an updated photo!) for your certification card, you can head to the PADI website, login, and upload a new photo.

PADI Scuba Swim Test

In the Open Water diver course, there is a mandatory swim test and a float test in the water.

Before Open Water Dive 2, you will need to have demonstrated that you can comfortably float in water too deep to stand in, for 10 minutes, without the use of any swim aids. The easiest way to do this is to lay back flat on the water. You can also tread water during this time.

The scuba swim test consists of completing a 200 meter continuous surface swim without any aid OR, a 300 meter swim with mask, fins, and snorkel. This can be done at any time during your course, and before certification.

The swim float test required in the PADI Open Water scuba diving course — PADI Instructor Emma, supervising the mandatory swim/float test in the Open Water diving certification course.

Open Water Diver Referral

An Open Water Diver referral is when an instructor provides training documentation to another instructor when you are part-way through your Open Water course. It is especially handy if you need or want to finish your course at another location.

Most commonly, a referral will be used if you completed your confined skills in a swimming pool where you live, and then decide to do the Open Water dives in the ocean while on holiday.

Referrals can also be given if you struggle with a certain portion of the open water course, and decide to take a break before resuming your course. The instructor will sign off what you have already completed, so you don’t need to go through the whole course again (unless you choose to do so).

Referrals expire 12 months from the date of the last training segment.

PADI Open Water Diver Refresher

An open water diver refresher means that you are already a certified open water diver, but have not dived recently so you will need to undertake a ‘refresher’ course. This is usually quite a quick process with a professional diver, eg. a Dive Master or an Instructor.

It will consist of going through a Knowledge Review to ensure you remember the basic theory of scuba diving, and then a short water skills practice and assessment with the dive professional.

PADI suggests that if you have not dived for six months or longer, then you should do a refresher course. However, this is just a recommendation, and will depend mainly on your experience level; how many dives you have done in the past, and what conditions you are used to diving in.

To check if you need an Open Water diver refresher, you should speak to the dive centre and a scuba diving professional.

PADI Open Water Final Assessment

To complete your Open Water diver certification you will have successfully passed a theory exam (super easy, don’t worry), and mastered all of the skills that PADI (or whichever training agency you are diving with) has outlined in their Open Water course.

Chances are that if you paid attention during your course and listened to your instructor, then you should have no problem with the theory assessment. The PADI theory exam is a multiple choice exam with questions that you will have covered several times during your course. It is a mixture of what to do in emergency scenarios, knowing the scuba equipment and their uses, and remembering the depth limits of your training depth.

Thousands of people get their Open Water scuba diver certification each year, including children from 10 years and up! It is an incredible gateway and licence to explore the underwater world. By completing the Open Water course you will have gained extensive diving knowledge, life-saving skills, and the ability to breathe and swim underwater!

Flying After Scuba Diving – What Are The Risks?

DIVE

Emma Ong - PADI MSDT

-

0

Flying After Scuba Diving – What Are The Risks?

Not flying after scuba diving is a subject that comes up in any Open Water certification course. This topic should also be mentioned to anyone scuba diving, whether it’s a first-time try dive or certified fun dives. But why is flying after scuba diving a problem? And is flying before diving just as much of an issue? Read on to learn more about scuba diving and flying, why you need to plan your diving holidays to allow time between dives and flying, and other activities that you should avoid doing straight after scuba diving.

Scuba Diving and Flying

Scuba diving is a very popular holiday pastime. With most of us not having enough leisure time in our day-to-day lives to fit in scuba diving, we do make a point of doing it while on holiday!

With so many amazing diving locations around the world, chances are you will be flying to a different country to experience these dive spots. This is when we need to plan our dives around the flights, making sure we have enough time after diving before flying again.

Full shot of the boat when diving The Junk liveaboard in Thailand — The Junk Liveaboard. Photo by Robert Horrion

Flying After Scuba Diving

While scuba diving, we absorb an excess amount of nitrogen due to the increased pressure at depth. Nitrogen takes time to naturally leave the body, which means an interval of time is required before any flight is taken.

Ascending to altitude in a plane after diving can bring on Decompression Sickness. This can happen when there is a decrease in atmospheric pressure as you ascend. Although airplane cabins are pressurised, it’s still a reduction in pressure than what we would experience at sea level.

We may still have small nitrogen bubbles in our bodies after a dive but not enough to cause any problems. However, once we start ascending in a plane and experience that change in cabin pressure these nitrogen bubbles can start to expand and bring on symptoms of decompression sickness. This is why an interval is needed before flying.

So, When Can I Fly after Scuba Diving?

This question brings up many different answers depending on who you ask and which agency you have trained with. There are also a few factors to consider to answer this question as well, such as how many dives were performed in the day and whether a decompression stop is required.

Organisation	Surface Interval Required
US Air Force	24 hours
FAA (Federal Aviation Agency)	Flying to altitude of 8,000 feet, at least 12 hours if no decompression stop, and at least 24 hours if a decompression stop was required Flying above 8000 feet requires at least 24 hours
DAN (Divers Alert Network)	Minimum of 12 hours for a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours for multi-day repetitive dives
PADI	For a single dive, a 12 hour surface interval is recommended. For multiple dives in a day, a 18 hour interval is required.
SSI	Recommends at least 24 hours

As you can see this information is very conflicting, especially when planning your trip and booking your flights. So, which guideline should you follow? The answer to this would be to follow the current DAN guidelines. Many recreational diving agencies follow DAN’s recommendation as the Diver’s Alert Network is the organisation with the most research on recreational diving and safety procedures.

Side note: Most travel and diving insurances also follow DAN’s guidelines. Always check these details before booking your flight.

DAN’S Scuba Diving & Flying Guidelines

1 dive = minimum 12 hour surface interval
2 or more dives, or multiple days of diving = minimum 18 hour interval
For dives requiring a decompression stop, substantially longer than 18 hours.

As a diving instructor I would always try and allow 24 hours between my last dive and my flight time, just to be extra cautious. As you can see, 18 hours would more than suffice before flying.

What Not to Do After Scuba Diving

We’ve already talked about the need to wait before flying after diving, is there anything else we should wait to do after a dive? Well yes, below is a list of things that you should not do directly after a dive. In these cases, you should wait for a few hours before proceeding with these activities.

Going to Altitude After Diving

Altitude is not always flying. For example, you might live in an area surrounded by mountains that you need to go over on your journey to and from the dive site. With PADI, going to altitude is considered 300m above sea level. Going above this altitude can cause pressure changes resulting in symptoms of decompression sickness.

Taking a Hot Bath or Shower After Diving

Putting your body into a hot environment after diving, such as a hot bath, shower or even sauna can cause any nitrogen bubbles to expand within the body. This can bring on symptoms of decompression sickness. Try not to get cold on your dives (wear enough exposure protection such as a thicker wetsuit) and turn down the temperature in your shower to help avoid this happening.

Getting a Massage After Diving

You might be lucky enough to be diving in a location that also has massage parlours nearby. The temptation can be to get a massage just after you have finished diving to help soothe all those aches from carrying your equipment around. However, you should leave at least 3 hours between a scuba dive and a massage. During the massage process the manipulation of muscles and body tissue can cause problems with releasing nitrogen, again, this can lead to effects of DCS.

Exercising After Diving

Staying fit and healthy is always a good idea especially if you’re a scuba diver. You may already have a regular fitness program and want to stick to this while on a diving holiday. Physical activity after diving, be it weight training, cardio, or even hiking can increase bubble formation within the body thus increasing the risk of DCS. A safe practice would be to plan your workout with a good few hours interval from your dive.

Drinking Alcohol After Diving

For many of us, having a beer in the evening after a great day of diving and discussing all the amazing things we’ve seen, go hand in hand. Having a beer or wine while filling out log books is a great way to meet other divers and learn about other diving locations. While having alcohol on its own isn’t too bad, it’s the dehydration from diving combined with alcohol that can cause problems. Make sure you’re properly hydrated before having too many drinks after your dives. Having sports drinks or electrolytes between dives can really help keep you hydrated.

A blurry scuba diver underwater. Scuba diving and alcohol is a dangerous combination. — A concoction of scuba diving and alcohol can lead to dangerous consequences. Photo Chris King / Unsplash

Flying after Nitrox Diving

When diving with enriched air (also known as Nitrox) we reduce the amount of Nitrogen being loaded into our bodies. However, we still absorb extra nitrogen compared to being on the surface for the same amount of time. This means we will have excess nitrogen in our bodies after diving just like when we use normal air. So do we have to follow any different procedures when it comes to flying? The answer is no, the same rules for surface intervals apply if you’re diving with Nitrox or normal air.

Flying Before Scuba Diving

As we have not been diving, nitrogen is not the problem in this situation. What can cause problems is the result of being on an aeroplane. Depending on the length of flight you may have crossed multiple time zones resulting in jet lag. After many hours of breathing dry recycled air that has a lower oxygen content, chances are we’ll be dehydrated and lethargic. Not sure about you, but I always feel tired after flying, usually down to lack of sleep and stress from making sure I don’t miss my flight.

Scuba diving while feeling tired and dehydrated is far from ideal, as it can increase the risk of DCS and may affect judgement if needed to deal with an emergency situation. Being recovered fully from your flight and being fit to dive is a matter of safety and enjoyment.

Each individual will have to make their own call on when they consider themselves ready to dive. Each person will recover from the effect of a flight differently, so make sure that you feel up to the dives before jumping in. If not, then simply take longer to rest. Your dives will be a lot more enjoyable when you feel fully fit to dive.

Can you Fly and Dive in the Same Day?

Yes you can, as it’s all about feeling ready to dive. If you only had a short flight then you might feel completely fine and ready to go on your dive. The main thing to remember is safety, if you don’t feel up for a dive then it is always best to wait or go the following day. If you have flown and feel great then head straight to the nearest dive spot and enjoy your dives. Just remember any flight can lead to some form of dehydration so make sure you are drinking plenty of water before diving.

Planning that Diving Holiday

Having ample time between scuba diving and flying might not be something that you really considered when planning that trip. Hopefully from reading this article it has provided you with the information to have much safer diving holidays and enjoyable flights home.

Flying after scuba diving is something that needs to be carefully planned. As we have read there are many recommendations about surface interval times and that can make it a little confusing. When in doubt, plan at least 24 hours between your last dive and your flight. Allowing enough time for nitrogen to leave the body before flying is crucial in reducing the risk of DCS. This is why waiting a few hours before exercising or going for a massage is also a good idea.