13 Reasons Why Scuba Diving Is Good for You
Scuba diving is a fun hobby that opens up a new underwater world to many divers all over the world.
Scuba diving is good for you not only for its health benefits but also for the social and physical benefits that come along with each diving trip.
In this article, we’ll look into the many benefits of scuba diving and hopefully convince our readers who aren’t yet signed up for scuba diving to try it out.
Let’s get right into it!
Improved blood circulation
Scuba diving is considered a lazy sport but it can actually help improve your blood flow. You don’t have to engage in strenuous activities for improved blood flow.
Muscular flexibility and strength
When diving, the core and leg muscles are involved to help maintain balance as well as move around in the water. By engaging these muscles divers get to strengthen them and improve their endurance.
READ MORE: – Why Scuba Diving Is Fun
Improved breathing
Mindful breathing is very important in scuba diving, divers should breathe normally while diving to avoid creating pressure in the ears or causing other injuries.
The ability to control your breathing helps in air consumption when diving as well as in crisis or diving emergencies.
Improved breathing benefits extend further into real-life situations by boosting immunity, mindful breathing can help in anxiety and stressful situations.
In addition, it helps clear the mind and stabilizes the nervous system.
Lowers blood pressure
Scuba diving combines various factors such as mindful deep breathing, relaxation, exposure to different marine life, and exposure to the sun to help release various health benefits.
The cool water helps relax the body lowering the heart rate and in turn lowering blood pressure.
Many divers experience a sense of calmness just interacting with the marine life which is good for blood flow.
Life is full of many stressful moments that tend to raise our stress levels and eventually increase our blood pressure.
Taking a scuba diving trip at least twice a month can do wonders for your body and mind.
Exposure to sunlight
Vitamin D plays an important role in releasing hormones responsible for happiness. By exposing your body to the sun for a few hours your mood generally improves.
In addition, we get other benefits from sun exposure such as improved bone health. Vitamin D helps in calcium uptake, so by being outside in the sun you can help your body better absorb nutrients from food eaten.
Don’t forget, to put on reef-safe sunscreen each time you go diving.
Social benefits
Scuba diving will link you up with many people from all walks of life.
I’ve met many friends from different parts of the world during a diving trip. This allows you to interact and learn from everyone you met and maybe build lifelong relationships.
You never know when or where you’ll meet your spouse or best friend. Go scuba diving. 🙂
Read More: – Is Scuba Diving Physically Demanding
– Is Scuba Diving Safe for Seniors?
Scuba diving helps increase happy hormones
Technology came with its share of disadvantages such as addiction to social media among others. The brain gets conditioned to dopamine released after hours of scrolling and always craves for more.
In such a scenario it’s very hard to feel happy after other achievements or activities.
If you are currently struggling with this, try a dopamine detox (from social media) by going scuba diving.
By engaging in other activities such as scuba diving, the brain, and body adjust to the new source of dopamine. You eventually feel better after diving and want to keep doing it.
Serotonin also contributes to happiness and is mostly released when engaging in physical activities.
In general, feel-good hormones improve your overall mood and mental health.
Environmental conservation and awareness
Many scuba divers are part of environmental conservation organizations or groups. Scuba divers are guardians of water and marine life.
Exposure to the underwater ecosystem helps you appreciate and care for the oceans more. You also learn from the pioneers and help educate others on the importance of environmental conservation.
Pollution in the oceans and rivers starts right from our backyards, that’s why it’s important to help protect our environments both land and marine.
Build your self-confidence
Being underwater while diving will help you learn how to control your body, mind, and other internal organs.
This can help boost your confidence, awareness, and self-esteem. The ability to stay calm during emergencies can help you remain calm even when faced with problems in real life.
Confidence isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s very silent and calm. The ability to stay calm when someone tries to mock you is a sign of confidence.
In addition, as you achieve more diving goals such as a new certification allowing you to dive deeper, your confidence grows.
Water therapy
You don’t have to be ill or in need of recovery to get the benefits of being underwater.
Many hospitals use water therapy to help their patients regain their neuron sensitivity. For instance, it’s widely used in physiotherapy and in many senior faculties.
Water generally calms the mind and body allowing it to heal itself and release stress.
Enhances mindfulness and sense of responsibility
Divers are required to be aware and mindful of their environment. Scuba diving is all about appreciating what’s around you without disrupting it.
The buddy system ensures divers look out for each other hence improving responsibility.
Responsibility is also manifested in inspecting diving gear and equipment. The little acts involved or done build up and extend to personal life.
Overcoming fear
I know two diver friends who were very scared of being in open water. Before they could only swim in the shallow end of a swimming pool.
After trying out the Discover Scuba Diving classes and going for a dive in open waters, they both love scuba diving so much. One is currently taking a rescue diver course.
This shows that scuba diving can help you overcome fears in life. It may not be the fear of being underwater but by conquering the smallest fear you realize how much potential lies within you.
The brain is also conditioned to face fears and won’t make you feel like giving up. Many times we give up on things, unknowingly training our brains to only pick the easiest way out yet it has the power to take us far up.
Travel all over the world
Yes, once you start scuba diving and love the fling of being underwater as well as the after feeling, you only crave more.
The best diving sites are spread all across the globe, in an attempt to explore more sites you also get to travel to new destinations.
When working with a marine conservation organization or as a professional diver, there are many opportunities to travel to different locations all over the world.
Final Take
Scuba diving has very many benefits for your health, mental wellness, physical health as well as social well-being.
Benefits could be individualized since every diver gets a personal experience and we also have different issues beyond diving.
Generally, skills learned in scuba diving can translate and manifest in your everyday life even without you noticing.
If you ever wanted to explore the underwater world, scuba diving is the perfect solution for you. You will get one-on-one interaction with marine life as well as all the benefits mentioned above and more.
