I found a very interesting interview with Cave Explorer Larry Green. Although, cave diving is a long way off, I found some advice that is immediately applicable and will be my focus for not only the near future, but ongoing.
At 33 minutes into the podcast, Larry recommend developing complete muscle memory control over these five things:
1. Buoyancy. Having good solid buoyancy control.
2. The ability to maintain good posture or trim in the environment your diving in.
3. Having good propulsion techniques that are adequate for the environment wherever that environment may be.
4. Breathing. Having a good understanding and recognizing how to keep your breathing under control. Your breathing affects the chemistry of your body. If you don’t keep that under control, your chemistry changes without your knowing sometimes.
5. Your emotions. Having a little self-honesty with yourself and not being distracted with emotions such as things going on at work or home or not wanting to be in the dive.
Larry recommends developing muscle memory to the point of not having to concentrate on these things. He suggests to dive very conservatively while developing these skills. And, he adds that it is not until these things are muscle memory and in control do you have the awareness to start pushing your envelope.
That sounds like good advice to me.
Direct download.
Link to Pod Diver Radio. See Episode 138. Episode description: “The journey “Into to Technical Diving? and “Doing What Works? with Cave Explorer Larry Green of the NACD and TDI.”