Breathe in, breathe out- repeat. Breath control is a powerful tool in the tec diver's arsenal to increase focus and manage emotions. Emotional management can make the diffence bewteen an exciting dive and a disastrous one should something go not quite according to plan.
Part of this management is making reactions second nature; creating muscle memories, creating subconscious responses act before the conscious has time to draw attention to it. This is partly ahieved by running scenarios through the mind and physically acting to them- two examples I have are skydive related (my other diving sport). In the aircraft on the way up- look around. The aircraft is full of skydivers making subtle, yet distinctive hand, body and head movements going through the sequence of the skydive from start to finish. Then they go through emergency drills and contingency scenarios and again making those subtle movements. Note the common thread here is that they are practising in their minds AND WITH THEIR BODIES. How would it be if tec divers divers did the same?
Take some time, pre dive, to visualise the dive (anyone remember that visualisation training used to be included in tec classes?); close your eyes and mentally run through the dive plan and contingency scenarios physically touching items required- go through the drills, gas shut down (touch the valves), regulator switch (touch the regulator), entanglement (touch the knives) etc. This builds muscle memory, subcoscious reactions and emotional management.
Or call me a complete quack!
Paul
Train Right!
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