One of the best things we ever did together was learn how to scuba dive, we did all of our scuba diver training together and some of our most memorable trips have involved scuba diving as a couple. We have been scuba diving together since 2009 and together we got engaged while scuba diving and we also both almost died while scuba diving! (True story) but our relationship has been shaped by these events and the incredible experiences we have had whilst diving and we wouldn’t change it for anything. Read on to find out the 12 reasons why being a scuba diving couple is great for a relationship.
Builds Trust
Being a scuba diver requires skills and knowledge and a big part of scuba diving is trusting your instincts and those of your dive buddy. Couples that scuba dive already have a foundation of trust as they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their fears, skillset and needs. Learning to scuba dive as a couple builds on that trust and establishes a deeper level of trust within a relationship because you know if something goes wrong whilst on a dive your significant other is there for you 100% and they will have your back. Whether that is to provide you with their octopus if you run out of air, assist with your ascent if you are struggling with buoyancy control or equalisation, or to provide a tired diver tow if you have cramps or are just exhausted.
You Get to Travel Together
Scuba diving as a couple means opening up your travel bucket list to a whole new range of exciting destinations. Travel and diving go hand in hand and who better to experience these wonderful exotic locations with than your partner in crime. Travelling as a scuba diver is a unique experience as there are certain things to consider including how much scuba gear to pack and what other things to sacrifice, location of your accommodation in relation to the dive centre and the amount of time scuba diving actually takes.
Create Epic Shared Experiences
We will never forget the time we ended up with an inexperienced dive master who took us down past 60m on normal air and I got narcosis. Not all shared experiences are bad however, we also remember the elation we felt seeing wild dolphins while diving in Kenya or the thrill of shark diving in St Kitts and being surrounded by turtles while diving in Tenerife. All of these memories the good, and the bad, will last for a lifetime.
Taking Care of Each Other
As I mentioned above there was a certain dive where I got narcosis really bad, it was a combination of being incredibly deep on normal air with an inexperienced instructor, seeing my own bubbles as I was breathing out and the luminescent plankton floating all around us in the deep blue that made me panic big time! Yes we could have died at 60m but going back to point one we had complete trust in each other and luckily Lewis managed to take control of the situation and we both ascended safely to 25m until I felt less disorientated.
Taking care of each other is something couple automatically do anyway and when scuba diving as a couple it could also be the little things. Like how I make sure Lewis has his mask on and not his glasses before he jumps off the boat, and how I always make sure we have a bottle of water to rinse the salt water out of our mouths when we finish a dive.
Built in Scuba Diving Buddy
Having a reliable scuba diving buddy is the best feeling but having a reliable buddy who is also your partner is even better. They always know what you mean when you do certain hand signals, and they understand that you get hangry if you don’t have snacks between dives. Your all-in-one buddy/life partner will get to know your dive gear as if it was their own, meaning that your buddy checks are fast and efficient and they will know if you’ve forgotten an essential piece of dive gear because they use the same dive gear checklist as you.
Improves Communication Skills
Communication when scuba diving is one of the most important skills you will learn in the form of hand signals. Underwater communication requires you to be vigilant and attentive to what your partner is doing at all times so that you can both communicate any concerns or problems that arise quickly and efficiently. It is also important to develop a language that you both understand when diving and as a couple this can go way beyond the basic hand signals. You will also get to learn what they are thinking and feeling by watching body language, facial expressions, and excited made-up hand signals and you will develop a deeper understanding of each other. This can then be carried over into other areas of a relationship, using secret hand signals so that your in-laws don’t know what you are discussing can be a great advantage when you are a scuba diving couple.
Improves Teamwork
Scuba diving in general inspires teamwork and being a scuba diving couple means you get to share in all the ‘scuba chores’ associated with diving. Everything from planning a scuba trip to choosing a dive centre, packing and carrying scuba gear, getting kitted up on the boat and even rinsing and washing your gear post-dive is much easier to do as a team. The teamwork doesn’t stop with scuba chores though, you can also help out each other out when underwater. Like if you end up accidentally snagged on a wreck or caught on an anchor line or if you find a turtle with a fishing hook stuck or if you want to do an ocean clean up. Teamwork makes the scuba dream work.
Proves You’re Able to Commit
Scuba diving is not something that can be done on a whim, just learning to scuba dive takes days of intense training and can cost a small fortune. Not to mention the ongoing expenses with buying and maintaining scuba gear and the costs for the dives themselves. It’s definitely a labour of love. Learning to scuba dive together and becoming a scuba diving couple proves your commitment to each other and shows your partner how much you value spending time with them and being part of their life.
You Have a Shared Hobby
Watching your partner grow and develop the skills needed for scuba diving and then going on the see the awe on their face as the dive into the unknown for the first time is exhilarating. Scuba diving is a fantastic adventure and being able to tick off bucket list experiences with your partner is amazing. Sharing a passion for diving is means having someone to reminisce with about your underwater encounters for years to come. It also means sharing some incredible once in a lifetime moments with your favourite person and that is not something you can take for granted.
Making Mutual Friends
The community of scuba divers is close knit, generally you get a few different types of scuba diver and diving as a couple means you can form friendships with likeminded people or couples and being a scuba diving couple already means having something in common. Once you have these friendships together then you can plan amazing scuba diving trips with friends and you will be able to take scuba diving couples pictures more easily and reciprocate for your other scuba couple friends.
Unique Bonding Time
Couples that dive together will get plenty of quality time together and not just in the water. You will get to bond over your buddy and equipment checks, you can sit together on the boat, during the dive brief and afterwards when you are comparing notes of the great things you saw on your dive. There is also the time you will spend dreaming of scuba destinations, planning your diving trips together and shopping for the perfect scuba gear.
#couplegoals
As a scuba diving couple you can take awesome couples diving photos and post on the Instagram as #couplegoals. You also get bragging rights with all of your non-scuba diver friends about how you spent the whole weekend doing your mutual hobby, spending quality time making memories together and looking out for each other.
Have we inspired any couple to get scuba certified? Let us know in the comments if you are a scuba diving couple too!
Whenever you plan to go scuba diving we recommend having travel insurance that covers you for any accidents or injuries. Check out World Nomads for comprehensive scuba diving insurance.
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