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The honest truth about scuba diving is that it is one of the most adventurous sports while it is a daring activity. It allows you to explore and do different things, although you will have to ensure safe practices. If you already have a scuba diving certificate, there is no limit to what you cannot achieve because it shows that you are qualified to take on different tasks.
One of the fascinating diving tasks is the backward roll. It is a unique technique used to enter the water with your scuba gear. While most people find this interesting and would love to try it, others ask why scuba divers really dive backward. This article aims to provide you with the answers you seek, if you belong to the latter, and how to try it out against your next dive.
What is the Backward Roll Diving?
Backward diving is the standard diving technique, as it allows you to enter the water with your back instead of your face. It allows you to keep your hands on your gear without having to lose them or your face mask.
Why Do Scuba Divers Do the Backward Roll?
Apart from the fact that scuba divers dive backward for entry into the water, there are other reasons why it is highly recommended for diving. Here is a list of reasons why divers do the backward roll.
Maintains Boat Stability
Keeps Body In Check
Allows a Diver Gain More Control
Read here to see what to do when you lose your scuba buddy underwater.
Maintains Boat Stability
Pre-dive preparation is consequential to facilitate good diving. It is the part where you prepare your gear, get a nice rigid inflatable boat, and every other thing necessary for a good experience underwater. With the gear thoroughly checked, the boat is the next thing you need to be mindful of. If you don’t dive using a backward roll, you may do something that will affect the boat adversely.
Diving requires small boats like the rigid inflatables that hold a diver ready until they are ready to dive. Just at entry into the water, i.e., stepping off, a diver needs to land inside the water with their back to maintain a stable boat. If they don’t, the safety of every other person aboard could be jeopardized.
In essence, backward roll stabilizes a dive boat.
Keeps Body In Check
Diving means you have to utilize every of your body parts to have an awesome experience. However, it makes no sense if you are exhausted at the point of entry into the water due to water impact on your body. That is exactly what happens when you land inside the water with your face – not your back.
The backward roll technique keeps your body in check from the unforgiving nature of water. It gives you a comfortable experience so that when you enter into the water, you are light and ready to start your underwater journey.
Allows a Diver Gain More Control
While the backward roll technique keeps your body in a good state as you enter into the water, it also ensures that you gain more control. If you are scuba diving, that means you are loaded fully with equipment, and that could weigh you out naturally. If you aren’t careful on entry into the water, you may not be able to shield your gear, affecting you and the equipment.
However, if you enter with your back, you have the opportunity to hold your gear safely – for instance, your mask firmly held onto your face, etc. It is, indeed, one of the good reasons why backward roll is better than the forward roll.
How to Dive Backwards: The Beginners’ Guide?
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to dive backward.
Step 1 – Get your gear on. Ensure you check the gear properly to see if the pieces of equipment are in good condition. For instance, the dive computer must be fully functioning; the air tank shouldn’t be leaking.
Step 2 – After checking, and re-checking your gear, ensure to check if the coast or entry area is clear for safe, back landing.
Step 3 – If the coast is clear, keep your right hand over BCD regulator and your left hand over your facemask with your fingertips.
Step 4 – Tuck your chin inward. Make it towards your chest.
Step 5 – Fall into the water with your back.
Step 6 – Take a moment to get bearings and start diving.
What are the Other Alternative Entry Methods for Scuba Diving?
Apart from the backward roll technique, there are other methods of entry into water when diving. They are also and pretty easy for beginner divers to try out. They are the Giant Stride and the Seated Entry methods.
The Giant Stride
It is a recommended way of getting into the water, but certain requirements ensure successful dive. You will need a reliable platform to place on your dive boat – anything you can stand on, with your scuba fins hanging over the edge. On diving, you will enter the water with your feet first before every other part of your body.
With the Giant Stride method, you are also advised to inflate your BCD halfway to enhance buoyancy in water.
The Seated Entry
Another simple method of dive entry you can try out is the Seated Entry. It also has its own requirement, such as a reliable platform or gunwale. Like the name, you will have to sit with your gear, on the platform while your legs dangle in water.
Here, you will have to raise your arms, spin around before entry so that your gear won’t be affected. It is a recommended technique if there is limited entry space.
Conclusion
Keeping yourself informed on every possible thing about diving is consequential. From this article, you now know why scuba divers dive backward instead of forward. If you are planning another dive session, it wouldn’t be so bad to try the technique and see how easy and safe it is.
