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Scuba diving requires a healthy heart, but for those drawn by the Indian Ocean and the song of the hump-back whale, it continues to grow as the most sublime of the adventure sports, spawning a rising number of diving schools and centres along the Kenyan coast.

For Steve Curtis, owner of PADI and BSAC Dive Resort Aqua Ventures, on the renowned Watamu Beach, the whale song, as the hump backs migrate north up the East African coastline, is a bonus to an anyway irresistable sport. The song of the world's fourth largest animal is widely cited as being one of the most moving sounds on the planet, recorded here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo2bVbDtiX8

Experiencing it – and the other myriad marine life - is best done in the ocean itself, under the sea, which has made scuba diving a water sport is enjoyed by thousands of people worldwide, from age 8 to 80+, with the world's oldest scuba diver aged 94.

Kenya, with its striking coastline and well developed tourism industry offers many dive resorts and instructors. The Aqua Ventures team – which includes Steve’s wife, Helen - has been in Watamu since 1989 and has long been a favourite with Kenyan residents as an experience that many divers would say is second to none along the Kenyan coast.

Several thriving coral reefs stretch along the length of Watamu; and the location also holds the Mida Wreck, an old shrimping trawler which sank in 1988; and the Vuma caves off the Kilifi shore, as well as being  set within the National Marine Park or Reserve with its vibrant, diverse underwater life.

The diving itself, however, is about more than observation and experience. It comes with an extraordinary fitness bonus, where the body must strive to limit exertion. That floating effortlessly in the water, expending as little energy as possible, could be a fitness add that is paradoxical. But such control takes both effort and practice. In fact, an hour’s dive can use as many calories as an hour’s high-impact aerobics; and in their course materials scuba instructors repeatedly point towards fitness as a key requisite for the sport, which holds more risk than many land-based activities, and exerts stress on one’s body at depth.

General good health, or, as Steve puts it, being “swimming fit” is a must. According to statistics, the average scuba diver is a male in his mid 40s to early 50s, who is slightly overweight. This is not the common image of the young, sleek, suntanned scuba-dude, with dive tank effortlessly slung over his / her shoulder, which we see in the ads.

But while size, weight and age are not over-riding issues, diving is safer if you have a strong heart, healthy lungs and a circulatory system in good working order. A new study, in which the common causes of recreational diving deaths were examined, shows that over half of the 947 fatalities which occurred between 1992 and 2003 were caused by a cardiac incident or Arterial Gas Embolism; the majority of which could have been prevented by healthy living on land.

Nonetheless, scuba diving is an incredibly safe sport when done properly, with a fatal accident rate of approximately 1 death per 200,000 dives.  This would mean diving 12 times a day, every day, from the age of 18 years to 65 years to be considered in the risk zone, as a healthy individual.

It is also an execllent sport for youngsters: Aqua Ventures will begin teaching divers in the pool at 8 years old and, although many do the course purely on impulse while on holiday, most go on to become avid divers, hooked on underwater adrenaline throughout their lives.

At the other end of the age-scale, Steve Curtis stresses that there are no upper age limits on diving, however the number of underwater deaths of those aged 50 and above is slightly higher than average, so instructors recommend increased cardiovascular and strength training for the older diver. This serves double duty by improving the quality and extent of divers’ lives while preparing them for the sport they enjoy.

Another factor to consider is the equipment, including heavy dive tanks and weight belts.  Given that a significant percentage of adults suffer from chronic lower back pain, it’s likely that many ‘typical’ middle-aged divers may incur back injuries from equipment if core strength is absent.

Ultimately, being ‘dive fit’ not only keeps you safe, but can also make diving more enjoyable, especially in strong currents. Unfit divers who breathe heavily can empty an air tank in a fraction of the time it takes a fit one – leading to a shorter dive time; some of it probably spent struggling.

Yoga, and other activities which teach relaxing breathing techniques and stress reduction out of the water, can all improve a scuba diver’s air consumption and make for a more relaxed, easy dive.  Says Helen Curtis, "they reckon women often reach 'Alpha state' - the state of relaxation and peaceful awakefulness generally associated with meditation - during a dive, because of their slow, deep breathing, and of course the underwater beauty. Hence women often have better air consumption than men!" Aerobic exercise, which works the heart and lungs, will also build strength in this area.

Regular diving will itself increase fitness, as well as the ability to breathe efficiently and conserve energy.

For details of diving from Aqua Ventures:

http://www.diveinkenya.com. 
Tel:  +254 42 32420, +254 42 32420
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