10 Dive-Related Things to do Over Winter

• Go Diving! A dive vacation to an exotic destination is always nice, but if that's not in the cards, you can dive many inland lakes and quarries almost year round. Many dive stores also offer the opportunity to pool dive over the winter to help keep your skills sharp.
• Take a Course There are many dive-related classes you can take over winter that don't require open water dives. Nitrox Diver, Gas Blender, CPR, First Aid, and Oxygen Provider are just a few.
• Service Your Dive Gear Many divers pack their equipment off to a corner at the end of the season. When spring comes, they join the rush to get their regulators and other equipment serviced. Avoid the crowd and take those tanks and regulators in now. You'll avoid the spring rush, potential first-of-the-year price increases and you'll be ready to hit the water next spring.
• Start Planning for Next Season If there's a class or trip you want to participate in next year, sign up now. Popular charter boats and instructors book up quickly, so don't wait until next summer to start planning.
• Turn a Friend On On to diving that is. If you have a friend who has expressed interest in diving, take the time to accompany them to your LDS, introduce them to the staff and help them enroll in a "try scuba experience."
• Go to a Dive Show The next best thing to diving is hanging around with other divers and talking about diving. There are dive shows all over the world. You can go to the big ones like Beneath the Sea, Our World Underwater or Scuba Show, but there are tons of regional dive shows closer to home too.
• Get Fit Physical fitness not only benefits you as a diver, but also in general, as a human being. Make it a goal to start next dive season in better physical condition than last year.
• Edit Video/Sort Photos If you shoot video or stills, you probably have a ton of unedited work laying around from the dive season. Now's the time to edit that video or put those photos together into slide shows. Otherwise, all that work will end up in a box in the closet when the season begins in spring.
• Read Books/Watch Videos Pick up some books or videos about diving, your favorite dive destination, your favorite shipwreck, or whatever.
• And finally number 10 Check in on your favorite blog and diving websites (www.GreatLakesTechDiving.com) from time to time. I'll be adding trips and classes over the winter. Contact me if there's anything specific you'd like me to offer in 2011.