Couples who dive together stay together, 6 reasons why.

There are times in a relationship when things can get a bit rocky and there is a need to take affirmative action to rekindle the flame and make things work again. Many people turn to couple therapy, mediation, meditation, sex therapists or life coaches to help with this. But what if scuba diving could also help rebuild and reinforce a relationship? Here are 6 reasons why 'couples who dive together stay together'.

Couples who dive together stay together

Diving is good for … (Re)building trust

Your dive buddy is someone you rely on to assist you in a difficult situation and whom you trust, to an extent, with your life. When trust is an issue in the relationship, diving together can bring back that good feeling of relying on each other and being there for each other in a tight spot.

Diving is good for. . .Communicating well and without words

Good relationships are based on good communication.

When you want to discuss something in diving you rely on non-verbal signals and cues, you also tend to learn to 'read' your buddy's facial expressions and body movements to understand their state of mind or what they want to express to you. All this means communicating more and paying more attention to the other's reactions and feelings. The dive planning stage also necessitates exchanging a lot of information and preparing as a buddy pair, always a good team-building exercise, useful for collaborating underwater, but also at home.

Diving is good for . . .Working through problems together

Many relationships fail because a problem arises and the couple cannot work through it, they get stressed and work against each other rather than with each other. Diving is a great way to learn to collaborate when dealing with unexpected issues that may arise. As a buddy team you will most probably, over time, have to deal with all sorts of issues: gear failures, unexpected or changing sea conditions, reckless guides, unsafe dive group members and many more. Though this is not the same as a year of sleepless nights after having a baby or dealing with sickness or mourning, it helps give the couple the tools to see themselves as a strong unit facing the world united, dealing with whatever life throws at them together.

Rekindle the flame with vitamin Sea

Diving is good for . . .Sharing a common activity or passion

After being together for years, it's easy to start living separate lives, each person engrossed in different sports and pastimes, perhaps even distinct social groups. Diving together means spending quality time doing what you love away from all the noise and fury of everyday life. It may be a secret garden that only you two share or it might be an occasion for socializing together with other diver friends. Either way, it means good times spent together doing something healthy and fun.

Diving is good for . . . Reducing the stress factor

Stress is a big factor in arguments. You are often not really angry with your loved one, you just need to let off steam and they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Diving is a very therapeutic and stress-relieving activity. Regular diving excursions or holidays will go a long way towards helping to reduce anxiety and tension and eliminate those ' taking-it-out-on-the-ones-closest-to-you' fights.

Diving is good for . . . Alone time without the kids

Having kids is amazing for a couple but can also be exhausting and can mean all of the energy in a relationship becomes focused on the kids. It's important to make time for 'adult bonding time'. Going diving together is a great way to create a space to reconnect away from offspring, instead of, or on top of, 'date night'. You might also find that, as the kids get older, it's an activity that is good for bonding for the whole family but that is a story for another blog post.

Final thoughts

If you are going through a rough patch, want to rekindle the flame or just want some quality time with your loved one, look no further than scuba diving! And if you go diving with manta rays apparently it works even better! ;)