New Year’s Diving Resolutions: Refocusing on What Really Matters Underwater
A new year always brings a quiet sense of reset — and for divers, it’s often a moment to think about why we dive, not just where we’re going next.
One of the things that really kept me going through a challenging 2025 was the thought of diving again - in 2026 I aim to make that a reality again
For me, 2026 feels less about chasing milestones and more about returning. Returning to the water after time away. Returning to the feeling of calm that only comes once you descend. Returning to the simple joy of breathing underwater and being present in a world that moves at a very different pace.
After illness and time spent focusing on recovery, getting back in the water feels deeply personal. Every dive now feels like a privilege rather than a routine, a reminder not to rush, not to take any moment for granted. This year isn’t about “getting back to where I was” — it’s about starting again with a new perspective.
My diving resolutions for the year ahead aren’t about ticking off the most destinations, chasing rare sightings, or buying the latest piece of gear. They’re about intention. About slowing down underwater. About learning, improving, and reconnecting with the reasons I fell in love with diving in the first place.
If there’s one theme that runs through all of these resolutions, it’s this:
every dive is worth celebrating — whether it’s a shallow local reef, a long-awaited trip, or simply the joy of being back in the water at all.
Here are my seven diving resolutions for the year ahead — shared honestly, in case they resonate with your own journey beneath the surface.
These resolutions aren’t listed in any particular order, and they’re not meant as rules or targets to be measured against anyone else. They’re simply reflections — prompts to pause, think, and maybe reassess what diving means to us at this point in our lives. If even one of them sparks an idea, a shift in mindset, or a renewed sense of appreciation underwater, then they’ve done their job.
1️⃣ Get Back in the Water After Illness
One of my biggest personal milestones this year is simply getting back underwater after time away due to illness. It’s been a long road to reach this point — one that involved patience, uncertainty, and a lot of quiet work behind the scenes to rebuild strength and fitness to a level where diving is possible again.
Part of that journey included undergoing a fitness-to-dive medical with a certified undersea doctor. Getting that clearance wasn’t just a box to tick; it felt like a genuine milestone. A confirmation that, with care and awareness, I can return to the water safely. That piece of paper carries a lot of emotional weight — it represents progress, resilience, and permission to begin again.
That said, returning to diving isn’t just a physical process. Confidence takes longer to rebuild than fitness. Even though the desire to dive is strong, there’s an understandable hesitation that comes with time away — especially when your body has let you down before. This year, I’m giving myself permission to start slowly: easy dives, comfortable conditions, conservative profiles, and plenty of space to regain trust in both my body and my skills.
There’s no rush to deeper, longer, or more challenging dives. Those will come when — and if — they’re meant to. For now, the goal is simply to be underwater again, to remember how it feels to breathe slowly, to hover, to observe. To treat every dive as a celebration, not a test.
Getting back in the water isn’t about proving anything. It’s about reconnecting with something that has always brought calm, focus, and perspective — and allowing that relationship to rebuild naturally, one dive at a time.
2️⃣ Level Up My Macro Photography
I aim to really work on leveling up my macro photography in 2026
Macro photography has always fascinated me, but this year I want to take it further — not just sharper images, but more intentional ones. Rather than chasing rare subjects or ticking off species, I want to slow down and focus on how I shoot, not just what I shoot.
There’s something about macro diving that fits perfectly with my goal of returning to diving gradually. Many of the best macro encounters happen in shallower water, with little to no current, where time can stretch and pressure feels lower — both physically and mentally. It allows me to rebuild confidence underwater while staying present and relaxed.
Leveling up my macro photography means:
Spending more time with a single subject
Observing behavior instead of rushing for a shot
Refining lighting and composition
Learning to anticipate moments rather than chase them
Macro rewards patience, calm buoyancy, and attention to detail — qualities I want to strengthen this year, both as a diver and as a photographer. I’d like my images to move beyond simple documentation and lean more into storytelling, capturing small moments that reveal personality, behavior, and context.
In many ways, this resolution isn’t just about photography. It’s about learning to slow down again underwater, trusting the process, and letting progress happen naturally — one careful, considered dive at a time.
3️⃣ Dive Somewhere Completely New
Even after years of diving, there’s still something deeply exciting about entering a place I’ve never dived before. New environments challenge familiar habits, sharpen awareness, and gently remind you that no matter how experienced you are, the ocean always has more to teach.
This year, one of my goals is to explore at least one destination that’s entirely new to me — not to chase extremes or remoteness, but to experience that feeling of curiosity and attentiveness that comes with unfamiliar water. Being somewhere new naturally slows you down. You listen more closely to briefings, pay more attention to conditions, and stay present in a way that’s easy to forget when diving places you know well.
In keeping with my intention to ease back into diving thoughtfully, this doesn’t have to mean a far-flung or demanding location. What matters more is the mindset: approaching a dive without expectations, without comparisons, and without pressure — just open water, a fresh environment, and the simple joy of discovery.
Sometimes, diving somewhere new isn’t about ticking off a destination. It’s about reminding yourself what it feels like to be a beginner again — curious, attentive, and fully immersed in the moment.
4️⃣ Invest in Skills, Not Gear
It’s easy to believe that better diving comes from better equipment — a new camera upgrade, a different fin, the latest accessory. But time away from the water has reminded me that confidence and competence come from skills, not shopping lists.
This resolution isn’t about signing up for endless courses or chasing certifications. It’s about relearning and reinforcing the fundamentals until they feel second nature again. After time out of the water, even familiar skills can feel unfamiliar — and rebuilding that muscle memory is essential for both safety and peace of mind.
Buoyancy and trim are obvious priorities, but they’re not the only ones. Situational awareness, calm problem-solving, breath control, and understanding how conditions affect a dive all matter just as much. One skill I’m placing particular focus on this year is deploying a DSMB. It’s a simple task on paper, yet one that requires calm, control, and practice — especially when you’re task-loaded or diving in current. Being able to deploy it smoothly and confidently is a small thing that makes a big difference to safety.
By focusing on skills, I’m giving myself permission to slow down, practice deliberately, and rebuild confidence properly. When skills become instinctive again, diving becomes calmer, safer, and far more enjoyable.
The best investment I can make this year isn’t in new gear — it’s in knowing that when something needs to be done underwater, I can do it smoothly, confidently, and without hesitation.
I really want to learn more about the marine life I see underwater in 2026
5️⃣ Learn More About the Marine Life I See
Seeing marine life underwater is one of the great joys of diving — but understanding it transforms the experience entirely. This year, I want to go beyond identification and spend more time learning why animals behave the way they do, how they interact with their environment, and what pressures they face.
That means looking more closely at life cycles, habitats, feeding behaviors, mating rituals, and symbiotic relationships — the small details that often go unnoticed when we’re focused solely on sightings. Understanding these patterns adds depth to every dive, turning fleeting encounters into moments of connection and respect.
Part of this resolution will be explored through writing and research, with a focus on creating marine life articles that dig deeper than surface-level facts. By learning more about the creatures we encounter — from sharks and turtles to macro critters — I hope to better understand what they need to survive and how divers can reduce their impact.
Knowledge fosters empathy. And empathy is often the first step toward protection. When we understand marine life not just as subjects to photograph or tick off a list, but as complex animals shaped by fragile ecosystems, it changes how we dive — and how we advocate for the ocean.
6️⃣ Be More Conservation-Aware
Conservation doesn’t always require grand gestures or dramatic lifestyle changes. More often, it begins with awareness— of how we live, how we travel, how we dive, and the choices we make every day, even when we’re far from the ocean.
This year, I’m committing to being more mindful of my overall footprint, not just as a diver, but as someone who benefits deeply from healthy oceans. Small habits matter. Reusing coffee cups and water bottles, reducing single-use plastics, being conscious of waste, and thinking twice about convenience-driven consumption all add up. These choices may feel disconnected from the sea, but they’re not — much of what ends up in our oceans starts on land.
Underwater, conservation awareness means diving with intention and restraint. That includes maintaining good buoyancy, avoiding contact with the reef, never touching or repositioning marine life, and being aware of how my presence affects the animals I’m there to observe. It also means choosing dive operators who prioritize environmental responsibility, follow local regulations, and respect marine protected areas rather than exploiting them.
It’s also about the information we consume and share. This year, I want to continue learning about the pressures facing our oceans — overfishing, habitat loss, climate change — and to share accurate, balanced information that encourages understanding rather than fear or blame. Advocacy doesn’t have to be loud; it can be steady, informed, and honest.
I plan to refine my DSMB deployment technique this year
Being more conservation aware isn’t about perfection. It’s about doing better where we can, staying curious, and recognizing that every diver has a role to play in protecting the environments that give us so much.
7️⃣ Advocate More for the Ocean
Returning to the water this year feels like being given a second chance — not just to dive again, but to be more intentional about how I show up as a diver. After time away, it’s impossible not to see things a little differently. Getting back underwater isn’t something I’m taking for granted, and that perspective brings a stronger sense of responsibility with it.
Advocacy doesn’t have to mean shouting the loudest or positioning yourself as an expert. For me, it’s about using whatever platform or voice I have to share accurate information, thoughtful experiences, and a deeper appreciation for the ocean. It’s about telling better stories — ones that replace fear with understanding, and indifference with curiosity.
This year, I want to speak up more when it matters:
Sharing why sharks deserve protection, not fear
Highlighting responsible diving and photography practices
Supporting conservation-focused operators and initiatives
Encouraging others to slow down, look closer, and care more
Advocacy also means leading by example. Diving responsibly. Respecting marine life boundaries. Choosing operators who put the ocean first. Showing that it’s possible to enjoy extraordinary underwater experiences without exploiting them.
Not every act of advocacy is public or loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet correction, a shared article, or a thoughtful conversation that shifts how someone sees the ocean. Those small moments can ripple outward in ways we don’t always see.
Coming back to diving after illness has reinforced how precious time underwater really is. If this year represents a fresh start, then I want to use it well — not just to dive again, but to give something back to the ocean that has given me so much.
Final Thoughts: A Fresh Start Beneath the Surface
Setting diving resolutions isn’t about perfection, productivity, or pressure. For me, it’s about intention — choosing how I want to return to the water, how I want to grow as a diver, and how I want to show up for the ocean going forward.
This year feels different. Coming back after time away has reframed what diving means to me. Every future dive feels less like something to rush toward and more like something to celebrate — a reminder of health regained, confidence rebuilding, and the privilege of being underwater at all.
These seven resolutions aren’t a checklist or a rulebook. They’re simply reflections — shaped by pause, perspective, and the understanding that diving is not just about destinations or depth, but about connection: to the ocean, to ourselves, and to the responsibility that comes with entering these environments.
If there’s one thing I hope this list encourages, it’s this:
👉 to slow down
👉 to dive with purpose
👉 and to remember why we fell in love with diving in the first place
Your Turn
As the year unfolds, I’d love to hear your own diving resolutions — big or small, personal or practical.
Are you returning to diving after time away?
Hoping to build confidence, learn new skills, or explore somewhere new?
Wanting to dive more consciously, photograph more thoughtfully, or give back to the ocean in your own way?
Share them in the comments, write them down for yourself, or talk about them with your dive buddies. Sometimes, simply naming an intention is the first step toward making it real.
Here’s to a year of meaningful dives, fresh starts, and underwater moments that remind us just how lucky we are to be part of this world beneath the surface 🌊🤿