Text: René Lipmann Photos Theo Knevel | Rene Lipmann

Exciting! Buying your first diving goggles and a regulator, but do you know what you are purchasing? After all, you want to enjoy your diving equipment for a long time. Diving specialist Theo Knevel debunks a number of diving equipment myths.

You have a background as a frogman and commando within the Special Forces. Can you tell us something more about that?

It was no surprise to my parents that as a young man I enlisted in the Marine Corps to pursue an amphibious career. As a child I always loved water. I immediately felt like a fish in water when it came to Defense. Through all kinds of different specializations, such as Frogman and the commando training, you learn a lot about yourself. But special operations under water and also in the air, military freefall parachuting, made me very aware of the essence of good materials and their maintenance. Something that I made my job after my career in the Marines.

To which areas were you deployed, under what circumstances? What kind of diving operations did you perform?

Exactly as the motto of the Marine Corps says, “Like Patet Orbis" As wide as the world goes. The northern flanks of NATO territory have perhaps been the most challenging areas when it comes to training diving operations. Of course there is always a safety aspect to any dive anywhere, but at the Arctic the temperature becomes a simple problem and quickly turns into quite an expedition. For example, I once had a leak in my drysuit during a long underwater infiltration. Cold and wet, I ended up on the shore with a 4-man team where we quickly made a snow hole so that I could warm up a bit. As a frogman, diving changes mainly because you cannot always fall back on outside help. If you operate remotely with small teams somewhere far away, you can only rely on your buddy for a long time. Whatever the circumstances, if you and your buddy use your oxygen diving device on system* then you have been on the road for a while, tired and extra tense. Then you are very aware that you are on your own together. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, you must be able to make the right decision independently and quickly, otherwise it will be, at best, a bad day. In less cold water, completely different equipment can be used, making other procedures and assignments possible. As a result, for example, our team was dropped from the air by parachute or kayak for a diving mission to be picked up in open water by a submarine, which then later deposited our frog team under water, but closer to the target, to complete the rest of the infiltration unseen, by diving. on 100% oxygen. I know you (René Lipmann) have once been in the unique situation of taking a special photo of this during such an 'Exit & re-Entry' exercise. 

*The procedure where you warm up your rebreather on shore and flush the CO2 out of your diving system before going underwater.

During your time at the Marine Corps became your diving instructor and advanced freediving instructor. What do you want to convey to new divers?

As a young Marine I was deployed to Cambodia. There in Asia I actually fell in love with diving during a holiday in the Andaman Sea. I had never seen anything like it. I couldn't have been happier when I was subsequently sent to 'the West'. After my deployment in Cambodia, I had a relaxed job on Curaçao and almost all my free time was spent on recreational diving. That's where I started teaching. Then, as now, I wanted to share the underwater world and show it to everyone. That is also what I wanted to convey with diving, nature under water. Learning to dive was then only a necessary evil. It was about that sea and everything that lives in it. After the turn of the century I resigned from the Defense Department and for the past 20 years I lived on Bonaire and still dived there every day, mainly in and around the Caribbean. I don't think I had the patience of a saint that you often see in instructors from the start. I remember that I always wanted to enjoy diving myself. Freediving is a completely different story. I like to teach someone that and with a lot of patience. It's actually quite strange that there is such a difference. I have seen and experienced a lot in recreational diving and some of those things I would rather not have experienced or seen. I like to use the opportunity of teaching, but also this interview, to make people aware of the risks that can arise from inattention and/or routine. What can go wrong, will go wrong. Always be aware of that.

A dive with a tank on you or into the depths on one breath? What do you prefer to practice? 

Nice question. If I have tank(s) with me, it is about the time I spend with everything that lives in the sea. I then enjoy the fish, plants or coral. On the other hand, if I hold my breath underwater, it's really only about me. Not infrequently I even close my eyes and become completely introverted. Immediately after I start freediving, I completely relax because I fully focus on my technique and pay no attention to the surroundings of the dive. Good technique allows you to stay under water longer and you can indeed reach deeper. This largely depends on how well you can relax while holding your breath underwater. You understand that I enjoy doing both activities for different reasons. If I have to choose, the deciding factor is that freediving is a challenge that really relaxes me. With a young family and my busy life, I need this regularly. 

You love the Caribbean part of the Netherlands. What is your favorite diving site, why?

Wreck diving and large animals continue to fascinate me. It's nice that people rarely think about Aruba. I have the book 'Aruba Ariba' written about that island, which made me delve deeper into the A of the ABC islands. Diving there sometimes seems like a bit of a hidden secret. Especially divers with mixed interests should not forget Aruba. I am now very spoiled in terms of dive sites in the world, but you can still wake me up for dive sites such as: The east coast on Bonaire, Westpunt or Cas Abao beach and the Superior Producer on Curaçao. Also the Windjammer and Hilma Hooker on Bonaire for both scuba and free diving. Although the wrecks I mention are quite advanced for freediving. Never start without a local guide who knows the circumstances and can organize perfect logistics.

You have two children, do they also dive?

They were both born and raised in the water and have always been around diving on Bonaire. But they had to work more for that diving license than many. For example, for our son, I had had the Junior open water certificate in the glove compartment of the pick-up for some time. After what should have been his last dive, it just didn't feel right. Also because I had the feeling that he wanted to prove himself to his father. That has delayed certification. We had all the time and you have to use it. When we went fun diving more often, that feeling went away for me and in the end he deserved it. Beautiful as a young child is surprised and enchanted by just breathing underwater. They are now both certified in Scuba and freediving and love the sport. I am grateful and think it is very special that I was able to learn to dive both. Wonderful memories.

You work for a well-known Italian diving brand, you wanted to improve the diving industry from within. Is the diving industry on the right track? 

On the material side it is absolute. We continuously invest in new technology that offers great new possibilities. It is wonderful to see how we have become increasingly more sustainable over the years. What needs to be improved is the accessibility of the diving industry for rejuvenation. People seem to want this everywhere, but when push comes to shove, the older generation does not always listen carefully to the wishes and needs of the new generation. For example, when I hear how people sometimes criticize the new Apple watch for its inadequate dive computer function, then in my opinion you are missing the point. We need the embrace of the sport by such companies to influence young prospect divers. Ask all those smartwatch owners to take the plunge, after all, they already own a dive computer. The fact that this is not sufficient for more interesting adventures, which are not yet applicable, is not an obstacle. I am happy with any initiative that embraces diving.

You know a lot about diving equipment. What are the pitfalls when purchasing diving equipment? 

A pitfall for less experienced divers in particular is purchasing equipment via the internet. It's great that consumers have become much more price conscious thanks to the internet. As a result, many products, but also providers, are logically compared on the basis of prices. This is usually fine with a pack of detergent or a laptop. But with most diving equipment, important matters such as personal purchasing advice and fit are at stake. The size charts and reviews online are simply not always objective. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the internet and buy a lot online myself. But if a product is disappointing and does not provide a good experience, the disappointment often starts because the purchasing process should often be 'hands-on' and with a cup of coffee. 

I am mainly a holiday diver, wouldn't it be better to rent locally?

I don't have a clear answer to that. At many diving hotels, rental equipment is seen as a cost item. There the money is earned by renting out the hotel room. Then the quality or condition of the rental equipment may not be what you want. I would take a closer look at 'all-inclusive' locations in particular. A stand-alone diving school has rental as part of their 'core business'. There you are usually fine with a choice of sizes and maintenance of rental equipment. Furthermore, it depends on your budget. If you can spare the money, I would always advise you to have fine items adjusted in a store. Because you are assured of a good fit and experience. Then I conveniently forget that you know exactly what happened to your own things. 

And just check in an extra bag together when you fly. Those 5 euros are not too bad on the total budget of your holiday and it gives you a lot of peace of mind and a better atmosphere when packing and unpacking.

You will give a lecture at Duikvaker Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 PM on stage 2, and you want to debunk a number of myths about diving equipment. Can you give us a glimpse of the veil? 

Many products are invented and produced to make the diving experience easier. From ankle weights to super snorkels that promise the best snorkeling experience. While by spending more time in the water, many of those products are not necessary at all. Sometimes it really is better for that good experience to put that money into gaining experience than into stuff to compensate for that experience.