8 Scuba Diving Rules for a Safe Dive!By Dianne ReinScuba Diving is a fun and popular sport and fits like a glove with sailing and cruising holidays. Great for keeping fit too! But like most sports learn the safety rules and diving will take you to an incredible underwater world! Diving is a fun and popular sport. However, there are some steps every diver should follow to ensure they have a safe dive.
Being comfortable underwater will go a long way towards having a safe dive. Proper training is one key to being comfortable underwater. The beginning of proper training is to get your open water certification. If you go diving in caves, caverns, wrecks, etc., you should also have the proper training for this type of dive. Don't dive beyond your ability.
2. Never dive alone! Always dive with a buddy no matter where you are. This is key. When you do dive with a buddy, keep an eye on him/her to make sure everything is OK (and hopefully they are doing the same). If something happens, that buddy can be the difference between
life and death
. Never violate this rule. Also do a pre-dive equipment check with your buddy.
You don't have to be a triathlete but you should be able to swim and take the stress of diving. A physical exam is a good idea before diving.
Remember to always breathe slowly and in a relaxed manner and to exhale fully. Don't take short, shallow breathes and never hold your breath. Holding your breath underwater can lead to lung injuries and worse, in the extreme case.
As you ascend you are ridding your body of nitrogen in your tissues and bloodstream. If you ascend too quickly, you risk decompression sickness. Always do a safety stop at 15 feet for at least 3 minutes after deeper dives. After your safety stop, do not propel yourself to the surface either. Ascend that last 15 feet very slowly also.
6. Check your equipment! Checking equipment is especially important if you are renting. If you own your regulator and haven't dived in a while, it should also be serviced to make sure it is working properly. Do a check of the regulator hoses also.
7. Relax! Being relaxed and comfortable underwater is key to a successful dive. If something happens, stop, breathe, think and act. Do not panic and rush to the surface. But observing this safety rule could be key to a safe dive.
You will hear this in your training (or you should) and you should follow this advice. Prior to going under, you and your buddy should know the max depth you will go, the amount of bottom time you'll have and how much air you will start to ascend with. Check your air supply often. You should also agree on the hand signals you will use to communicate underwater. This is just the beginning of scuba diving safety rules. However, if you follow the above list you increase your chances of a safe dive. For more essential rules, check Dianne Rein’s website. Have fun! About the Author: Dianne Rein runs a scuba diving website you can find her full article on scuba diving safety. You will also find information on scuba diving certification on her site as well as gear guides, destination reviews and much more.
Scuba diving is just another enjoyable way of keeping fit! What else can you do?
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