Scuba diving has an excellent safety record, but accidents do happen. In many cases, these accidents are entirely preventable. Follow these ten practices and reduce your risk of mishaps.
Avoid needing this. © greenacre8
- Listen to briefings. Briefings always include valuable safety and emergency information. Advice will change depending on where you are diving, how you are diving, the conditions, and many other factors, so it’s important that you listen attentively to each briefing. Knowing safe practices will prevent accidents and knowing what to do in an emergency can save valuable time.
- Check your gear. Ensure your gear is properly serviced and maintained and make sure you check zips, straps, connectors, and seals too. A broken fin or mask strap underwater can quickly spiral into a situation that requires rescue or worse.
- Have the right gear. Apart from the basic scuba set up, you do need to make sure you have signaling equipment for use on the surface, devices for attracting attention underwater, and a knife. Most divers use a computer to track their nitrogen load, but at the very least you need an accurate depth gauge and timepiece. Dive using the appropriate exposure protection for the conditions, you do not want to overheat or end up so cold you are shivering. Consider when you need a torch or any other gear specific to the type of dive you are planning to make.
- Pre-dive safety check. Don’t slip into complacency and skip this rudimentary safety procedure. It will pick up the majority of potential problems before you get into the water and it will familiarise you with your buddy’s gear too.
- Follow established protocols. There were fundamentals you were taught when taking your first breaths underwater and they still apply to your dive today. Never hold your breath, don’t dive alone, plan your dive and dive your plan, avoid a sawtooth dive profile, check your pressure gauge regularly, don’t touch, chase, or tease, don’t enter a cave or wreck unless you are certified and have the proper equipment.
- Be fit. You don’t have to be able to run a marathon, but you do need to have the strength and stamina to deal with current, surface chop, and a potential rescue situation all while wearing scuba gear. If you can’t manage, you could quite easily put your buddy at risk if they have to help you.
- Stay hydrated. A significantly contributing factor to decompression illness is dehydration which is all too easy after a long flight to a hot country for a scuba diving holiday in the tropics. Drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol and tea, coffee and soft drinks. How much you should drink varies, but your pee should be straw coloured or a transparent yellow if you are properly hydrated; if its darker drink some more water.
- Weight. Making sure you are neither underweighted nor overweighed not only ensures comfort, but it will not lead to buoyancy issues which could result in other problems. Do a weight check and take the opportunity of a checkout dive too.
- Refresh your skills. If you haven’t dived for a while, do a tune up and run through skills to make sure you remember what to do. Regardless it’s always a good idea make sure you practice emergency procedures regularly so that you can react to an out of air situation and a defective BCD calmly.
- Say No! It’s important to know your limits and prudently sit out a dive if you thinks it’s too advanced for you. Don’t be pressured. Similarly, always remember that you have the choice to end a dive for any reason at any time; remember, up means up, no questions.
If you want to learn more, there is extra training available to help you plan for, manage, or assist in a scuba diving emergency. There are first aid and oxygen provision courses available too. These courses will help you identify stress and recognise problems so that you can prevent emergency situations. Gaining this knowledge will improve your skills and awareness and make you a safer diver.