Safe Scuba Diving Tips

The simple tips for safe scuba diving that you must have in your minds are;

• Protect the Environment

• Do not touch wildlife. Avoiding wildlife is safer for you and better for the wildlife. Some marine animals have a protective coating that is rubbed off when touched, exposing them to parasites and infection. Touching or "playing" with them also stresses the animal.

• Coral are marine animals. Take care when snorkeling or scuba diving and avoid touching, grabbing, or accidentally grazing the coral with your fins. The portion of the coral that is touched will die.

• Do not take marine animals out of the ocean for any reason. This also stresses the animal.

• When taking pictures underwater, do not touch the animals. Do not lean or hold onto coral or other underwater structures while trying to "get a good picture." Remember, touching coral in any way damages it, and the portion damaged will die.

• Secure "dangling gear" that may damage the reef. Secure the secondary air source, computer console, flashlights, or any other gear that may come into contact with coral and other marine life.

• If you witness someone abusing a marine animal, contact the authorities if the information is available. There are many reefs that are under marine law protection (for example, the island of Bonaire) and have organizations to protect the animals.

• You are in their environment and world. Respect marine life as a living being and take only pictures, and leave only bubbles.

• Make sure that you plan all your dives before you get into the water.

• Make sure that your deepest dive of the day is also your first dive of the day.

• The deepest part of each dive that you plan should be reached at the beginning of your dive.

• Try to avoid exerting yourself during your dive. You should also avoid physical activity for half an hour after your dive has finished.

• Check your dive computer and/or gauges often throughout your dive.

• If you are diving in cold water or after strenuous activity, make sure that you begin your ascent before you reach your no-decompression limit.

• Always act in compliance with the ascent rate that is indicated by your dive computer.

• Always carry out a 3-minute safety stop between 20 feet (6 meters) and 10 feet (3 meters).

• Try to avoid decompression stop dives and be absolutely certain not to dive deeper than 130 feet (40 meters) unless you are a specially trained deep diver.

• When you are doing a decompression dive, prolong the decompression stop nearest to the surface.

• After all of your decompression stop, ascend to the surface very slowly.

• Always make sure that you are not “yo-yo” diving (repetitively ascending and descending under the water).

• Do not carry out any dive until the desaturation time, as dictated by your previous dive, has passed.

• Avoid repeatedly diving to a single depth deeper than 60 feet (18 meters). N.B. Repeated diving to the same depth is known as ’square diving’.

• Be sure to separate any repetitive dives by at least a 2 hour surface interval.

• If you are planning repetitive dives for a number of consecutive days, be sure to take at least one day off from diving each week. The recommended number of consecutive time diving should not exceed 3 days i.e. take 1 day off every 3 days.

• Be certain that you do not go mountain climbing or take a plane flight for at least 12 hours (preferably 24 hours) after a dive.

• Finally, never try to exceed the limits of your experience and skill.

Leave Safe Scuba Diving Tips and return to Safety Page!