How To Scuba Dive (Safely) Like A Pro

You’ve booked the tickets. You’ve researched the sites. And now, you’re dreaming of diving under the sea with bubbly corals and electric-hued fish. But, scuba diving, for all its allure and excitement, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. 

So, how do you know whether you’ll take to it like a duck to water or experience crushing panic? Let’s dive in to find out:

Step 1:

Talk to the experts. Find a reputable diving school to learn more about the rigorous training program to become a certified diver. This isn’t like canoeing-- you can’t just jump in the boat and figure it out.

But what does being certified mean? And why bother? Because you’ll be knowledgeable (a bonus for dinner parties), fully safety-aware and cool-headed in a crisis.

Step 2:

Ask yourself the right questions (and answer them honestly):

1. Are you a strong, confident swimmer?
2. Are you comfortable in the water?
3. Are you in the best of health? Or do you smoke, have respiratory issues or heart problems? 

Fitness matters. Running, walking, avoiding alcohol/cigarettes and getting enough sleep are essentials for diving safely.

1. Do you have either high or low blood pressure?
2. Do you have sinus trouble, or ear, nose and throat problems?
3. Are you nervous around sea creatures?
4. Do you have the necessary vaccinations you need for the country you’re visiting? Click here to find out which ones you need.

Not sure if your skills are good enough?

A Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) or National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) dive certification course will teach you a wide range of essential skills. Plus, you’ll practice them in a pool, or later on as you become familiar, in open water.

Step 3:

Practice your new skills. Diving without skill is foolish-- trying it alone is reckless. It’s vital to practice these essential skills before you dive:

Buoyancy

Buoyancy (also known as the buoyant force) is the force exerted on an object that is wholly or partly immersed in a fluid. You will learn how to control your buoyancy so you don’t keep bobbing to the surface during a dive. 

This can be extremely dangerous, especially on a decompression dive where you’re headed deeper than 70 feet.  A decompression dive is one where the diver must make one or more mandatory stops before reaching the surface. The multiple stops reduce inert gases in the body, also known as Deco stops.

Removing your scuba diving mask

You’ll find out how to clear your mask while underwater. You will be asked to remove your mask entirely, put it back on and clear it, all while underwater.

It goes without saying that proper visibility underwater is essential for your safety. It usually takes time and practice to master mask-clearing and become fully confident.

Get to know your wetsuit or skinsuit

You’ll discover the ideal type of wetsuit and how to keep it in good condition. A full wetsuit could be important for your safety-- it helps your body maintain the right temperature during a dive. Even in warm tropical seas, the water temperature drops with every 10 feet that you descend.

A surface water temperature of 88F(31C), for example, drops to 70-72F (21C) once you dive 50 feet down. Wearing a wetsuit or light skinsuit also gives you essential protection against stinging sea creatures like jellyfish.

Regulator maintenance

You’ll need to understand and maintain your diving regulator, a pressure device that provides smooth, easy breathing to you as you dive.

Your Regulator and ‘Octopus’ alternate regulator must be kept in top condition at all times. They could save your life or someone else’s, another thing you’ll be taught on a proper scuba diving course.

Step 4:

You’ll need to memorise the 3 cardinal rules for safe diving and know them in your sleep! They are:

1. Do a full equipment check before and after every dive, no exceptions
2. Never, ever hold your breath. It causes severe lung damage
3. Always equalise. You must continue to equalise your ear pressure throughout the entire descent, every 10 feet, by holding your nose and blowing gently. Otherwise, you risk intense pressure-driven ear pain, which can easily burst an eardrum.

Step 5:

Start diving! With all of your new knowledge, you’ll be well equipped to explore underwater mysteries. At first, you can try safe resort dives.

Many island resorts offer easy resort dives to non-divers who don’t have the time to take a full certification course. A qualified dive instructor leads the way, giving novices a crash course in diving before guiding them on a supervised shallow dive.

Or, if you’ve decided to invest in a proper certification course, you can try safe drift-diving and shore-diving.

A drift dive begins with a giant stride or backward roll off a dive boat, which remains in the area until you surface. You should only try this if you’re in a group and everyone is familiar with the area.

The same rule applies to shore dives, where the divers simply walk into the sea from a beach and find their way back afterwards.

The most important thing of all, for dives like this, is to NEVER dive alone. You’ll learn all this and more on a proper diving course.

The safety of these dives depends entirely on the instructor and the water skills of the students, but every dive carries a certain level of risk. So always exercise common sense.

And once you feel like a pro, you can finally explore the most exciting type of diving; safe wreck diving!

Only very experienced divers (with special training) should attempt wreck dives. Once inside a shipwreck, two or three decks down, you can easily become disoriented and lose your way out.

A diver who isn’t specially trained in wreck diving should only attempt wreck dives accompanied by a qualified instructor/guide and preferably in a group.

Ready to dive in?

Recreational scuba diving is hugely exciting-- but it also requires a high level of skill and awareness.

Being prepared and knowledgeable about the potential dangers is the best way to ensure every dive is a safe dive. Keep your diving kit in good condition and carry out regular maintenance and checks. And always brush up on what you’ve learned, revising frequently to keep your knowledge fresh. That’s how the pros do it! 

Need more info on travel safety? Head over here for a wealth of information about vaccinations and health and safety while abroad. It could save you life!