When you think about Scuba divers, you may just imagine people throwing themselves into the water and exploring freely. However, this really isn’t the case as a lot of work needs to be put in before someone is even allowed to ascend into the water.
Diving is an exciting sport, but it is also extremely dangerous. Because of this, you are not allowed to even dive without being a trained professional or having a trained professional with them, which shows just how risky the activity really is. Safety should be the main priority of any scuba diver, but what exactly should scuba divers do for their own safety?
Are you Fit Enough to Scuba
Though this is an activity that may appeal to a lot of people, the smartest thing you can do in order to protect yourself is to ask yourself whether or not you are fit enough to even start scuba diving. Now, you don’t have to be Olympic fit to be able to take part in scuba, but it really is a strenuous activity that requires you to be able to be on the move for a long time. There aren’t any breaks in scuba, when you’re underwater you can’t take a five-minute break for a quick drink and a rest. You need to be able to be on the move at any given moment and if you are unable to do this, you could compromise your own safety as well as the safety of other people that you choose to scuba with. A good way to know whether or not you’re up for scuba is by heading down to your local pool and working on your underwater swimming. If you struggle to confidently do that at a pool, imagine how much harder it would be if you had a long list of scuba equipment on top of you too.
Training
If you feel like you are up to the task of scuba diving, you can’t just decide to buy the equipment and head to the water yourself. You need to make sure that you have all of the training that you need to ensure your own safety. There are usually a lot of local scuba companies that will give you an intensive course on everything that you need to know about scuba, like what SCUBA stands for and what techniques you have to master in order to be a scuba diving expert.
As part of your training, an instructor will take you out into the water with him and provide all of the equipment that you would need when it comes to doing it independently. Be sure to take note of all of the tips they may give you and even what brand of equipment they prefer to use as a trained professional usually knows the best and safest equipment.
Equipment
The main thing that any scuba diver depends on to keep them safe is having the right equipment. Once you are underwater, you are completely dependent on your equipment to make sure that you stay as safe as you can. Because of this, it is important that you invest in some good kit. Here are general rules that scuba divers follow when it comes to getting their own equipment.
No second hand
Though second-hand equipment may seem alluring due to its low prices, you really can’t put a price on your own safety. A good scuba diver will try and get all the equipment they can brand new. This means that there is no potential wear and tear that could present itself in the worst possible time. Getting fresh equipment also means that it will last much longer, which means you won’t have to buy it again so soon, so really by buying brand new equipment, you are saving yourself money in the long haul. The new equipment will also have more up to date technologies, which means that the equipment will be much better than previous models and could even make your scuba experience easier.
Test run
Though it is recommended that you get new equipment, it is not recommended that you buy it fresh and then wait to use it until you finally go scuba diving. This is a big safety no in the world of scuba because no matter how reliable a brand is, stuff can easily go wrong. An item could have unseeable damage or just be faulty and it is a lot better to find this out in some shallow water near you than when you’re 20 meters underwater. There are plenty of tests that you can do to make sure that your equipment is in good working order and doing these tests could potentially save your life if you have in fact bought faulty equipment.
Don’t go cheap
This advice is not too dissimilar to the advice about not buying second hand. Even if you are buying brand new products, you really don’t want to go for the cheapest option on the market. This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, as previously stated, cheaper items may not last as long which means you will have to rebuy them again in the future anyway, which means you will only be losing out on more money. Cheap items could also be faulty and not work effectively, which is something you definitely don’t want to have to deal with when you’re in the water.
Shop around
When it comes to purchasing equipment, scuba divers often shop around and ask for recommendations about brands before they settle on some equipment. This means that they are buying a brand that they know will work and will keep them safe. If you aren’t sure where to look, don’t worry as there are plenty of comparisons between brands online for every bit of equipment you could need. Like the best snorkels for under $100 and reviews of dive watches under $1500, there are plenty of resources online.
Diver down flags
Scuba divers also use a diver down flags when they do go out on diving excursions. The sea can be quite a hectic place as there are a number of different sports that people do out on the ocean. The sea is also used as a means of travel, so there are usually plenty of boats on the water. Having a diver down flag indicates that you are diving underneath the flag and it stops people from driving boats over that location, ensuring the safety of the diver.
Planning the dive ahead of time
Another way that scuba divers ensure their safety is by planning the dive ahead of time. This means that they figure out where they are going to dive, how deep they are going to dive, and how long they are going to dive. This is important as one of the main safety issues that scuba divers face is potentially running out of oxygen. By planning their dive, they know just how much oxygen they will need. It is incredibly important that these plans are followed, as if you go too deep you may run out of oxygen sooner and put yourself in danger.
Diving with a buddy
Unless someone has years of experience, it is rare that you will find someone diving alone. Diving with a buddy is extremely important for protecting your safety as diving is an unpredictable activity and almost anything could go wrong, so having someone by your side means that you have that extra backup. It also means that you have someone that can check that your equipment is properly connected and everything that you can’t really see is in working order. It also means that you have companionship when diving which is always nice.
