Safety First: How to Dive with Care
71 percent of the world’s surface covered in water. This means that there is a lot to explore within the deep blue world and so little time to do it. However, you should never skimp out on time when it comes to preparing for a dive. It is important that you consider all aspects of your location, take a buddy with you, protect your body, and always be prepared for anything that can occur underwater.
Always Be Prepared for Anything
As with any adventure, the journey begins with the preparations. From planning out the dive to acquiring all the gear, making sure you’re prepared can reduce a lot of the risks associated with diving. First, figure out where and when you will dive. Knowing this bit of information can determine the maximum depth and pressure that you will reach, how long you will be underwater, the temperature and water conditions of the dive, and how you get to your desired dive spot. Once you have all that information, you can plan your gear accordingly. You can also use this information when you head to the store to buy or rent your gear. That way you’ll have all the knowledge ready when an employee asks what you need to pick up.
The Buddy System is not only Fun, but it’s also Smart
Whether you’re swimming in a pool or the vast ocean blue, you should always have someone there to watch your back. Just like when we learned to swim as kids, the number one safety rule is to always bring a buddy. From faulty equipment or potential dangers in the ocean, an extra pair of eyes can always reduce risks. A buddy can also help you if you get caught by objects on the bottom floor or have a medical emergency. In most cases, you should also have two buddies. This way, if something goes wrong, one person can stay with the injured party while the other can head to the shore for help. You may even want an extra set of eyes on the surface level as this allows you to have eyes in the sky.
Don’t Crack Under Pressure
When diving, instinct tells us to head deeper when we want to see something interesting there, or up when we want to get out of the water. However, these motions need to be tempered. As you travel deeper into a body of water, the pressure will change. For that reason, you should always ascend and descend slowly. If you don’t, you could potentially suffer from injuries related to pressure changes such as Barotrauma, Decompression Sickness, and Nitrogen Narcosis. Each of these conditions can have negative effects on your body now and in the future, so it is important that you take pressure changes seriously. Temper your diving and be sure to ascend or descend at appropriate times and speed.
Despite the dangers of the ocean, scuba diving is one of the most thrilling and memorable activities you can ever embark on. Be sure to follow safety guidelines and you’ll create an experience of a lifetime.