5 basic rules all scuba divers should follow

Scuba diving can be one of the most exciting sports in the world, but if you aren’t prepared, it can also be one of the most dangerous. You never know what’s going to happen on your dive, but being as prepared as possible will keep the risks down. We’ve got five tips that you should follow to make sure you have plenty of fun in the water, but live to tell the tale.

Use your buddy

You’re no doubt going to be diving with a buddy, and before you both get into the water, you should check each other’s equipment. There is always the chance you forgot something and your buddy is likely to be best-placed to figure out what that is. Once you’ve both got your gear on check each other to make sure you’ll both be safe in the water. And speaking of buddies…

Don’t dive alone

Yeah, try not to dive alone as the ocean is big and no one will be able to save you if they don’t know where you are. Secondly, when diving with your buddy, make sure you don’t stray too far from each other. What’s the point in having each other’s backs, if you don’t have each other’s backs?

Keep checking your gauge

Of course, when you’re in the water you’re going to be distracted by the amazing fish and underwater scenery, but you should check your gauge often. Even some of the most experienced divers can forget to check their gauge from time to time. It’s essential to stay on top of how much oxygen you’ve got in your tank for obvious reasons and checking on your levels often keeps you safe.

Make sure to service your gear

If you’re going down in the water and the one thing you’re relying on is your equipment, then the least you can do is make sure it’s in good working order. This is, after all, your lifeline, so make sure it’s going to get you through the whole dive. Make sure that your computer, BC vest, and regulator are all in good working order.

It’s not enough to just check this yourself, unless you’re qualified, and you should take it to be serviced fairly often. How often it needs serviced depends on how often you’re going diving. If you only dive a few times per year, then an annual check is enough, but if you’re getting close to 100 dives, then it’ll need servicing more regularly.

Don’t trust new gear

From time to time you’re going to need to replace your gear, and whenever you buy new equipment, the first thing you should do is inspect it thoroughly. Long before you get in the water, you should piece it all together and make sure it fits your body perfectly. It’s better to find out it doesn’t fit right when you’re on dry land rather than hundreds of feet below the surface.

These tips could help save your life when you’re deep under the water. They are basic rules that most divers should learn and sometimes they’re easy to overlook for experienced divers.