1. Be a Solo Diver: This rule doesn’t entail ditching your dive buddy and diving alone. By all means stay close to your buddy and be ready to help him. But as far as your own safety is concerned, pretend he’s not there or won’t be when you need him, in other words be self reliant. In any emergency your most dependable rescuer is yourself. Think solo, plan smarter and rehearse beforehand how you could deal with a situation so that if one arises you know how to react without wasting time looking for a rescuer.

Keep at hand all the dive gear and equipment you may need as if you were diving solo. For example: Have your own completely redundant air source, like a pony bottle, instead of relying on your buddy’s octopus. You may want several cutting tools instead of just one, mounted so you can reach at least one with either hand. Be prepared for yourself and carry your own backups.

2. Be Lazy: Mimic a sloth. Doing everything in slow motion will stretch your air supply. Move like you’re too exhausted to move. Every fin stroke, arm movement or even a head turn requires a lot more energy under water as it’s almost 800 times more dense than air. Energy in diving equals oxygen, so the faster you burn energy the faster you empty your dive tank. It’s that simple.

It takes a conscious effort to move at slow motion speeds, but practice will make it second nature. The payoff is bragging rights over your air-hog buddy at the end of the dive. Be lazy out of the water before and after a dive too. Sit down as much as possible and relax to conserve energy and you won’t feel fatigued. Most importantly stay lazy with your body in order to stay alert with your mind.

3. Breathe Efficiently: One of the first diving no-no’s you learn is to never hold your breath. And certainly don’t. To significantly improve your breathing efficiency, reverse your normal breathing pattern from inhale-exhale-pause to inhale-pause- exhale, the pattern many experienced divers adopt naturally over time. What you have to keep in mind is the pause you take when your lungs are filled is not held with your throat closed and most definitely not forced.

The few seconds pause while your lungs are full of air allows more time for gas exchange, so you take in more oxygen and dump more carbon dioxide with each breath. Therefore, your need to breathe will lessen and you will get more cycles out of your cylinder. This breathing technique is not taught because a pause can be confused as holding your breath with a closed-throat. So, if you aren’t sure of the difference or of not inadvertently closing your throat to pause, don’t try it.

4. Avoid Using Your BCD: Using the BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) throughout a dive for control is a mistake made by many divers, especially rookies. Since water is denser, momentum gathered takes a little more time to slow or stop. While you’re squirting a little more air in you BCD thinking you’re a little negative, before you realize it you’re actually a little positive. But you won’t feel positive because you come to a stop and pause there for a moment or two before that little squirt of air in your BC begins gathering its strength before raising you slowly.

Naturally, you need to use some judgment and assess the need to use those buttons when you’re dropping like a rock or rising like a cork. But, as you zero in on neutral buoyancy you don’t want to mess it up by touching the buttons again. You can make depth changes of four or five feet by using your lungs alone, without messing with your buoyancy compensator and losing that hard-to-find neutral buoyancy.

5. Don’t Overdo the Gear: By don’t overdo the dive gear we don’t mean offload your weights, ditch spare regulators or don’t wear a dive computer, it simply means don’t let your equipment get the better of you. Diving with an all new kit of diving equipment with a fancy new dive computer on one hand, an underwater camera in another and a squeaky new BCD you’re unfamiliar can be overwhelming. The use of your dive gear should be intuitive and not take up your attention. Another reason to avoid carrying extra gear apart from unnecessary fidgeting is the temptation to seek security in equipment rather than in technique. As a general rule, get more experience before more gear.

That said, we like to encourage divers to own their own gear and not rent, because owners know their gear better and take care of it better. We also think divers should buy their gear new and of top quality. There’s no such thing as too much performance and you definitely can’t put a price on safety.

*Image credits: photos by aa7ae, riandreu and pjf@cpan on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | 5 Tips To Becoming A Better Diver is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Scuba Diving is one of those activities that changes you in many ways, not just through the training, but also by what you see and experience underwater has this lasting effect on how you experience the world above. A lot of sports and hobbies can reinforce your character and teach you valuable life lessons. So what parallels can we draw from Scuba Diving that translate into lessons we can take with us and apply in day to day life? Here are five ways in which we think, Scuba Diving has changed our lives.

Becoming more Appreciative of Nature

“I never really was a true conservationalist or one of those tree-hugger types, sure I liked nature, but wouldn’t be bothered by what we’re doing to protect it. However after taking up Scuba Diving and experiencing the wealth of marine life and coral that exists in out oceans, something changed. I started getting interested in what we are doing to our oceans, and started to do my bit to protect it.”

Sound familiar? Scuba Diving can do that to you. Even if you get in to the sport for the fun of adventure, there is no way you will be unmoved by natures beauty at some stage in your diving career. While you may not become an activist, experiencing the fragility of a reef ecosystem first-hand, you’ll surely learn to respect it. There is something awe-inspiring each time we submerge underwater and get to witness the other 70% of earth that changes us inexplicably for the better and helps us appreciate our world.

To Stay Calm in a difficult situations
One of the best life lessons that scuba diving can teach you, is how to stay calm even in the most difficult of situations. This is imbibed into each diver as they undergo each stage of their diving certification courses, open water, advanced open water, rescue, master etc. and is the underlying principle of all scuba diving safety. This lesson is reinforced in every diver each time, a mask gets flooded, one runs low on air, the current is too strong for a dive, or you lose sight of the dive master etc. This lesson in how not to panic when things go wrong, stop think and act, is something that you can easily translate into everyday life. The rigor of being prepared for all eventualities and always having a contingency plan in place is another lesson that scuba diving can teach you to apply into everyday life.

Breathe & Relax
Stressed underwater? Well every diver knows when they get stressed, panicky or overexert themselves, the sound of their breathing through their regulator quickens, and they will immediately slow down, calm down and regulate their breathing to conserve air. Diving teaches you to pay attention to your breathing and breathe constantly at all times at a regular rate. Yoga and meditation teaches you the same principles, how to pay attention to your breathing and calm yourself.  Scuba diving teaches you whether intentionally or not, how to calm yourself down by paying attention to your breathing. Learning this technique is simply invaluable in our day to day stress filled lives.

A Buddy can help you out in a Crisis
The importance of having a dive buddy beside you at all times to help you out in a pinch is another wonderful lesson that we could take a page out of in our everyday lives. Having someone close that you can trust, a good friend, family or a spouse, can mean the difference between a rescue and disaster. The need to clearly communicate with and create a trusting bond or understanding is something we all need to do in our everyday lives. We all need a dive buddy and a life buddy.

Most importantly Learn to Have Fun
While there are several other life lessons we can take away from Scuba Diving, we felt that the one that was perhaps the most important was to always learn to have fun in what you are doing. We wouldn’t all be scuba diving if it were purely educational, or scary or dangerous. The reason we Scuba Dive is because it’s fun Despite the dangers, the risks, and the need to stay focused, Scuba Diving is a whole lotta fun which makes the experience worthwhile. If we can try and learn to have as fun in our jobs, and daily activities, suddenly the risks, and hardships don’t really account for much, and we will be better off for it.

*photos from flickr by: LaPrimaDonna, doug.deep, riandreu, Scuba_thib

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Five Life Lessons That We Can Learn From Scuba Diving is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Navigation underwater is often one of the hardest things for a new scuba diver to grasp, and even for advanced scuba divers to get the hang of, especially when diving new sites. We are so used to following a Dive Master or dive guide that we often  don’t even bother to get our bearings or make a note of where we are in respect of the dive boat, until we are back at the anchor line, and think to ourselves “wow, how did we get back full circle, I didn’t even notice us change direction!” Well here are a few tips to help you get better at underwater navigation so you won’t get lost underwater.

Visual References
Before jumping into the water, take a few seconds to get your bearings, through some form of visual references.  Look at where the sun is positioned as that will help you determine direction underwater. Note the position of the island or the shore in relation to the boat. Note the way the island, reef or landmass slopes underwater, as this will help you determine if your starting point. Once in the water take a good look at what you boat looks like from the bottom, especially if there are several other boats in the vicinity. Once descending, either along an anchor line or not, take a few minutes once you’ve reached the bottom to note some terrain feature that will help you pin-point your boats location or the anchor line.  If you are diving a wall or a ridge, take note of the direction you intend to dive along and always keep you shoulder facing the terrain feature.

Compass Bearing
Before beginning a dive you should set the bezel of your compass to point you to the direction dive boat and in case of shore diving to the shore. In this case once the bearing is set it shouldn’t be changed during the dive and to return, one simply rotates himself in the opposite direction. If you are not familiar with how to use an underwater compass, take the time to get a Dive master or Instructor teach you this simple yet invaluable skill.

Aeris X1 Compass Module

Dive Site Briefings
Pay attention during pre Dive Briefings!! Often when diving a new dive site, the pre-dive briefing provided by the Dive Master, or Instructor is the best way to pick up relevant information about the lay of the land and key features of your dive site. Try and remember key terrain features that are pointed out and attempt to spot these while on your dive, so that in case you lose sight of the DM you’ll know exactly where you are.

Dive Site Maps
Popular dive sites always have dive site maps published, available online or at the local dive centers. Purchase a copy and study the sites, depths and features before you set off. These maps are also great as they clearly mark known marine life residents at the site, and indicate normal currents and entry and exit points.

Monterey Bay Folded Map B406

Dive Site Guide Slates
Several popular wreck dive sites or well known reef sites have waterproof guide map slates that a diver can carry with him/her on their dive as a carry with you reference.  These are great ways to know exactly where you are during your dive.

3D C-53 Felipe Xicotenabtl – Cozumel Mexico, Waterproof Dive Site Card

Draw a Map on your dive slate – Map out the dive site on a dive slate before you go and maybe chalk out an intended dive plan in the direction you want to go in for reference underwater. Take notes of your dive briefing before you jump in and its always A good idea is once you’re diving the site to note down certain landmarks on your map to find your way back easily.

Innovative Divers Slate with Split Ring

*photo from flickr by torbenator

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | How Not To Get Lost While Scuba Diving: Underwater Navigation Tips is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

A night dive is one of the best ways of seeing and experiencing your favorite dive sites in a whole new light. For those who have never tried it, the thought of descending into dark waters with only the beam of a dive flashlight for light may seem a little daunting and scary. But it need not be. That’s why we decided to put together all the information you would need the why, how, when and where, to prepare yourself and take that plunge into the darkness.  If you missed Part 1 of this post- Click here

Night Diving Equipment
It obvious to say that the main piece of scuba diving gear specially required for diving after dark is a dive light or torch. In fact, it’s very important to carry a back-up scuba flashlight too incase your primary happens to fail. Some divers, as paranoid as it seems even carry 3 or four dive lights to ensure that neither they nor their dive buddy have to end a dive without one.

When deciding to buy a dive light nowadays there so many options to chose from. Read our post titled: A Closer Look at Dive Light Technology; to help you make an informed decision on your next scuba light purchase.

While the rest of your personal scuba equipment for night diving does not differ much from day diving, there are a few considerations you can make. For example- it would greatly help in an emergency if your alternate air source was a bright color so it could be easily identified and spotted if you or your dive buddy needed it. If your spare regulator (octopus) isn’t brightly colored, you should consider a bright colored hose protector to make it stand out better in the dark. Your scuba gauges and dive computers too should ideally be luminous or have illuminated markings for better visibility in the dark. A glow in the dark dive slate too might be a good idea of communication on a night dive.

It’s important to carry with you emergency signaling devices that could help you get noticed in the water should you surface away from the dive boat. A combination of both visual and audible safety gear is recommended, like a whistle and strobe light or an air horn and glow in the dark chemical light stick.

Wearing the right exposure protection/wetsuit is also a consideration to make when night diving. It’s easier to bump into things in the dark and get cuts, scrapes but wearing gloves, boots and protection for yourself doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. The reef isn’t protected from you so you still have to be very careful and cautious about blundering into fragile coral life.

Night Diving Tips

• As hard as it might be you should really try to curb your active imagination of what lurks beyond your dive light beam. If you’ve dived a lot in the day you shouldn’t be too worried about bigger marine life and know that they’re probably more afraid of you than you of them.
• Start heading to you dive site or even plan your dive such that you reach it at around twilight, so there is still enough light to help you prep all your scuba gear and equipment for the dive and your not blubbering about in the dark. You can then enter the water confident that you’ve got everything you need and your gear is in good shape, when you’ve seen the last of the sun for the day.
• Keep your dive flashlight attached to your wrist at all times with a lanyard and turn it on before entering the water, this helps in case you accidentally drop it in the water you can locate it by it’s beam. Avoid turning your light on or using its switches underwater as this is when water can enter them.
• Adhere to the golden rule of Never shining your light directly into another divers face. Keep your beam low to avoid bumping into any objects or kicking up any sand from being too close to the bottom.
• Keep an eye on your gauges. Pay attention to your air consumption and depth. It’s easy to go deep considering you can’t see the bottom especially if diving wall or deeper dive site at night.
• Always remember your bubbles go up. This is important if you get disoriented during the dive or experience so called ‘vertigo’. The best in this case is to signal your buddy to assist you to the surface in a safe ascent, as breaking the surface and the sight of either the dive boat lights or the stars will help the effects disappear.
• And lastly, don’t forget to look for bio luminescent organisms that glow a brilliant blue and green in the dark just like stars do in the sky. You can see them by covering your dive torch beam with a hand or holding it against your body to stop all light, then by just waving a hand through the water you’ll see streams of tiny, bluish lights dance off your fingers.

Best Night Dive Site
Although you can dive almost any die site at night, there’s one particular dive renowned for night diving. It’s known as the Manta Ray Night dive in Kailua Kona, Hawaii and is rated among the Top 10 Dive Sites around the World by almost every dive publication and every Scuba website online. Read more about it here.

*Image Credits: photos by Marcelo Mariozi – www.uwphoto.ae, Saspotato and hankplank on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | A Complete Scuba Guide to Night Diving (Part-2) is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

A night dive is one of the best ways of seeing and experiencing your favorite dive sites in a whole new light. For those who have never tried it, the thought of descending into dark waters with only the beam of a dive flashlight for light may seem a little daunting and scary. But it need not be. That’s why we decided to put together all the information you would need the why, how, when and where, to prepare yourself and take that plunge into the darkness. Once you’ve logged a few, you’ll be looking forward to diving your favorite sites at night!

Why Dive at Night?
Scuba diving at night is a fascinating experience to say the least. Yes, the very limited visibility can keep you imagining what creatures lie outside your light beam, but the experience of weightlessly floating in complete darkness is the closest feeling you’ll get of being in space, right here on Earth. Talk about adventure! A whole new cast of characters comes alive after the sun goes down. From tiny Bioluminescent Plankton, to the fascinating phenomenon of coral fluorescence, these spectacles of nature can only be experience on a night dive. You are more focused as your vision is limited to that of your light beam. Brighter colors and nocturnal creature you wouldn’t otherwise see, makes even a ten meter square more interesting; with a more to see than if you had seen it in the day and passed over it in a jiffy. Night diving is a completely different experience than diving during the day. It’s both exhilarating yet surprisingly calm and relaxing at the same time.

(Read our post on: Creatures That Go Bump In The Night)

Planning a night dive

• It’s mostly advised that you dive a site your are familiar with and have dived before in the day so you can plan your dive well. It helps when you are aware of the terrain of the dive site- eg, wall, pinnacle, gorge, wreck etc., the conditions -visibility, currents, positions of overhead hangs if any and so on. It’s also generally preferred to dive from a boat at night as it makes entries and exits easier than dealing with surfs or watching where you’re wading as you have to in shore diving.
• Diving with a dive buddy you are very comfortable should be noted when you’re diving at night. It’s important to stick close to each other throughout the dive and understand each easily for better communication and to increase your comfort levels underwater. If you want you could use a short buddy line to reduce the risk of being separated, it’s not necessary but can be used especially if you’re very anxious about diving at night.

• Learn all night hand and dive light signals before. For example: To attract a buddy’s attention, wave the scuba torch light back and forth in a horizontal line just in front of them. To signal “something wrong”, wave the torch up and down.Waving the light in a circle is to signal “ok” and so on.
• You can even take the PADI Night Diver Specialty Course to better learn all about night diving. Learn more about it here.

For more including Night Diving Equipment, Night Diving Tips and The Best Night Diving site -Read:A Complete Scuba Guide to Night Diving (Part-2)

*Image credits: All photos by Saspotato on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | A Complete Scuba Guide to Night Diving (Part 1) is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

Scuba Diving is the new Yoga.  The two may seem like a complete contradiction- Diving is viewed as being a high risk adrenaline sport that involves close encounters with sharks, while yoga is considered a serene, mystical experience practiced by impossibly flexible devotees. But, there’s a lot in common than you think. Many in the sport have begun to refer to “scuba as the new yoga” and predicting that scuba diving vacations will be the hot new trend for people seeking stress relief and relaxation.

So, how can scuba diving, with all its heavy tanks and bulky scuba gear, have any similarity to yoga you may ask. Like yoga, diving is all about breathing and staying calm and experiencing your surroundings by becoming one with it. Many divers already use yoga as a tool for improving their scuba skills. Learning proper breathing techniques as taught in yoga can help a diver conserve air underwater and make the best of the limited supply when underwater.  The weightlessness of the body and the silence that’s imposed by being submerged underwater all provide an ideal environment for being at peace with yourself and for relaxing. Scuba diving helps slow you down and improve concentration and focus on your surrounding and self.

“For thousands of years, cultures around the world have sought places to go for quiet meditation and peace of mind — from the practice of Yoga in India to Henry David Thoreau’s walk through the woods of Walden Pond,” says Ben Teichberg, Scuba Diving Master Instructor with LeisurePro. “Today, scuba divers experience the same meditative benefits while enjoying nature and its underwater beauty.”

LeisurePro’s Teichberg offers reasons behind this exciting new trend of people exploring the sport of scuba diving as a way to find tranquility under the waves. The top six reasons sited by LeisurePro for this new trend of “Scuba as the new yoga” include:

• The body becomes relaxed underwater in a gravity-free environment where you become neutrally buoyant, like being in outer space.
• Many athletes use underwater meditation, such as Olympic swimmers
• Certain types of dives called “drift dives” allow you to gently move with the current, with minimal body movement
• As with meditation, slow breathing works best with scuba. Focusing on breathing relieves stress and promotes relaxation.
• The only noise you generally hear underwater is the sound of your breath.
• Observing the beautiful colors of fish, coral and other sea life is stimulating.

Scuba Diving is the New Yoga: LeisurePro Blog

Many times divers don’t have to cover lots of ground during a dive. Some dives for example called “muck dives,” are limited to a 10-foot radius, where you don’t move around much – but look slowly and carefully for microscopic creatures. This activity slows you down and requires complete concentration. You literally shed the in habitations you face above water and take on a new persona when you dive, one that allows you to experience nature and life in a new light. Diving vacations are the new way of escaping the stress of life above sea level.

*Photo credits: photos by Nat Friedman, lululemon athletica on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Learn Scuba Diving And Escape The Stress Above Sea Level is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

One of the first things that is drilled into your minds when you begin scuba diving is the importance of a safe ascent from depths. And why?

It all boils down to the physics of diving and Boyle’s Law. While usually, nitrogen is expelled from a person’s body during an exhale and through their skin, when breathing compressed air because of the ambient water pressure, the nitrogen absorbed remains in the body’s fatty tissues and blood. The longer and deeper the dive, the more nitrogen is absorbed into the tissues. As long as the diver remains at pressure, the gas presents no problem. However, when the pressure around the diver decreases the nitrogen starts coming out of the tissues back into the blood stream. If the pressure is reduced too quickly, i.e when the water pressure decreases when ascending, the nitrogen starts forming bubbles in the tissues and bloodstream rather than being exhaled just like when you open a bottle or can of soda releasing the pressure which causes the carbon dioxide gas to lose its solubility and escape in the form of bubbles or fizz. This is what we all know as ‘The Bends’ or Decompression Sickness (DCS).

So What’s Qualifies as a Safe Ascend?
What seems like a trivial question is probably one of the most asked and debated about in diving. Some scuba organizations state that divers should ascent faster than a maximum of 18m/60ft per minute. However, this absolute maximum has still resulted in divers getting the bends in some cases. Today, a more generally accepted safe ascent rate by scuba organizations and most dive computers is 9m/30ft per minute. More simply put for divers without a dive computer (which we don’t recommend) is to follow your smallest air bubbles. That said, we believe you should always dive with a dive computer for each diver that allows you to monitor depth and speed and also alerts you when ascending too fast (a standard feature in most dive computers these days).

How to Complete a 5 Point Safe Scuba Ascent
Remember the Acronym S.T.A.R.S (as taught in the PADI Open Water Course) and it get it wrong.
S- SIGNAL: Give the clear ready to start ascending signal (thumb up hand signal) and receive a confirmation from all divers that they are aware the dive is ending.
T-TIME: Look at the time indicated on your dive computer to make sure the No-decompression limit wasn’t exceeded. If exceeded prepare to make decompression stops at recommended depths and signal to your buddy diver for a confirmation. Time and fully complete your safety stop.
A-AIRWAY: Look up and make sure there’s a direct path to the surface. Search for obstacles (like boats you won’t want to bonk your head on).
R-REACH: Extend your arm above your head signaling the okay signal to the boat or fellow divers at the surface and to protect hitting your head on anything that may be above you. Turn around when ascending to keep track of anything behind you.
S- SWIM- Swim very slowly to the surface not using your BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) to ascend until you surface. Once at the surface you may inflate your BCD to help keep you buoyant.

If you’re deploying an SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) you should do so at the safety stop. For more on that read- How To Deploy A Surface Marker Buoy (SMB).

*Photo Credits: photos by richard ling, Caranx latus and gjs on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | How To Complete A 5 Point Scuba Ascent is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Scuba diving whether recreational or professional is filled with acronyms making it confusing for someone starting out at the hobby. Here is a continuation of our list of commonly used Scuba Diving acronyms and their descriptions to help you get started. If you missed out on our first part click here.

DM = Dive Master (PADI)
A Dive Master is scuba certification level that is used for a diver responsible for a whole group of divers. It is the lowest Professional rating of most scuba certification agencies, allowing a diver to lead a group of divers on a dive. To become a Dive Master one must complete an internship working at a dive center or dive shop and complete the Diver Masters examination.

DPV = Diver Propulsion Vehicle
DPV, also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle or underwater scooter) is a motorized piece of scuba diving equipment that increases the range of a scuba diver underwater. A DPV usually consists of a battery-powered electric motor, which drives a propeller moving the diver forward underwater.

featured above is the Sea-Doo Seascooter VS Supercharged Sea Scooter available at Leisurepro.com

NDL = No Decompression Limit
NDL or No Decompression Limit refers to the time a divers is allowed to spend underwater without having to perform a decompression stop to expel the nitrogen bubbles that may form in their bodies after extended period of breathing compressed air.

NAUI = National Association Of Underwater Instructors
A US based scuba agency, NAUI started in 1959 is the oldest recreational scuba certification agency. NAUI is a non-profit association which was started for the promotion of dive safety through education. Its diver courses are very similar to that conducted by PADI and SSI and it enjoys a status of being the second largest scuba certification agency after PADI.

NITROX = Nitrogen + Oxygen Mixture
Nitrox refers to any Gas Mixture of Nitrogen and Oxygen; where the dive gas mixture contains higher than normal percentage of oxygen in the mixture and the reduced percentage of nitrogen is reduces the nitrogen uptake in the body’s tissues and so extending the possible dive time, and reducing the risk of decompression sickness.

PADI = Professional Association Of Diving Instructors
Based in the United States and by far by the biggest and most recognized dive certification agency in the world, PADI was started in 1966 to improve the training into a variety of different courses rather than just the one single universal course. PADI centers are the most widely spread out across the world and you can find one in almost any dive destination.

SSI = Scuba Schools International
With 35 Regional Centers and Area Offices around the globe, the 1970 established SSI is based in the United States. It has well over 2,200 authorized dealers and supports Dive Businesses and Dive Resorts. A major difference between SSI and other diver education organizations like PADI, NAUI, CMAS and others is that SSI is a Retail based organization, intended to ensure the quality of training worldwide.

SPG = Submersible Pressure Gauge
The SPG or Submersible Pressure Gauge is connected to your tank via a hose and indicates how much air is left in your tank during a dive. Air pressure is measured in PSI or bar. Most SPGs have a section of the dial highlighted in red which shows you when you’re getting low on air.

featured above the Genesis PG2226 Pressure Gauge available at Leisurepro.com

RDP  =  Recreational Dive Planner

The RDP or Recreational Dive planner refers to the decompression table with which no decompression stop diving can be planned using. A RDP allows divers to plan their dives outlining the time the diver is allowed to spend at varying depths before having to perform a decompression stop.

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Common SCUBA Acronyms – II is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

Scuba diving whether recreational or professional is filled with acronyms making it confusing for someone starting out at the hobby. Here is a list of a few commonly used Scuba Diving acronyms and their descriptions to help you get started.

AAS = Alternate Air Source
The Alternate Air Source can refer to your backup second stage regulator on your octopus. This is used in case your primary regulator fails or you need to share air with a buddy who has run out. The Alternate Air Source is usually a bright color such as fluorescent yellow. AAS can also refer to a pony air bottle or a bailout bottle that is used when your primary air tanks are empty, however this is more commonly refered to as an EAS or Extra Air Source.

featured above is the Aqualung Calypso/Titan Octopus, Yellow available at Leisurepro.com

ABT  = Actual Bottom Time
Actual Bottom Time refers to the time a diver spends underwater, from the time the diver begins his descent to the time he/she begins a continuous ascent to the surface. ABT is a term used in dive tables to represent the amount of time a diver spent underwater.

AOW = Advanced Open Water
Advanced Open Water is a scuba diving certification level provided by PADI, SSI and a few other training agencies. AOW is a second level qualification that a diver may obtain after basic OW or Open Water certification, and this allows recreational divers to dive to a maximum of 30 metres (100 ft) deep.

BCD = Buoyancy Control/Compensator Device
A BCD is a jacket like piece of scuba equipment which can be inflated using the scuba tanks or deflated using release valves, and allows the diver the ability to adjust and control his overall buoyancy in the water.

featured above is the Aeris Sport BCD With QLR Weight Pockets available at Leisurepro.com

C-CARD  = (Scuba Diving) Certification Card.
C-Card is the generic term used for any scuba diving certification card from any issuing agency such as PADI, NAUI SSI, CMAS etc. A C-card is proof that the diver has trained and certified as a diver and dive shops will not allow divers to dive without one.

CCR = Closed Circuit Rebreather
Closed Circuit Breathing Apparatus or CCUBA or a CCR (Closed Circuit Rebreather), allows a diver to breathe the exhaled air, again and again while constantly removing the CO2 using chemicals while replenishing Oxygen into the system as necessary.

CMAS = Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques/ The World Underwater Federation
CMAS is the international umbrella organization for diver training organizations. Founded in 1958, CMAS is based in France. The organization offers the international framework for diver and instructor qualifications and members of the CMAS Council are representatives of the other recognized dive agencies.

DAN = Divers Alert Network
DAN is a non-profit organization devoted to assisting SCUBA Divers in accidents, offing insurance facilities and conducting research both medical and non-medical on recreational scuba diving safety.

DCI = Decompression Illness
Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism are commonly classified together as decompression illness. Air embolism is a medical condition characterized by an air/gas bubble or bubbles in the bloodstream, which cause a variety of problems ranging from blockage of blood supply to organs, stroke like symptoms, and possible cardiac arrest if it reaches the heart.

DCS = Decompression Sickness
Decompression sickness, known as the bends is the condition where nitrogen bubbles start forming the body when a diver ascends from pressure too quickly forming micro bubbles.

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Common SCUBA Acronyms – I is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

After you exit the bubble that is your scuba training, you’re faced with a whole world of different types of diving. You’re next dive trip could have you diving from a liveaboard, a small RIB dive boat or shore diving from a sandy beach or even an inland lake. Since chances are, you’ve only learned the basic scuba entry and exit methods since your training, you’re sure to be faced with some unfamiliar ways to get in the water to start a dive and exit the water after one at some point or another. To anyone used to always doing the giant stride entry into the water, suddenly having to do a backward roll off a small shaky boat can be a little intimidating. But this is due to the unfamiliarity and lack of experience. Good news is, they’re all fairly simple once you’ve tried it.

Here’s a closer look at some Entry and Exit methods to brush up your scuba skills for diving both from the shore and boats-

CLICK HERE if you missed our post on the Entry Methods for both Boat and Shore Diving

BOAT DIVING EXIT METHODS
Hard/ High Boat Exit With a Ladder
It’s almost certain that if a dive boat has high sides or a raised platform, there will be a ladder to help climb out of the water and get back into the boat. Depending on the conditions and type of ladders provided, you can exit wearing your fins or you may have to take them off to climb it.

- Don’t make your way to the ladder if anyone is already on it or still climbing up, keep a safe distance as they may fall back.
- Always watch your fingers as you hold the ladder, you don’t want them getting caught between the ladder and boat.
- If there are swell and depending on the conditions keep your mask and regulator in.
- Get a good grip on the ladder and climb up a couple of rings and pass up your weight belt first or use whatever kit removal sequence you’ve been told to follow by the dive guide).
- After you take your weights off, you may take off your fins before proceeding to get in the boat.

RIB Exit with No Ladder
To get out of a RIB or small boat or even a lower platform where no ladder is needed, you first hand over your weight belt and take off your whole BC kit while in the water. After handing these to a boat hand and keeping your fins on, you need to get a good grip with both your palms on the side ridge of the boat or platform. Then timing your push with a swell (if any), kick up with your fins as you pull yourself up, then twist and plop your behind on the ridge or platform facing the water. It’s just like sitting up on a wall or getting out of a swimming pool.

SHORE DIVING EXIT METHODS

Beach Exit
- Make your way to shallow water until you are roughly hip-level with the water.
- Deflate your BC so that your feet are firmly on the ground
- Facing the beach, remove your fins using your buddy for support.
- Walk back to shore.

Surf Exit Method
- Determine the best route for entry and exit before the dive itself.
- Move as quickly as you can and stand up as soon as you are able.
- If you are not able to stand up comfortably, shuffle up the beach, allowing the breakers to push you forward. Keep your hands in front of you to fend off obstructions.
- Avoid the highest part of the wave.

*Photo Credits: photos by Steve & Jemma Copley, Explore The Bruce on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2010. | Scuba Basics: The Ins and Outs of Diving- Exit Methods is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment