Scuba diving is a sport just like any, that comes with risks. Anyone, no matter how experienced can have a bad day or have something go wrong during a dive. However as divers, we are first trained to deal with difficulties and different scenarios, relying on your dive buddy for help. That’s why you always dive in pairs right? But, in reality all too often you’re left wondering where your buddy is when things turn ugly.

Dive like your diving Solo. We’re not saying ditch your dive buddy and dive 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 you!

Here’s how you can be a better dive buddy to yourself and others especially if you aren’t rescue certified yet-

Sharpen your diving skills
Most times you’ve already been taught the skills you’d need to rescue yourself in almost any situation, but you’ve forgotten how or don’t have practice. Regulator recovery, mask clearing, free flowing regulator, controlling an emergency ascent, switching to your alternate, unbuckling weight belts and so on are some of the things that all divers are taught. They seem easy and don’t sound like much, but you’ll be surprised at how many divers forget the most basic of skills in an emergency situation.

Since probably haven’t needed to take your scuba unit off underwater since your open-water certification or use any of these skills, it’s important to practice and sharpen the skills taught to you in training. Diving skills develop and become second nature only with practice, so on regular dives maybe at the end at the safety stop if you have air to spare, sharpen your skills by practicing them. By reminding yourself how much you already know, you’ll gain confidence to perform them if needed without undue stress.

Go Over Emergency Scenarios
Rehearsing emergencies and other situations makes them more real. It helps you visualize what they will be like and what will need to be done. It’s a rehearsal of those emergency techniques you’ve learned and practiced that brings the correct response to the front of your mind before the need arises. Learn from your peers by asking your dive master, instructor or other divers for scenarios they might have faced and if you have an queries or situations you don’t know how to cope with.

Think solo, plan smarter and rehearse before-hand how you could deal with a situation so that if need be you know how to react without wasting time looking for a rescuer.

Gear up for emergencies
Keep at hand all the dive gear and equipment you may need 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 in case of entanglement. A surface signaling device is important when boat diving, in case you surface out of sight of the dive boat, you should also have a whistle to draw attention. Be prepared for yourself and carry your own backups. (Read: Must-Have Scuba Diving Safety Gear)

Rescue Course
Lastly, we recommend that all divers get their rescue and emergency response certification as there’s nothing better to develop your own self-rescue ability than learning how to rescue someone else.The focus on emergency situations and practical training for the same will not only teach you a lot but it’ll also boost your confidence and increase your comfort levels underwater.

*Photo Credits: photos by star5112, Brianz, Nemo’s great uncle, gjs on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | How To Be A Better Dive Buddy To Yourself And Others is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

Some of the best dive sites in the World have underwater currents. It’s the simple fact that currents carry in food (plankton) to an area, which in turn draws fish and more fish and animals that feed on that fish and so on, making it a lively dive site to explore. However, currents can often be intimidating for divers because of their unpredictability and your natural survival instinct of fighting it. Sometimes going with the flow is hard when you are unexpectedly pushed into the fast lane without being prepared. It’s at these times it is better to have some idea as to how to deal with the situation rather than to be caught clueless and scared.

A good way to start is to check for currents before the dive. Before getting into the water, look for current patterns on the surface itself and have the boat drop a drift line in the water to see if there are any. Usually local fisherman, boat hands and experienced dive masters who are familiar with the area can recognize the conditions from the surface.  Once underwater, take a cue from the fish. You can tell changes in currents or the appearance of one, from reef fish. Generally, small fish will all be facing up-current, unless it is so strong that they are forced to take shelter. In a down current, however, fish may be fining up and down and frantically in circles. If the down current is particularly strong, you may even see larger fish being swept downwards.

Descend down an anchor line when there’s a prevalent current at a particular dive site. Avoid free descents. Remember not to let go of the line until you reach the bottom or desired depth and make sure your dive buddy is ready too. If you’re in for a strong current dive, it’s best to make it a drift dive if possible. For that however, you would need to appoint a reliable surface supervisor that can spot the divers on the surface and bring the boat around for retrieval. It’s also important that you trail a surface float while you dive for the dive boat to keep track of the group and every diver should carry a safety sausage or a deploy-able high visibility buoy (Surface Marker Buoy) that can help the dive boat spot you, should you separate from the group and have to surface. A whistle attached to your BCD might help as well in such a situation.

If you know you are to dive in fast currents try not to overload yourself with too much dive gear and scuba accessories like large  underwater cameras and underwater torches. What you may want to consider carrying instead are things like an SMB (for sure!), a buddy line to avoid separation (however it risks getting snagged), a reef hook- a great way hang around a spot to wait for other divers to catch up or just stop and watch the passing life. This blunt hook about 10cm-long is attached to a 2m long line clipped to the diver and can be snagged into a piece of dead coral or a rock crevice.

If you’re not drift diving, always start the dive against the current, time the dive carefully and plan your turn around time depending on the speed of the current.Stay close to the reef wall or sea floor when in the same direction as the current. The current is almost always lesser at the bottom near the sea bed, so if you need to slow down or wait for the group to catch up with you, go lower and hug the bottom. If you find yourself pulled into an unexpected orientate yourself horizontally to make yourself as streamlined as possible and try to cross it diagonally by heading upstream of your destination.

Pace your breathing and keep a close eye on your gauges. It’s easy to loose track of both your depth and air consumption when you’re riding a fast current. Be prepared to inflate or dump air quickly if you get dragged down or up. If caught in a down current, try to get as close to the reef as you can and tuck yourself behind a ledge, be prepared to dump air from your BC quickly as soon as you get out to avoid ascending fast.

Streamline, streamline, streamline. Dangly bits can be a nightmare on a fast drift dive. You will get the best from the dive if you stay as neutrally buoyant and streamlined as possible. Wear a good pair of gloves in case you have to grab on to rocks and dead coral against a current (however avoid touching anything unless absolutely necessary).

Lastly, if you don’t have much experience don’t attempt a current dives unless with a certified dive instructor or a more experienced diver than you.

*Image credits: photos by kradk, kah_adiving, Raymond™ on flickr

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Scuba diving is just one of those sports where you can never know it all and you’re constantly learning new things. As you do different types of dives in different places or simply under different conditions, your experiences teach you more about the sport every dive. What’s more is, if you dive with different people, be it on dive trip or a liveaboard, talking to other divers of various experience levels is a great way of picking up tips and tricks about stuff you’ve never even thought of before.

Here’s a look at some random scuba tips we’ve picked up over our dives:

• For divers with a mustache, a little zipper silicon or petroleum jelly (vaseline) on the mustache helps your scuba mask seal over it better.
• Always wet your BC tank strap before securing your tank. Why? If your BC jacket is dry, no matter how tight you strap your tank in, when it gets wet, it will expand and loosen. You don’t want your tank slipping lower during a dive, do you?
• Never wash your wetsuit in hot water. Neoprene expands in hot water and loses some of the flexibility, so it is best not to soak your wetsuit in hot water when rinsing it off after use. Many scuba divers jump straight into a hot shower with their wetsuits on after a cold water dive, which can drastically reduce the life of your suit.
• Before donning a wetsuit or other neoprene items, spray the insides with a watered down hair conditioner to slip into it more easily. Or better yet, check out Suit Juice for a more environmentally friendly option that also helps to preserve neoprene.
• Always carry spare o-rings. Just as duck tape fixes everything on land, o-rings and tie wraps can fix anything when your at sea. Found in a variety of scuba gear, o-rings are needed for regulators, underwater lights, regulators, dive computers, as well as tank valves, and may often break due to pressure and wear & tear.
• Start equalizing before you get in the water. Listen for the pop and clicking sound when you’re on the boat or well before a dive. Do this by swallowing or by using the valsalva method gently. Pre-pressurizing  helps make equalization underwater much easier.
• When diving in hot weather and going into colder water with a camera in a housing, place the rig completed sealed in an ice chest/cooler with the drinks (ask first though ).That way it is tempered and ready to go and won’t  fog up when you dive in. (Silica packets also help with fogging issues).
• Put some folded tissues or silica gel sachets in the crevices of of your underwater camera housing to absorb some trickles of water that sometimes manage to get in.
• A good way to keep track of buddies or anything behind you: Tuck your chin down to your chest and look behind you from underneath your body. It beats trying to turn around!
• In the case of new masks, you can burn the residual coating on the lens by running the tip of a flame over the lens. But before we go any further, a word of caution…don’t try this on plastic lenses (they will melt). Using the tip of the flame, of either a lighter or candle, burn the coating on the lens (it will go black), being careful to keep the flame away from the silicone skirting. Also avoid allowing the glass to become too hot. Wait for the mask to cool and then wipe away the blackened soot with a soft cloth. Repeat until the glass no longer turns black easily. It might take 2-3 times. This gets rid of the coating permanently.

Don’t forget to share your tips and tricks with us in the comments section below!

*Image credits: photo by chesbayprogram on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Cool Scuba Tips We’re Always Learning is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!

When we first start scuba diving we don’t put too much thought into how we kick underwater to propel ourselves. As long as we’re moving in the direction we want, divers just sort of kick their way around forgetting the finning tips first taught to them by their open water certification instructors. However, with time and experience we yearn to polish even our most basic scuba skills and rightly so, to be more efficient on air (scuba gold!) and become more refined, better divers overall.

So, going back to basics, finning or kicking underwater affects more than just your movement and propulsion underwater and has more than one technique. Various finning styles used at different times and according to the conditions could really save on effort which in diving directly translates to air consumption.

Here’s a look at the most common finning techniques-

The Flutter Kick

This is most likely the first style of finning you are taught when you’re learning to scuba dive. In this standard kick, the legs move up and down in opposing directions with a fairly straight leg. When performed properly, the action originates from the hips and provides propulsion and forward thrust on the downward stroke of each fin. The body position in this technique involves the hips and legs to be inline with the torso, the knees only bend slightly on the upward stroke of the kick and straighten on the downward stroke while the toes (fins) remain pointed.

The flutter kick works best with long, gentle strokes, using the muscles at the front of the thighs to do most of the work and is good to thrust yourself forward. Diving isn’t about speed though and this style is rarely used by advanced divers as it is more strenuous and could cause a diver to waste energy. Plus, this style of kicking can easily disturb nearby seabed or marine life by kicking up silt or sand, so is best avoided when near the seabed or along a wall.

Modified Flutter Kick

This is the most common and practiced by many. It involves a flutter kick with the knees bend. It still propels the diver but at reduced efficiency and less effort. Good for a slow and relaxed dive. Performed best by those with floaty feet!

The Scissors Kick

The body position in this technique looks like the flutter kick i.e legs straight,knees slightly bent. But, the leg motion is quite different. Instead of the legs crossing each other in an up and down movement, the legs are widened and then brought together sharply (like a pair of scissors closing) and held in that position for a glide count. One leg is dedicated to the upper part of the kick, the other for the downward stroke. This kick is also known as the split kick and is favored for it’s power without the effort of the flutter kick.

This is a great finning style to use when cruising and allows you to swim closer to the substrate without making contact with your fins or stirring up sand or silt.

The Frog Kick

This style of kicking is one of the most popular among cave divers to avoid kicking up silt or sand in confined spaces. In the frog kick the body and upper legs maintain a straight, horizontal trim but the knees are bent so the fin blades point upward on a steep diagonal. You are required to kick similar to the manner used in the breast stroke of swimming but you have to twist the ankle/lower leg at a right angle in order to achieve proper orientation of the fin. Many divers find it relaxing to use the frog kick as a general cruising kick, either by itself or alternating with the flutter kick every few minutes. The frog kick however, does not work very well with some types of fins like split fins.

Short Frog Kick

In this modified version of the frog kick, divers don’t move their legs as far out as the standard frog kick, instead restrict the movements of your thighs and knees while letting the the calves and a flick of the ankles to do all the work. This is a good gentle kick, with not a lot of thrust making it ideal for use in confined spaces.

Backwards Kick

As the name suggest this is for moving away from objects or moving backwards. It’s not an easy or elegant kick, but is useful in many situations. This technique is almost a complete reverse of the frog kick, the fins work through the first half when your legs move out and way from you then pulling them close to your body, scoop the fins forwards and stopped halfway to prevent you from moving forward. The legs are delicately positioned back to the start point and repeated.

*Photo Credits: photos by Magnera, xstevex1,aa7ae, Nemo’s great uncle, ClifB, Saspotato on flickr

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DCS or Decompression Illness as it’s known is a scuba diver’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, it’s one of the biggest risks of scuba diving and literally thousands of divers, at some point or the other in their diving history have experienced less life threatening symptoms of decompression sickness in the form of minor skin tingling or joint pain. Luckily the full blown blood curdling version of the same is rarer, but still a constant worry for most divers. Here’s a look at some of the best tips we’ve come across to avoid decompression sickness and minimize the risk of ever experiencing it ourselves:

1. Plan,Plan, Plan. Never dive without a dive plan or a dive computer. The key to avoiding decompression is knowing the dive site, depths of the site and planning out a time-frame for the entire dive before hand and then obviously sticking to the dive plan is key to prepping for a dive. Plan conservatively, keeping a margin for changes and aspects of the dive contingent on environmental conditions or simply factors you hadn’t considered in the planning- for eg. water currents.
2. Don’t dive drunk or high. It goes without saying that diving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not a good idea. Besides the fact that you’d be intoxicated which could cloud your judgment in an emergency situation underwater, alcohol dehydrates a diver’s body, lowering the volume of blood in circulation. It also causes an increased heart rate. In other words, if you had nitrogen saturated blood, it would pump through your body at the faster rate. This in turn increases the risk of the nitrogen turning into the gaseous state of tiny bubbles, rather than breaking it down into smaller soluble states that allow it to escape the body and blood stream safely.
3. Stay hydrated. For the same reason stated above, a well hydrated body can better cope with nitrogen saturation. Teamed with the fact that most times you are outdoors in the sun when diving and since you’re in and around water a lot you forget to drink enough, dehydration is the most common cause of DCS.
4. Adhere to safety stops and a slow ascent rate. Never skimp out on a safety stop or deep stop when your dive computer or dive table indicates one. It’s even better to do a slightly longer stop than indicated to be on the safer side. Ascent rate too as most divers are warned in the very beginning is crucial when it comes to DCS. A 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.
5. Don’t fly immediately after diving.  The dilemma usually crops up, cos as divers we are always keen to squeeze in those few extra dives just before we have to make the most of our diving trips, after-all you just heard the other divers spot a manta ray at a particular dive site, what if it’s still around this afternoon? or you really wanted to have one last look at the amazing Electric Flame Scallop you’ve never even heard of before…whatever the reasons, it’s important  to keep a gap of 12 hours after completing a single dive or 18 hours when doing multiple dives and where possible 24 hours before flying. Truth of the matter is that ascending to an altitude immediately after diving causes a significant risk for decompression sickness.

That said, there are no dive tables or dive computers that can guarantee 100% a diver will not get DCS. But if a diver learns how to calculate dive time properly, stays within safe depth limits and ascends slowly from every dive while taking recommended decompression stops, they can lessen their chance of getting bent.

When planning multiple dives in a day, do your deepest dives first and then shallower dives. Always carry out a 5 minute safety stop, even on a no decompression dives to be on the safer side. Avoid flying 24 hours before or after diving.

ALWAYS plan your dive and dive your plan! Dive safe!

*image credits: photo by Caranx latus on flickr

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Planning a scuba diving trip/liveaboard diving trip with your own scuba gear? Here are a few tips and tricks on taking care of your diving equipments and what not to forget….

1. Mark your gear- Put a distinct mark or write your name on all your gear, big or small. While I’m not insinuating  that people steal, on a busy boat with a lot of divers and gear strewn about it’s not that hard to pick up someone’s else stuff by mistake, especially if it looks similar. It would be a shame to lose that favorite mask or that expensive dive knife or anything for that matter. If you’ve spent hard earned cash on buying your own scuba kit, take the pride that it is yours and the precautions to keep it that way. Plus, it’ll save any embarrassment if you happen to accuse anyone of theft and then have the proof to back it up.

featured above: Aeris Competitive package available at LeisurePro

2. Protect your dive regulator during travel- Probably one of the most expensive and not to forget important pieces of scuba diving equipment is your regulator. The best way to protect it during travel would be to invest in a special padded regulator bag which can be taken as a carry on, for flights as well. If you don’t have one of these nifty scuba gear bags then  remember to wrap your regs in swaddling cloths and put it in your carry on rather than checked in bag, to avoid any damage in transit. Pictured right the AquaLung Traveler 50 Regulator Bag

3. Carry your own spares- There nothing worst than having to abort a dive or sit out a dive because a $2-$4  part broke down and no one had any spares. Just as duck tape fixes everything on land, O-rings and tie wraps can fix anything when your at sea. Found in a variety of scuba gear, O-rings are needed for regulators, U/W lights, as well as tank valves, and may often break due to pressure and wear & tear. If you’re unsure about what spares to think of and carry with you, buy a save-a-dive kit like the Princeton Tec Save-A-Dive Kit available at Leisurepro.com, that as all the basics and essentials like a mask strap, fin strap, O-rings, regulator mouthpiece, snorkel keeper and the little stuff, that could save your dive if need be. These kits usually come in compact waterproof containers and are a must have to complete dive kit. Buy one and toss it in that scuba bag for the day you’ll need something out of it. Pictured left the Princeton Tec Save-A-Dive Kit

4. Wet your tank band before kitting up- Chances are if it’s your first dive and your BC jacket is dry, you’ll want to wet the tank band before strapping in your tank. Why, you might ask. If your BC is dry, no matter how tight you strap your tank in, when it gets wet, it will expand and loosed a bit. You don’t want your tank slipping lower during a dive now, do you? A simple solution, wet your tank band before kitting up for a worry free dive.

5.  Rinse your gear- The best tip for equipment longevity is one you’ve probably hear a lot, but is worth repeating. Rinse you gear thoroughly after a dive. Whether it’s a salt-water, fresh-water or even pool water dive, it’s important to rinse every piece of your scuba kit of everything including salt, sand, dirt…etc. Also another note to make is to be careful while putting the dust cap onto the first stage of your regulator. Make sure it is dry by quickly blasting it with some air from your tank. However don’t blast the first stage of your regulator, much to the pet peeve of every divemaster out there, just your dust cap!

If you invest the time and money to acquire your our scuba diving gear and equipment, take the time to invest in it’s maintenance. It’ll ensure you stretch you money’s worth and with it keep your gear in good working condition and looking slick.

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | Tips And Tricks For Diving With Your Own Gear is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One 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!

Talking to divers on my last dive trip, I noticed a disturbing trend. In a discussion about deep dives, a novice diver pipped in that he had once dived to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet) with regular air, on his last dive trip. Knowing he hadn’t very many dives under his belt, I asked him what his certification level was and when he promptly replied it was right off the bat after his Open Water certification and only his 5th dive ever, I was shocked.

However, what came as a shock to me, wasn’t near as surprising to some of the other divers who shared doing risky deep dives without the experience nor the training. Some of the divers didn’t even have dive computers of their own at the time and relied completely on the dive guide’s. One common thread they all shared was, they claimed not to know what they were doing was risky, they just followed their dive guides and did what they said. Is it that common for divers to put themselves trustingly in the hands of dive shops without considering whether what they are about to do is safe? Who’s responsible for any incidents, the certified diver or the dive shop?

Part of the reason why divers are made to sign waivers before diving, is to take complete responsibility for their actions. As certified divers, we all know the risks of scuba diving and the increase in those risks as we go deeper. Monitoring depth and time during a dive is one of the very first things a diver is taught when certified. So why do we forget this just because there’s a leader? Blindly following the dive guide puts you in a vulnerable position.

Every diver’s dive profile is different. If you happen to dip even 15 feet lower than your dive guide or buddy with a dive computer, it shortens your dive time. Exceeding your dive time even puts you at higher risk of decompression sickness. Not only that, diving beyond recommended depths for recreational diving on air has further more risks like nitrogen narcosis.

While many make lightly of nitrogen narcosis being just like a drunk feeling, at 100 feet or deeper underwater, it can spell disaster. You’ve probably been that deep or even deeper and never felt narced, right? and that’s exactly why it can be dangerous. Chances are you’ve never even noticed the effects of narcosis cause not cause you haven’t been narced but rather you haven’t noticed. Most times when nitrogen narcosis hits, you haven’t had do anything but breathe normally through your regulator, which is almost second nature if you’ve been diving a while. It’s when and if you have react or deal with anything that requires some thoughtful response you’ll be in trouble. So while you must have heard about decompression Illness being the biggest risk of diving, some consider Nitrogen narcosis more dangerous as it attacks the most important piece of life-support diving equipment a diver has- their brain.

Bottom line is….Don’t blindly play follow the leader when you dive. Be responsible for your own dive plan. No one should tell you how deep or for how long you have to dive for. As good as their intentions may be, all it takes is one incident for your worse nightmare to become a reality. So why risk it? Your experience, training, practice and dive buddy are all important factors to consider if you’re up for a dive, particularly if it’s considered an advanced dive or there are environmental conditions you’re never faced before. Don’t let anyone talk you into doing dives you may have doubts about. Don’t let peer pressure put you in a situation that you are not ready for. It’s your life and your responsibility at the end of the day.

*Photo credits: photos by reneetb , SWBatzer, torbenator on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | A Lesson In Diver Responsibility- Don’t Play Follow The Leader is an original article from Aquaviews.net | One comment

Air consumption is a big deal for divers. It’s not just for the sake of more bottom time and a longer dive anymore, but it’s become a means of competition and bragging rights. Many believe that, the more air you surface with in your scuba tanks, the better divers they are. But just how far do divers go to stretch that tank on air? And does it really help?

It’s not uncommon to see divers huff and puff to orally inflate their BC’s just before a dive. If you ask them why, they will tell you to it’s a good practice to avoid wasting air. Does it really make a difference? No. Truth of the matter is, a BCD (Buoyancy Compensating Device) uses a negligible amount of air as compared to what a scuba diving tank holds. Think about it logically. Say it takes you 2-3 breaths to fully inflate your BC orally, what’s 2-3 breaths taken from your regulator underwater? If you did the math on how many breaths you take in a minute underwater and how little 2-3 breaths would come too, you’ll feel silly. It’s not even 12 seconds of worth of air for the average diver. Further more, if were to use the power inflate on your Buoyancy Compensator the air used from your tank wouldn’t even show a significant change on your pressure gauge.

Another misconception divers have, is trying to minimize their intake by breathing less underwater to conserve air. This practice actually adversely affects their consumption. By taking short shallow breaths you shorten your air supply as your body doesn’t absorb enough oxygen with each breath. Consciously trying to lower your intake, holding your breath or expanding your lungs beyond their capacity, are all ridiculous ways of conserving air. Instead breathing right, deep and consistent for the maximum gas transfer is key for maximizing your air supply. Diving slow, shallower and being properly weighted are other ways that DO help reduce air consumption.

My advice is, not to beat yourself up about it at all. People are different and each have their own metabolisms which dictates a persons need and use for oxygen. Being obsessive about air consumption can often lead to a diver’s downfall of the very same. Dive slow, calm and most importantly have fun and enjoy your dive and forget about the rest. That alone may spare you the extra air you crave for a longer dive.

*photo credits: photos by tab2space on flickr

© Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog, 2011. | How Far Will You Go To Stretch Your Tank of Air? is an original article from Aquaviews.net | Be the first to comment!