Hints and Tips for Scuba Diving
To all of you infected with a passion for diving and tired of being dry… let’s start with a few hints and tips for scuba diving in preparation for your next dive. In the next couple of blogs we will publish articles on the topics below. Stay tuned!
Buoyancy
Breathing Techniques
How to interact with marine animals
Tips on spotting marine animals
Underwater communication
How to take proper care of your dive equipment – cleaning and storing.
During the Open Water course you have learnt all the basic skills needed in scuba diving, are you sure you have mastered them all? Do you feel a little rusty after a long surface interval between your holidays? Are you an expert diver and want to have more tips or suggestions on how to improve your diving techniques or how to properly care for your dive equipment? Do you wish to get closer to the aquatic life to get some amazing photos? Or have you always wondered how your dive guide can spot all the most camouflaged marine life that you struggle to see?
After years of teaching and guiding divers, we have listed a few of the most common mistakes on diving techniques and good dive practices.
Today’s topic on hints and tips for scuba diving is:
Buoyancy control
We know that this is a very challenging skill to master for all the new divers, but it can also be problematic for divers with more experience.
This will help you:
- Choose the correct amount of weight, your dive guide can help you. It depends on the size of the tank and if it is made of aluminium or steel. Also consider the thickness of your wetsuit and the salinity of the water. If you are in doubt, add only 1 extra weight for the first dive.
- Adjust your weight belt or your integrated weight system so it is balanced on both sides. Remember that your belt should always be placed in level with your belly button.
- During your buddy check, make sure you and your buddy are streamlined – all hoses, cables and equipment are properly attached.
- Always remember to inflate your BCD at the surface to establish positive buoyancy and then just relax.
- At your dive guide’s signal, get in a vertical position, completely deflate your BCD and exhale deeply, you should start to sink slowly. After sinking a few meters, get yourself in a horizontal position, as this will slow down your descent and will allow you to see where you are going. Adjust your buoyancy by adding small quantities of air in your BCD. Once you reach the bottom you should be neutral.
- After descending, check again the position of your belt and all your equipment.
- When you start diving after a long period, focus on it and do not use a camera or a GoPro yet, leave it for later. A photo is not worth breaking the coral around you.
- Swim slowly and look where you are going, check the position of your fins and arms.
- Remember that breathing is essential for a good neutral buoyancy. Work on it as you have learned in your Open Water course. Keep one or two minutes on every dive to practice this skill.
- If there is a tiny little marine creature that you want to see closely, wait your turn and move slowly towards the reef, checking what it is around you and the best way to approach it. Make sure you do not touch any coral, do not move your legs or lie on the bottom. Once you want to leave, inhale deeply to lift yourself.
- On the way up to the surface, be vertical and ready to remove little quantities of air from your BCD to remain neutrally buoyant. It will help to check your computer/depth gauge often.
- While doing your safety stop – if you have the correct amount of weight and your tank is at about 50 BAR, you should be able to stay at 5 meters with your BCD completely empty using only your breath to control your buoyancy.
- Do not forget to note down the weight you used to give you an idea in the future.
We hope that you enjoyed and learned something new today! Feel free to write us your opinion and personal problem about this specific skill.
Next time we will be back with few hints and tips on how you can improve your air consumption!
