Below is a list of dos and don'ts for safe diving, including pre-preparation, equipment check, points to remember during and after the dive:
Pre-diving preparation
Health check: conduct a comprehensive physical examination to ensure that there is no cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, neurological disease and other chronic diseases, as well as colds, fever, cough and other acute respiratory infections, pregnant women, epileptic patients, etc. are also not suitable for diving.
Mastery of diving knowledge and skills: Participate in formal diving training courses, learning diving theory, safety knowledge, first aid skills and environmental awareness, etc., proficient in diving operation skills, such as the use of equipment, breathing techniques, buoyancy control, emergency procedures, etc., and pass the examination to obtain a diving certificate.
Understand the diving environment: study the marine life, currents, water temperature, visibility, undercurrents, offshore currents and other environmental factors of the dive site to avoid dangerous areas, as well as pay attention to weather forecasts to avoid diving in bad weather.
Make a dive plan: Define the purpose of the dive, location, depth, time, route, etc., and inform others or stay with the shore team to ensure that someone is aware of the whereabouts, and strictly follow the plan.
Comply with insurance requirements: purchase adequate dive insurance, including accidental injury insurance, medical insurance, etc., in order to cope with unexpected situations.
Diving equipment inspection
Breathing system: check that the cylinder pressure is sufficient, the valve has no leakage and opens smoothly; the breathing regulator breathes smoothly, has no odor, and the exhalation and inhalation valves are normal; the buoyancy control device (BCD) inflates and deflates flexibly, the backstrap is suitable, and there is no leakage of the low-pressure expansion capsule; and the function of the backup air source is normal.
Instrumentation: Confirm that the dive computer meter has sufficient power, functions normally, and can accurately display depth, time, remaining air volume and other information; the pressure gauge accurately displays cylinder pressure.
Other equipment: check the sealing and warmth of the diving suit; diving mask fits the face, anti-fog effective; flippers are not broken, and fit with the feet; dive knife, flashlight and other auxiliary tools with good performance.
Diving process
Entry Stage: Choose the appropriate entry point and method, avoid jumping directly into dangerous areas, such as rocks, coral reefs, etc., and maintain the correct entry posture to reduce the risk of bodily injury.
Breathing and buoyancy control: maintain even and calm breathing, avoid holding breath or excessive deep breathing; use buoyancy control device reasonably to maintain neutral buoyancy and avoid unnecessary physical exertion.
Maintain a safe distance: Keep a proper distance from your dive buddy to avoid collision or hooking up if the distance is too close, and to prevent loss of contact if the distance is too far; keep a distance of at least 2 meters from marine life to avoid disturbing or scaring them.
Pay attention to the meter readings: Pay close attention to the dive computer meter and other instruments to grasp the remaining air volume, depth, time and other information, follow the “one-third rule” to use the air supply, and reasonably arrange the time of ascent and the safety stop time.
Observe the rules of diving: avoid diving alone and follow the buddy system; do not touch, feed or hurt marine life; ascent speed should not exceed 0.15 meters per second, and make safety stops for 3-5 minutes; do not travel by airplane within 15-24 hours after diving.
Handling of Special Situations
Equipment failure: If the respirator fails, stay calm, use the spare air source or share air with your dive buddy, and ascend out of the water slowly; when the mask enters water or breaks, cover your nose and ascend slowly, and hold your breath to avoid lung expansion damage.
Physical discomfort: if dizziness, nausea, chest pain and other discomforts, immediately stop diving, ascend to the surface or a safe area, according to the situation to take first aid measures or seek medical attention; ear pain, stop diving, ear pressure balance adjustment.
Encountering dangerous creatures: stay calm, back away slowly, avoid provoking or scaring them, apply vinegar or special ointment to relieve stinging pain if encountering jellyfish, and seek medical attention if the situation is serious.
Emergencies: If you encounter an emergency, immediately send a distress signal to your dive buddy or dive team, stay calm, follow the emergency procedures, use a surface marker tube or buoyancy bag to mark your location and wait for rescue.
After the dive
Check the physical condition: pay attention to the body after getting out of the water for any abnormality, such as joint pain, itchy skin, dizziness, breathing difficulties, etc., if any abnormality seek medical attention in time and inform the doctor about the diving experience.
Tidy up the equipment: timely cleaning, drying diving equipment, check for damage, maintenance, to extend the service life.
Record diving: Record diving sites, time, depth, time, feelings and other information, summarize the experience and improve the skill level.
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