I’ve been reading my new subscription to Scuba Diving Magazine from PADI and am now waiting for some friends of mine to join me diving soon. I need to take a refresher, but I am certified. Here are the main points that you should know about how to dive from my memory and reading:
- Keep on breathing, i.e. never hold your breath.
- Don’t rise faster than your bubbles. This is a rough estimate of your proper decompression when diving. Beware the bends:
“Scuba divers decompress by ascending slowly. The gases (in particular nitrogen) that have dissolved into your bodily tissues under pressure at depth are released as you ascend, as the water pressure reduces.”
- Keep equalizing, i.e. pinch your nose and as you swim down or up and then try to breathe out of your nose. You will feel a slight pop as the air behind your eardrum equalizes pressure with the air in the front of your eardrum. If your ears dot not pop, stay at the depth you are until they do. If after a few seconds, you can still not pop them, go slowly up and try again at different depths. If you just can’t get them to equalize, surface and call the dive off.
- Pay attention to time, depth, and air supply and make decompression stops if required. Try this rundown.
- Always have a buddy!
I plan to extend this, but for now, anyone want to comment?
