Scuba Diving Safety

Scuba diving can be both thrilling and safe. But to keep the chance of an unwanted incident low, some basic rules and suggestions should be followed. The following tips, while not intended to be exhaustive, can improve the safety of your dive:

• Get proper training get certified and do not dive beyond your ability. If you take a course at a resort, do not go deeper than 30 feet, even if the resort allows it. To dive in wrecks or caverns, get specific training for this type of dive.
• Make sure you are fit to dive take a medical exam before you begin diving or before traveling abroad to dive. Nearly one third of all scuba diving fatalities are due to heart or circulatory problems. Also, dont dive if you do not feel your best or if you are hung over. You need to be able to take the physical stress of diving and remain mentally focused.
• Double-check all your gear when setting up your gear en route, take the time to once again make sure that everything is working.
• Dive with a buddy check each others gear again to make sure you didnt miss anything. Staying with your buddy while diving is an important safety tip. If you lose your buddy, look around for one minute, and if you still do not see him or her, slowly ascend to the surface (your buddy should have done the same).
• Do not hold your breath breathe normally. Holding your breath can cause lung injuries or even an air embolism (a potentially fatal injury in which an air bubble enters your blood stream).
• Be aware of currents and weather conditions and if the weather turns unexpectedly, or the current becomes uncomfortably strong, dont hesitate to end the dive.
• Equalize frequently as you descend you should do so before feeling any ear pain to avoid injury to the inner ear.
• Keep monitoring your air gauge you need to have enough air for a safe ascent and a sufficient reserve in case of unforeseen circumstances.
• Plan your dive and dive your plan dive within the limits of your plan and plan according to your limitations
• Dont touch anything this is for your own protection as well as that of the corals. Practice buoyancy control so you can hover without the need for support.
• Make others aware of problems especially if you become exhausted or you do not feel well.
• Always ascend slowly and make all safety stops the number one rule in diving to avoid dangerous, painful and potentially fatal decompression sickness (“the bends”).
• Avoid traffic look and listen for boat traffic before surfacing. When on the surface, be prepared to descend if a boat approaches. Do not approach your boat from under water slowly surface a few yards away from the boat and approach it on the surface only after you are certain the boat is stationary and a crewmember has seen you.
• Dont fly until at least 24 hours after a dive a pressurized environment can cause decompression sickness if the nitrogen in your body has not dissipated.

With the proper training and precautions, diving is a safe sport. Accidents, however, can and do happen. And unfortunately, in too many cases, the resulting diving injuries could have been avoided.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a diving accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a qualified personal injury attorney with experience in diving injury cases for an evaluation of your case.

See also:
Scuba diving injuries