Scuba Diving Do's and Don'ts (You Might Have Overlooked)

If you have ever taken a sea cruise to say the caribbean or west coast around Catalina, you'll recall how blue and clear the water was. The perfect location for underwater enjoyment.
I think that (If) you were into scuba diving, or maybe not, and the cruise offered an underwater expedition you would want to sign-up. A big (If). If you sign-up, you would want to be in good physical condition and be an experienced swimmer, and most of all be Certified. Certification assures the cruise dive team you are a qualified Scuba Diver, the Grim Reaper also lurks underwater.

Scuba diving is one of the greatest sports activities in the world, but there are certain knowledge involved before entering into your exciting journey.

Dive Watch

Here are some Do's and Don'ts connected with Scuba Diving.
(Do's): (1) Be in good physical condition and be Certified. Physical Fitness and Certification are the two most important aspects of diving, make your journey enjoyable and safe.

(2) Have a check list. There are many items to consider, but these are the most important items to be sure you have before leaving home.

Mask, Diving Fins, Weight belt, Regulator and Octopus, Compass, Dive Light with backup, Dive knife, Dive watch, Air Tank and backup, Dive flag, Spare mouthpiece, First Aid kit, Flare gun-don't forget the flares.

(3) Have a diving partner. This will make your diving more pleasant and safe, especially if you get into trouble. Keep visual contact at all times, and try not to kick out you're partners mouthpiece.

(4) Have a third person. It's very important to have a third person along top side. They should have a cell phone handy in case of trouble, they can also assist you when getting out of the water.

(5) Take along an underwater camera and underwater light and backup. You'll want to show your friends and family pictures of your beautiful underwater adventure.

(Don'ts): (1) Please Don't Drink and Dive. Intoxication can put a diver in a compromised position. One being, the inability to use common sense, and make rational judgments, especially when it involves safety involving yourself and your partner. Leave the booze at home to enjoy while your viewing your pictures.

(2) Forget to let someone know where you are going and approx. when you'll return.

(3) Eat a big meal before making your dive. You should wait at least two (2) hours after eating before you make your dive. Diving on a full belly can put you in a dangerous situation. Not only creates the possibility of acquiring cramps, but also possible upchucking in your mouthpiece making it difficult to breath.

These are just a few of the Do's and Don'ts connected with the sport of Scuba diving.

Here are a few topics in my Tid-Bit section you might be interested in.

Tid-Bits: Several centuries B.C. ancient carvings revealed Assyrian soldiers crossing rivers using inflated goatskins. This the only documentation that inflated goatskins might have been used as breathing devices. I'll leave this to the readers imagination.

Leonardo de Vinci made the first known mention of an underwater breathing device. (UBD) around the 15th century. He described it as Bad Human Nature, and gave no details as to how it worked. Mainly because using the (UBD) could possibly be used to sink ships and even used to commit murder.

Waterproof goggles were first introduced in France in the 1930's. They were actually invented by Guy Gilpatrick to keep the salt water out of your eyes at the surface. Thanks Gil.

The first Scuba Certification course in the USA was offered by the L.A. Co. Dept. of Parks and Recreation. The program was introduced by Albert Tillman and Bev Morgan.

It was 1956 before wetsuits became available to the public.

I will be adding Tid-Bits to upcomming articles. The main topic of this article is to caution you as a diver to use sound judgement in safety and take advantage of the great rewards you'll receive from your Scuba Diving Experience

Scuba Diving Do's and Don'ts (You Might Have Overlooked)