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Out with the old, in with the new.
15 January 2021
By Danel Wentzel
With the beginning of every year, we always feel that it’s a new opportunity to accomplish whatever we couldn’t the year before. It is also a chance to change and to drop the bad habits to start fresh. 2020 was a tough year that made us all change; we might have adopted new good habits, but some of us didn’t give up the bad ones.
Scuba Diving is all about the experience and having fun, but there are rules to follow too. Sometimes we might not be aware that cutting corners and not doing excactly what we've learned in training can be dangerous. So, I want to take the opportunity to let you know about 5 bad habits that you need to avoid as a Scuba diver this year.
Skipping your pre-dive safety check.
Big.Waves.Really.Are.Fun!
The pre-dive saftey check is an essential routine we get tought during our open water course, and one we should never skip. A pilot doesn't skip out on a pre-flight check just because "he flies all the time", and neither should we skip this life saving routine.
2. Not checking your cylinder.
How many times have we rushed gearing up before a dive and completely forgot to check our gauge. It is important to know how many air (if any) are in our cylinder. This becomes even more important when we start diving with Nitrox. Analysing your cylinder before a dive ensures you are not breathing the wrong mix at depth. The rule is simple: Know what you are breathing.
3. Diving beyond your limits.
It might be cool to show off your deepest dive ever, but no amount of dives qualify you to go deeper without the proper training. There is a reason open water divers are limited to 18m, advanced to 30m and only when you do your deep diver speciality would you be able to dive down to 40m. Always rmemeber to plan your dive, and dive your plan. Don't dive beyond the limits of your training.
4. Having your mask on your forehead.
If you had a good instructor, they would probably have pointed out to you that it is not the best idea to keep your mask on your forehead. Not only will it increase the risk of loosing it, but it is also the sign for a "diver in distress". Create a good habit and keep your mask on until you are on the boat on every dive.
5. Diving by yourself.
Wheter it is Scuba diving or Freediving, we really souldn't be out exploring by ourselves. "But I'm a photographer", "she dives too slow" and "I wanted to dive deeper" are not good reasons for leaving your buddy behind. Being within arms reach of your buddy doesn't only apply to buddies in love, it ultimately makes your dive much safer, and much more fun!
In a seashell.
For 2021 let's keep it safe, and keep it fun by avoiding these 5 bad Scuba diving habits.
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