Tips for Safe Diving

Whether you’re plunging the depths of the Pacific,the Mediterranean or the Red Sea, not to mention a string of other exotic locations, you’ll be making an amazing journey of discovery into an underwater realm that most people never get to experience.

And with the right training and planning you should have the time of your life, as most divers do. However, there’s no denying that scuba diving carries some risk and so you need to be sure you do all you can to prepare adequately and minimise these risks.

Here are some tips for making the most of your time below the water’s surface:

•             Don’t even think about diving without the right qualifications. Usually that means completing an internationally recognised diving course. This usually involves theory and practical assessments, although you’ll only get your certification once you’ve done a set number of dives in a lake, the ocean or similar.
•             It’s worth chatting to your GP before you start learning to dive. You will find having a basic level of fitness and the ability to swim competently a great help.
•             It’s never a good idea to dive alone, especially if you are novice under the water. Take a dive buddy along, and you’ll enjoy it more anyway.
•             Diving in caves, wrecks or under ice requires further specialist training and may not be covered by your general travel insurance so you should consider buying specialist dive insurance.
•             Understand diving first aid, and be familiar with the early signs of heat exhaustion, dehydration and hypothermia. Equally, don’t dive if there’s any indication that local weather conditions may be less than perfectly safe. If a storm is brewing, leave the water immediately – a lightning strike if you are in the water could be very dangerous.
•             Check equipment carefully before diving, and be sure that it has been recently tested, especially if you have rented your kit.
•             Never touch a fish or other form of marine life if you are not fully confident that you know what it is and you are legally and ethically allowed to.
•             Diving at dusk is feeding time for bigger predators – and you should only dive after dark if you are properly qualified to do so.
•             This may sound obvious, but it’s surprising how many divers forget to slap on enough sunscreen or drink enough water in all the excitement of a dive.
•             Listen to the instructions of whoever is in charge of the dive, and follow them to the letter. Without a qualified instructor or dive master, your general travel insurance policy may not be valid.
•             Although you may have travel insurance, diving to the depth you want to dive to may not be covered so check before you leave. You need travel insurance including scuba diving specifically.

Diving Insurance from Dive Master Insurance

At Dive Master Insurance, we are one of the world’s largest independent providers of recreational dive-related insurance, and can include specialist risks quickly to suit the needs of our varied client base. We cover many areas of the world, including Mexico, the Red Sea, Australasia and South East Asia. Learn more from our website today.