So you are interested in scuba diving. Well, there are some things about it that you should be prepared for so that your first dive goes smoothly. This article will give you some tips and suggestions that you might not have heard or might have forgotten.
Before you even get on the boat make sure you know the water temperature of the area that you are in and buy or rent your wet suit accordingly. Nothing is worse than being cold on a dive. If you tend to get cold easily test out the water at a beach or put a leg or arm in the water for awhile off a dock to decide if you want to wear a hood or gloves. I would also recommend wearing both for awhile on land to see how comfortable they are. I once wore a hood as the water was the the sixty degree range and it made the dive miserable for me as it was squeezing my jaw the entire time. I tried diving without it in even colder water and was perfectly happy with how warm I was. It is simply up to personal preference but it helps to know before you're in the water.
Have you been sniffling lately? One major problem new diver often run into is that they may have a slight cold and think nothing of it, but it can actually effect you when you try to equalize your ears underwater. Equalizing is when you put your index and thumb in front of your nose and gently exhale to equalize the pressure in your ears. A cold can sometimes prevent you fro being able to this underwater which can lead to your ears hurting for the dive or even prevent you from diving because of the pain. To prevent this take Sudafed or a nasal decongested so you can easily equalize.
Do you know the standard procedure for setting up your tank? When you go out on a dive with several other people, everyone wants to get in the water at roughly the same time so they aren't waiting around. It helps if you have a check list to go through so you can quickly set up your gear and get into the water so you don't hold up other people, even if everyone is at the same level of experience there tends to be some who are simply speedy with gear-set up. First get your tank then attach your hoses and your BCD ( Buoyancy Control Device) and tie on your regulator.
Most dive masters will run your trough a buddy check system but having the system in your head can help you to be confident you followed the procedure correctly and can make the dive masters job a bit easier. I use an easy acronym to help me remember all the steps, it was told to me by a dive mater once. Burgers With Relish And Fries. Burgers stands for your BCD, make sure you have it inflated to the proper amount. With stands for your weights, make sure your weight belt is on and securely fastened. Relish is right hand release, your weight belt should be releasable with your right hand as in an emergency where you need to surface you would hold your BCD hose with your left hand. Fries is final ok, to complete the acronym make sure your die buddy has gone through it too and is ready to get in the water.
Depending on where you are diving you may see a shark or two. Although they are heavily portrayed and extremely dangerous and monsters this is false. While getting bitten by a shark would be a highly unpleasant experience the sharks you encounter under water are not out to get you. They are just cruising around looking for food or just swimming around, you are not of interest to them and while they can be a gorgeous sight to see, you shouldn't be afraid of them. If you see a shark while diving simply keep your eyes on it at all times to let it know that you see it.
So remember, before you hope into the water know the temperature and get a gear you will feel comfortable in. If you think you have a cold take a decongestant so you can equalize as you feel you should. Have a check list of how to set up your gear and prepare for going into the water, possibly use an acronym to help you remember. Lastly do not be scared if you see a shark. Just stay calm and remember a shark has no interest in a metal tube on a strange creature that is exhaling scary bubbles. I hope you enjoy your dive!
