Many things in life have dos and don’ts, but when it comes to scuba diving, it’s of paramount importance you know how to act in and out of the water. The following scuba diving rules are stuff a lot of divers can break accidentally, or intentionally, without really thinking of the consequences.
Most of this list falls under the “just be a good person” category and, more often or not, you might find yourself in one of these situations without even noticing. Educate yourself now with our five don’ts of scuba diving.
Don’t Be Rude To The Boat Crew
Ideally, let’s try not to be rude to anybody. You will find that professional divers and boat crews are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet, so they don’t deserve an ounce of rudeness from you. While the dive guides and instructors are looking after you in the water, the boat crew are doing amazing things and looking after you out of the water.
Yes, we know “they are being paid”, but that’s besides the point. These specialists have dedicated their lives to being in and around the water. They are doing a heck of a lot of things behind the scenes that you can’t see. So be sure not to give them any grief. At the end of the day, they are making your diving experience as great as it can be.
It’s also not the smartest idea to get on the wrong side of your dive crew. While they can make your dive experience super, they also have the power to dial that down rather quickly.
Don’t Think You’re Better Than You Are
Nobody likes a show-off, and the same goes in the realm of scuba diving. When you first start off, you’ll be with an instructor who will be keeping you safe at all times. It means you’re naturally cautious, so incidents and accidents tend to be low. The next few dives after this can be the most dangerous ones, where your confidence grows faster than your skills. This is when the potential for accidents happen because you feel like you’re bulletproof. This also means you’re more likely to push yourself too far and get yourself hurt, either through action or inaction.
The dangerous ones are going too deep, going into caves, and approaching wrecks. Those are the ones that can cause danger and harm. Another one is equipment malfunction and physical health. People get lazy or complacent, so they don’t check their gear as thoroughly as they were trained to do so. In fact, humility is one of the most important characteristics a diver can have because humbled divers can look at a tempting situation and say no to it. They can also tell their buddy they don’t feel comfortable on a dive. The humble divers are the unsung heroes of the scuba world.
