Our Favorite Tips & Tricks for Responsible Diving
Create a system that works best for YOU. Responsible divers prioritize safety, beginning with kitting up their gear. Creating a system helps to ensure no steps are missed. Steps repeated over time create a routine which is necessary as the diving set-up requires multiple key areas of focus. Responsible divers will look for these same items while performing their buddy checks. Read our article about Our Favorite Tips & Tricks for Responsible Diving.
Our favourite acronym is BWARF- One easy and simple way to remember this is British Women Are Really Fantastic. Although, you can create any saying that makes sense to you.
- B for BCD. Ensure your BCD inflator and 3 separate pulls are properly functioning.
- W for Weights. Whether you sport a weight belt or have integrated your weights into your BDC, proper buoyancy is critical. Bonus: Don’t forget to consider the salinity of the water. The Red Sea requires more weight than the Caribbean, for example. Ask your Divemaster for guidance if you are not sure.
- A for Air. Is your tank turned on? Seems simple, but you would be surprised how often divers enter the water only to realize their “oops” moment.
- R for Releases. In the extremely rare event you or your buddy need to remove your BDC underwater, it is very helpful to know exactly where your and their releases are located in order to act quickly.
- F for Final. This is the final “twirl” around with you and your buddy to ensure that all straps are properly secured, all hoses are tucked away and all gear is generally streamlined.
Main tips for Responsible Diving
Streamline your gear while diving. Streamlining, or tucking in your gear close to your body, while diving is one of the strongest indicators of a “responsible diver.” Imagine yourself diving in a group, drifting over stunning coral (which grows at a slow rate of only 2cm a year) and you see a buddy with their pressure gauge lose and dragging over the coral, inadvertently breaking off some of the growth. While accidents like this happen all the time, they are completely avoidable when divers take care to streamline their gear.
Pre-treat your mask to reduce fog. Applying a small amount of dish soap to your mask prior to the dive will help keep the dreaded mask fog at bay. Let the soap sit in the mask for a couple of minutes then give the mask a quick rinse and you’re ready to go. The fog creates when the temperature changes, so the soap leaves a slight, but unnoticeable, film to prevent fog.
Equalize Early and Often. Pressure changes underwater can be intense, but our bodies are made to adapt. Equalizing early and often alleviates any discomfort or pain associated with the increased pressure we experience while diving. Proactively and consistently equalizing immediately upon descent will ensure a more enjoyable dive.
Leave only bubbles behind. The most important part of diving is safety. This concept extends to the environment and the creatures inhabiting this majestic underworld we visit. Responsible divers take care to not disturb the wildlife, ensure their buoyancy is on point so as not to damage coral and ensure proper disposal of any trash they encounter during their time at sea. Responsible divers are respectful visitors in the underwater world.
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