5 MISTAKES DIVERS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
is an addictive sport. It attracts people from all over the world to experience something abnormal – an alien world. With diving being such an adrenaline-fuelled sport, accidents are bound to happen. Along with the Divers Alert Network (DAN), we explore some of the most common mistakes that divers make when diving
It happens. Overly excited divers get into the water and forget the steps of their predive checks. With no air in your BCD, and no air through your regulator, a serious accident can happen fast. Always conduct a proper pre-dive check before every single dive
“Equalise lightly and frequently” is a repeated mantra on many an Open Water course. It’s important to equalise when you descend. Experiencing pain in your ear? It’s already too late. Equalise every metre on your way down and don’t force it A little bit of extra weight is no big deal, but being seriously overweighted – making remaining neutrally buoyant near-impossible – is dangerous. If you are one of the unlucky divers who missed out on “proper weighting and buoyancy control”, then we suggest getting a refresher course to have an instructor/ mentor fine-tune your weighting, buoyancy and trim
Some divers burn through their gas faster than a leaking oven – excited over a first-time sighting of a shark, or nervous at getting left behind. Over 18 metres deep, panicking and starved of air is a position that no diver wants to be in. On a dive, you need to know three things: How much gas you have, what depth you’re at, and what your no decompression limit is. Being diligent of these factors will mitigate any risks when underwater Often, many divers let the guide take full control. Don’t let this happen. Maintain your awareness, hold your attention and have some accountability. It pays to know where you’re headed and whether there’s a danger, because if something does happen, you are responsible for yourself