| Scuba diving is a unique and beautiful experience that | | | | and certification in scuba will include a ranking that |
| everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. | | | | determines what levels of underwater hazards you're |
| Barring perhaps hydrophobics, almost anyone will find | | | | trained to tackle. Avoid any places that you aren't |
| the experience of being underwater and floating | | | | certified to handle. These areas will usually be very |
| along both exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. | | | | dangerous for the untrained, and will usually include |
| However, without proper training and preparation, | | | | special hazards that need their own branch of |
| scuba can also be a dangerous undertaking, with | | | | specialized scuba training or certain pieces of |
| hazards that can affect the unprepared. With proper | | | | equipment to overcome. Examples include scuba |
| equipment and precautions, however, it is a safe and | | | | diving in shark infested waters, ice floes, amongst |
| wonderful thing to do. Here are a few safety tips for | | | | coral reefs with toxic or aggressive underwater |
| the beginning scuba diver to consider before taking | | | | lifeforms, underwater caves, and shipwrecks. |
| up diving in earnest. | | | | Proper Equipment Is A Must - your training and |
| Training - Get certified. Take a training course that | | | | certification should also include care and maintenance |
| has official certification. If diving only for sport while | | | | of the scuba equipment. If you're using your own |
| on vacation like some people do, make sure that you | | | | equipment, make sure that you take excellent care |
| have a certified instructor accompanying you on your | | | | of it, keeping it in top condition. No matter how skilled |
| dive. If diving in earnest, take a course that will | | | | you are at navigating underwater, man is NOT |
| actually give you a certificate for diving (not | | | | biologically aquatic, and your equipment is all that's |
| necessarily as an instructor, but one that will register | | | | keeping you alive down there. If renting equipment, |
| you as a certified and capable scuba diver). | | | | give it much more than a cursory once-over. Examine |
| Physical Conditioning - see a doctor before taking up | | | | it carefully to make sure there are no flaws in the |
| scuba. Make sure that your doctor gives you a clean | | | | gear that might cause it to fail during a dive. One of |
| bill of health for the physical exertions required in | | | | the hazards of scuba diving is drowning if your |
| scuba. While mentally relaxing, scuba diving involves | | | | breathing apparatus gives out. |
| enough physical effort that people with weak | | | | Don't Dive Alone - Always have a dive buddy or an |
| cardiovascular and especially respiratory systems | | | | instructor with you, as long as you are with someone |
| can't indulge in it. Asthma, a weak heart, tendencies | | | | who has more experience than you. If you're diving |
| for asphyxiation, all of these can disqualify a person | | | | with a buddy, don't bring along someone who's also a |
| from scuba diving. Also on the note of physical | | | | noobie if you yourself are new to the game. If you're |
| capability, knowing how to swim is a huge bonus. | | | | an old hand diving with a noobie, make sure that your |
| While not a necessity because scuba gear allows | | | | partner knows how to follow your instructions once |
| even those who don't know how to swim to | | | | underwater. If you MUST dive alone, then at least |
| navigate underwater, it is nonetheless a very good | | | | have someone manning the boat on the surface to |
| thing to know. After all, you'll be underwater... | | | | make sure you've got a buddy on overwatch. |
| Avoid Places Where Bad Things Dwell - your training | | | | |