Skills · habits that keep you safe
Scuba skills and safety: the habits every course teaches
Scuba skills and safety habits are what your training is really for. The card says you passed; the habits are what keep a small problem from becoming a big one. Here are the core skills every diver should keep sharp.
The golden rule: keep breathing
Air in your lungs expands as you rise and the water pressure drops. If you hold your breath while ascending, even a short distance, that expanding air can over-stretch and injure your lungs. So the first rule every course teaches is simple: breathe slowly and continuously, and never hold your breath on scuba.
Slow, deep breathing also uses less air, helps you stay calm and makes buoyancy easier to control.
The pre-dive buddy check
Before every dive, you and your buddy check each other's equipment. Agencies teach it with slightly different memory aids, but it always covers the same things:
- BCD: inflates and deflates; the low-pressure hose is connected.
- Weights: in place, and you both know how to release them.
- Releases: every buckle and strap is fastened, and you know how each opens.
- Air: the tank valve is fully open, the gauge shows a full tank, both regulators breathe easily.
- Final OK: mask, fins, computer and anything else you need are ready.
It takes a minute and catches the most common pre-dive mistakes, such as a closed tank valve.
Equalizing your ears
As you descend, water pressure pushes on your eardrums. You equalize by gently letting air into your middle ear, most often by pinching your nose and blowing softly. Do it at the surface, then every metre or so on the way down, before you feel pressure. If an ear will not clear, rise a little and try again. Never force it, and never dive with congestion. Our post on how to equalize your ears when diving goes through every technique.
Buoyancy control
Good buoyancy means hovering in the water without sinking or rising, and without kicking to stay level. It protects coral and marine life, saves air, prevents uncontrolled ascents and makes diving far more relaxing. It depends on three things: correct weighting (enough to descend, no more), small adjustments to your BCD, and your breathing, since a full breath lifts you slightly and an exhale lets you sink.
If you find yourself constantly adding and dumping air, a buoyancy specialty or an Advanced Open Water buoyancy dive is time well spent.
Core skills to keep sharp
| Skill | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mask clearing | A bit of water in your mask is common; clearing it calmly prevents panic. |
| Regulator recovery | If your regulator is knocked from your mouth, you can find it and breathe again in seconds. |
| Air sharing | Breathing from your buddy's alternate air source if you run low or have a problem. |
| Monitoring your air | Checking your gauge often and ending the dive with a reserve, never running low. |
| Controlled ascent | Rising slowly, looking up and around, venting air from your BCD as it expands. |
| Hand signals | Agreeing on signals with your buddy before the dive, including air pressure signals. |
Ascents and safety stops
Ascending slowly gives your body time to release the nitrogen it absorbed during the dive. Training agencies set a maximum ascent rate of 18 m / 60 ft per minute, and many dive computers use a slower rate of about 9 to 10 m / 30 ft per minute. Follow your computer, and never rise faster than your smallest bubbles.
At the end of every dive, make a safety stop of three minutes at about 5 m / 15 ft. It is not strictly required on every dive, but it is a widely recommended habit that reduces decompression stress.
Plan the dive, dive the plan
- Agree on maximum depth, maximum time and the air pressure at which you will turn around and end the dive.
- Stay within the no-decompression limits shown by your computer, with a margin.
- Agree on what to do if you get separated: usually search for about a minute, then surface and reunite.
- Stay within your training and experience. Conditions you have not trained for, such as strong current, deep water or overhead environments, call for more training first.
After the dive
Drink water, rest between dives and log your dive. Avoid flying soon after diving; our page on scuba diving medical requirements includes the widely used waiting times. If you or a buddy feel unusual pain, numbness, weakness, dizziness or unusual tiredness after a dive, seek medical help and mention that you have been diving.
If these habits feel rusty, a refresher session with a professional is quick and well worth it. If they feel new, start with the Open Water certification guide.