Going on a scuba diving holiday is one of the most exciting vacations out there! Undoubtedly, you will have the time of your life, and see the most amazing underwater sights and species no matter where you choose to go!

With this, it is also important to note that scuba diving is considered an ‘extreme sport’, and thus requires careful planning and consideration when it comes to safety precautions concerning travelling and scuba diving.

Below is a list of safety tips for any certified scuba diver when planning dives and dive trips anywhere in the world.

1. Never hold your breath. This is the number 1 safety rule of scuba diving.
2. Research your dive operator. Make sure they are a certified dive school that follows safety regulations, a code of conduct for marine life interactions, and maintains their equipment well. Reading reviews and asking friends and forums for recommendations is an effective way of determining the right shop to dive with on your vacation.
3. Always dive with a buddy. Never dive alone, and if you’re not a local dive professional, always dive with a guide that has a deep understanding of the local area and conditions.
4. Listen to your dive briefing. Often, each dive instructor, guide, or dive operator will have their own safety measurements in place. These briefings are important to pay attention to in case of acting in an emergency situation.
5. Stay close to your dive guide! Don’t stray far from your dive guide or instructor when on the dive - you never know how conditions can rapidly change. Always make sure you are within sight of your guide.
6. Use a surface marker when ascending. If you do find yourself in an emergency situation where you need to ascend without your guide, deploy your SMB (surface marker buoy) first before ascent. If you don’t have one, use your alternate air source to purge air above you in order to signal to passing boats there is a diver below, so that they can avoid driving over you.
7. Ascend SLOWLY. Never ascend from depth faster than 18 meters per minute, and even slower when you are within the last 5 meters. This is to avoid decompression sickness - what occurs as a result of ascending too quickly. The nitrogen that has been absorbed by your body from breathing at depth needs time to escape your bloodstream. When we ascend too quickly, the nitrogen gets stuck in our blood and forms bubbles, damaging blood vessels and resulting in joint pain, tingling, numbness, and fatigue amongst a range of other symptoms. This is decompression sickness - as you have learned in your dive certification course.
8. Other ways to avoid decompression sickness include steering clear of strenuous exercise before and after diving, reducing alcohol intake, avoiding extreme changes in temperatures like saunas and hot tubs, and the use of a dive computer for safe ascent rates and decompression times during dives.
9. Avoid diving if you are congested. A cold can make it hard for you to equalise and can damage your ears and sinuses if you try to force it. Furthermore, DON’T take decongestants before a dive to tackle this problem as they might stop working during your dive, in which case it will hinder your ability to equalise on the way up - something very undesirable, unpleasant, and unsafe.
10. Double-check your gear and your dive buddy’s. You are relying on equipment when you are underwater, so make sure it’s ready to go!
11. Don’t touch anything! This is a tip that primarily exists for your safety. You never know what kinds of marine life are poisonous, aggressive if provoked, or even deadly to come in contact with. Keep your hands to yourself, practice good buoyancy, and be aware of your surroundings for safety!
12. Don’t fly right after a dive. As with the risks of ascending too quickly, this is to avoid decompression sickness. Plan for at least 12 hours between your last single dive and your flight (18 hours after multiple dives, 24 to be extra safe).

If you follow these safety tips, your scuba diving holiday should be smooth sailing! Bookmark this page so that you can refer to it anytime you plan to dive!

Written by Kayli Wouters

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