Scuba Skills

Where Is My Buddy: What to Do if You Get Separated

Where Is My Buddy: What to Do if You Get Separated

Communication and Signaling
Having someone at your side grants you a sense of safety and gives you confidence. Nevertheless, it may happen that you lose sight of each other during the dive. Getting separated from your buddy can be an unpleasant experience evoking anxiety and disorientation. So you should know how to prevent and deal with buddy separation if it does happen to you.
Where Is My Buddy: What to Do if You Get Separated

Where Is My Buddy: What to Do if You Get Separated

Communication and Signaling
Having someone at your side grants you a sense of safety and gives you confidence. Nevertheless, it may happen that you lose sight of each other during the dive. Getting separated from your buddy can be an unpleasant experience evoking anxiety and disorientation. So you should know how to prevent and deal with buddy separation if it does happen to you.
How to Be a Good Dive Buddy

How to Be a Good Dive Buddy

Dive Planning
Scuba diving goes hand in hand with a buddy system and we won’t be the first to tell you about its importance; however, with such a crucial topic as this one, repetition is more than necessary. For beginners, having a buddy on a dive is a must. That being said, even if you are a professional diver, a good buddy can literally be a life-saver in some situations. So, let’s look at why the buddy system is so important, how to find a good buddy, and how to become a better buddy yourself.
Underwater Photography Glossary

Underwater Photography Glossary

Underwater Photography
Getting into the world of photography can often feel like venturing into a new country with a foreign language that you do not know. To help you mingle among professional photographers and feel like a fish in the water, we’ve come up with a guide on the most important photography terms. Some of them cover photography in general while others are specific to underwater photography since to be good at it, you should understand the basic terms as well. Even if you’re familiar with many of these terms, you can use this glossary as a reference when you need to refresh your knowledge.
Simple Tricks to Improve Your Air Consumption

Simple Tricks to Improve Your Air Consumption

Breathing
Some time ago we have talked about different factors that influence your air consumption rate, as well as a few ways to calculate it. Hopefully, you have already had a chance to measure your SCR/DCR and can now move from theory to practice by using this knowledge in real-life diving situations. That being said, you should keep calculating your SCR periodically to measure your progress as you gain experience and become more comfortable in the water.
Beginner’s Guide to Underwater Photography: 5 Steps to Get Started

Beginner’s Guide to Underwater Photography: 5 Steps to Get Started

Underwater Photography
At one point or another, most divers start taking an interest in underwater photography. Many want to capture the memories of their undersea adventures and share them with their family and friends; some are willing to really learn the craft and create images worthy of getting published in magazines and websites; others still are simply looking for a new challenge. Regardless of where you fall on that scale, underwater photography can be incredibly rewarding, and yes, a bit tricky at times. So, here are a few tips to help you get started on the right fin.
Diving Solo: Yes or No?

Diving Solo: Yes or No?

Scuba Safety

The buddy system has been at the heart of recreational scuba diving since its very beginning. Nearly all new open water divers are taught to make pre-dive safety checks, practice descents and ascents, as well as perform air-sharing skills in buddy pairs. This, however, is not the only way to dive. Solo diving has become a preferred option for many scuba divers worldwide, with some of the major training agencies now offering solo and self-reliant diver training courses. Still, the topic of solo diving remains one of the most controversial in the scuba community.

Continuing Education: 5 Signs That It Is Time to Take Your Next Scuba Course

Continuing Education: 5 Signs That It Is Time to Take Your Next Scuba Course

Scuba Training

For virtually every diver, there comes a point in their diving “career” when they need to go back to the classroom. Whether you are a novice diver, not confident enough in your abilities, or a scuba pro, starting to experience a bout of aquatic apathy, enrolling in additional scuba classes might be just the cure. Continuing your scuba education is a great way to advance your diving knowledge, build confidence, gain new and perfect existing skills, expand the horizons of your diving world and unlock a fresh passion for underwater exploration.

Diving Certification Agencies Overview

Diving Certification Agencies Overview

Scuba Essentials

Scuba diving is a great way to explore the underwater world, but before taking a plunge into the deep blue with a tank behind your back, you need to get certified. Scuba certification is designed to provide aspiring divers with proper training and knowledge required to practice scuba diving safely and responsibly. Moreover, most dive shops will not rent or sell gear without proof of certification.

Scuba Skills: How to Plan a Dive

Scuba Skills: How to Plan a Dive

Dive Planning
Ever seen a diver in a movie? Here is how it looks most of the time - a diver (often wearing the wrong equipment) simply steps to the edge of a boat and jumps into the water. No planning, no prep. Cue the music. Of course, we can’t expect Hollywood to show us every intricate detail of a scuba dive, but these scenes present a skewed image of diving.
6 Simple Guidelines for Signaling on the Surface

6 Simple Guidelines for Signaling on the Surface

Communication and Signaling
Even when you surface from your dive, it is not quite over yet. You still need to convey your status to the crew and get to the boat. What's more, you should be prepared and know how to act in case you get separated from the boat or need urgent help. So here are 6 simple but important tips for surface signaling.
What Is Muck Diving And Why Should You Try It?

What Is Muck Diving And Why Should You Try It?

Marine Life Encounters
The term “muck” diving, coined by a scuba legend Bob Halstead, takes its name from the sediment that lies on the bottom of many dive sites. This sediment can be a mixture of sand, silt and a variety of natural debris such as dead corals or coral rubble. Although typical muck diving sites may appear to be desolate and uninspiring at the first glance, you really need to give this activity a chance.
Scuba Basics: Water Entry Methods

Scuba Basics: Water Entry Methods

Scuba Essentials
Every diver learns at least one water entry technique during their Open Water course. However, as they start diving in different conditions, they inevitably discover that there are actually several ways to get into the water. Most of the time the diver can simply choose the method he or she is comfortable with. In some cases though, there is no choice and the strategy needs to be selected based on the situation. So, let us take a look at five of the most common methods of water entry for scuba divers.
5 Tips to Prevent Dive Mask Leaks

5 Tips to Prevent Dive Mask Leaks

Dive Mask
Everyone who has ever had problems with a leaking scuba mask knows, that it’s one of the most irritating things that can happen on a dive. Having to constantly stop and clear out the water from your mask does not only distract you from watching the beautiful marine life, but also contributes to poor air consumption. The good news is that performing only a few simple steps can help you ensure you get a great seal and prevent water from entering your mask.
Are You Properly Weighted?

Are You Properly Weighted?

Buoyancy
Diving is, at heart, about control. Only when you are in control of your movement, air, and level of confidence, you can enjoy a great dive. One particularly important factor that influences your dive experience is how well you are able to manage your weight and control your buoyancy. When you are properly weighted, you will glide through the water naturally, like a marine creature. Furthermore, you will not spend your precious air fiddling with the BC valve controls to find a balance.
Scuba Skills: Buoyancy Control Tips

Scuba Skills: Buoyancy Control Tips

Buoyancy
Precise control of your buoyancy is one of the most important skills every scuba diver should master. It helps to refine your ability to move through the water safely and makes you better at managing your air consumption. Good buoyancy is also what enables you to hover completely motionless or back out easily without using your hands and touching the fragile coral.