Offering you the best diving tips is a great way to add value through this blog. The fact is that frequently you ask us about how to optimize some processes and we wanted to collect the answers. From putting on your neoprene faster, to reducing air consumption, to getting to the moment you get on the boat, in this series of two posts we offer you, small changes in your routines that will help you make your dives easier, longer, safer and above all more pleasant.
More than 25 years of experience diving daily guarantee them. Read on and find our answers to your most frequently asked questions. The 7 best diving tips you always wanted to know. Ah! and stay tuned, because soon we will offer you tips to control your air consumption and prolong your dives.
1. How do I put on my wetsuit faster?
If putting on your wetsuit in less than 10 minutes is a record to beat, in the following lines you will find the best diving tips to get you into the wetsuit quickly. For example, use a plastic bag to slide the suit over your arms and legs (reuse the bag as many times as possible and then put it in the plastic recycling garbage can).
Using lycra nets is a good solution for those who have problems with their legs. Other people use specific water-based lubricants for this function. Our human resources recommends that we put on the suit in the shower or by introducing a hose inside, the water will expand the fabric so that you have more room to maneuver.
2. How much weight do I need to weigh myself and how do I put it on?
Buoyancy control is a headache for many divers, and one of the keys to achieving it is to weigh yourself correctly and place these weights in the optimum position.
3. How do I optimize the safety check and don’t forget to check anything?
One of the best diving tips you’ve ever been given is to do a safety check before every dive. The reason is that more than 70% of the problems that can arise in a dive are prevented by this routine act.
But… how do you do it so that you don’t forget anything? Our advice is to do it from head to toe. Starting with the hood and ending with the fins, go through every piece of equipment you come across on the way.
And here’s an extra: Pay special attention to the regulator. To do this, one of the best tips you can apply is to try to breathe through both regulators (main and secondary) with the bottle closed. If you can’t do it, it’s because everything is fine, but if you breathe it’s because you have some hole that is letting the air through. Be careful, because when you dive, water will enter.
4. Do I have to follow any protocol on a dive boat?
You would be surprised how many people have diving equipment just like yours, especially if you have rented it from the dive store. Getting on the boat and spreading your equipment around is a big mistake.
Keep in mind that, accidents can happen, but not only that; many people put away the things that hinder them to place theirs in the boat, they move them of the site and when their owner goes to look for them he does not find them delaying the immersion and despairing to the rest of the group and likewise. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
One of the best diving tips we can give you so that this does not happen to you is the following Get on the boat first, put your things together and leave them as packed as possible. If you own the equipment, also mark it with your name.
Another important point on a boat is the time to get on the water. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to do a giant stride or a back flip, the truth is that at that moment your visibility is limited by your glasses, your equipment or your back. In other words, you won’t have a complete picture of what’s going on in the water. So the best diving tips for this moment are to expect double compliance from the crew and your dive partner. This way you will avoid mishaps.
5. How to make descents and ascents faster and safer?
We already know that descending freely through the blue sea is one of the preferred ways of descending for many divers. But if what we pretend is to offer you the best diving advices, then we have to tell you that doing it following a cape is the ideal way to ascend and descend. It is them for several reasons:
Because the descent is not to lead nor the ascent depends on the force of your fins. If there is some problem even you could ascend to pulse by the direct line to the boat.
Because all the divers in the group descend in the same line so it is easier to meet at the bottom.
And above all, because if there is any problem, anyone can give you air and not just your buddy as you will all be close to each other.
6. When do I start to return?
One of the best diving tips when determining the time to return is to use common sense or what is the same: Start the return before you get to the middle of your tank. The reason is very simple, if you continue until you reach or exceed the halfway point, the air contained in the tank will not allow you to return to the pick-up point. Surely you realize the dire consequences this can have, don’t you?
7. How do I get on the boat without getting exhausted in the attempt?
We are very aware that not all divers have the strength to push themselves with their arms and climb the ladder with all their equipment on. For that reason, the ladder of our boats has a 45º slope that makes it easy to put your foot on the step and climb up easily. Have you noticed this?
Some of the best diving tips we can give you for boarding the boat are:
- Hold on to the ladder, take off your fins and pass them to the crew. Be careful not to let go of the ladder under any circumstances, especially if there is a current. Otherwise, you will go away from the boat and have to come back with the fins in your hand. If you can’t hold on, have your partner do it.
- If you have to climb into a zodiac, take off your bottle and weights before climbing, pass them to your boat mates without letting go of the rope. But don’t take off your flippers, they will help you climb.