Planning beforehand is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your scuba diving experience is a good one. Scuba diving is not just about jumping into the water, and being in control of the entire process is the best way to protect yourself.
Beginner divers - experienced or not - need to do a lot of preparation before they even put the edges of their flippers in the water. In a way, the dive plan is the foundation upon which the entire dive is built. The wrong plan can mean a shaky foundation and a bad or even miserable experience. On the other hand, a good plan can help you stay safe and enjoy your dive to the fullest. To create such a plan, you should have more than just a general idea of where you are going. Here are some of the elements that a good dive plan should contain.
1. Sites to diveIf you don't have a dive site in mind that you want to go to, then you can start by determining your overall goal for the dive. For example, you could decide something like this : "I want to travel to an exotic place and try diving. "You can then research the best destination for the type of diving you have chosen. At this stage, you should also consider the time of year you plan to travel.
Once you have decided where you want to go, you should check the weather and environmental conditions at the site. Consider tides, currents, water temperature, visibility and seabed composition. Tides affect the depth and accessibility of the dive site. Water temperature determines what kind of wetsuit you need to wear. Bottom contours and composition have a significant impact on site visibility, depth range and biodiversity.
Knowing all of this will help you identify and plan for potential hazards specific to your chosen dive site. Ultimately, the more you know about diving, the better prepared you will be. If you need to, get some expert advice and additional training before you dive.
2. Maximum Depth and DurationOCEANICPROPLUSX Dive Computerized Table
Nowadays, with the availability of sophisticated dive computerized tables, many divers choose to put one on, plunge into the water, dive to a depth that suits them, and then bubble around until the dive computerized table tells them to resurface.
However, we always insist that it's best to plan ahead and use a dive computerized watch in conjunction with any kind of recreational dive program to calculate your personal underwater time and depth limits. While modern dive computerized watches are very reliable, you shouldn't lose track of the basics. Dive computerized watches should be used as an extra level of safety, not a substitute for proper use of a computerized watch.
Another thing you should consider when planning a dive is your air consumption. Failure to consider how you use your air can lead to situations:
For example, if you plan a 50-minute dive and end up unexpectedly running out of air in your cylinders in 40 minutes, you end up needing to make an emergency ascent. Knowing your surface consumption rate will allow you to calculate how much air you need to bring on any given dive to make it back a little spare.
3. Dive EquipmentIt is vital to carefully plan your dive equipment needs before you dive. Equipment will vary depending on the type of dive you are doing (night, cave, ice, current, etc.) and what you have planned ahead of time.
Oceanic Diving Mask ENZO
4. Emergency ProceduresIt is important for every diver to have an emergency plan. Whether it's a small problem like a broken fin band, or something more serious, you should be prepared to face it. Update your knowledge on how to perform an emergency ascent should you need to, surface away from the boat or separate from your buddy.
Make a written list of facilities and emergency resources in the area, including hospitals and clinics, search-and-rescue agencies, transportation or evacuation services, hyperbaric chambers, and medical insurance companies for participating divers. Your gear should include key items such as spare o-rings in different sizes, fin straps, dive mask straps, dive computer meter batteries, some wire straps to connect your gear, some duct tape, etc.
5. Self-evaluationIt is important to assess your level of dive readiness. You probably know your goals and have the right equipment. You may have even carefully studied the environment. However, all of this is irrelevant if you are not fit to dive.
6. Buddy EvaluationIn addition to checking your own readiness, you need to check the readiness level of your buddy or companion, who should be flexible and ready to adjust your plans in case things change.
Going fundive with a dive buddy, without the instructor by my side, I instantly realized that a dive buddy is like a life and death friend, reliable dive buddies take care of each other and support each other when problems and dangers come.
What is the definition of a dive buddy? Most people would answer: a dive buddy, who takes care of each other and supports each other during the dive. Yes, this is the standard definition. However, the fact is that many people define a dive buddy as: someone who comes to take care of me!
When divers stay together, they ask each other about levels and bottle counts, and then choose the strongest one in the hope of forming a dive buddy with the other. If this is how you look for a dive buddy, it's easy, and here's a good one for you:
Walk into the dive store with your head held high, left hand folded, right hand held high with a full dollar bill, and yell out, I want a dive guide who is responsible for taking only me! Taking the initiative yourself leads to being with each other, leads to taking care of each other. They first take the initiative to become a submarine partner who can take care of each other, and then guide and educate each other to become a submarine partner who can take care of themselves!