Guide 03 · Safety
Scuba diving safety: the habits that keep every dive safe
Scuba diving safety is less about rare emergencies and more about simple habits done every time. Divers who stay within their training, plan with their buddy, check their gear and come up slowly avoid almost all of the common problems. This guide covers those habits.
This guide is a reminder, not training. It summarizes habits taught in recreational scuba courses. It does not replace a course with a qualified instructor, medical advice, or the briefing and rules of the operator you dive with.
The essentials
Ten scuba diving safety habits
Dive within your training and experience
Stay within the depth and conditions you were trained for. If a dive is deeper, colder or rougher than you are used to, build up to it, ideally with an instructor or guide.
Plan the dive with your buddy
Agree on maximum depth and time, the route, the air pressure at which you turn around, hand signals, and what to do if you get separated.
Do a pre-dive check every time
Check each other's BCD inflation, weights, releases, air supply and final fit before every dive, however experienced you are.
Never hold your breath
Breathe slowly and continuously. Holding your breath while ascending is the one thing every course teaches you never to do.
Equalize early and often
Equalize your ears before you feel pressure, and descend slowly. If an ear will not clear, go up a little and try again. Never force it.
Watch your air and your depth
Check your gauge and computer often, and surface with a reserve. Many divers aim to be back on the boat with at least 50 bar (about 500 psi).
Ascend slowly and make a safety stop
Come up no faster than your computer and training allow, commonly about 9 meters (30 feet) a minute, and make a safety stop of about three minutes at around 5 meters (15 feet).
Stay close to your buddy
Stay close enough to reach each other in a few seconds. If you lose each other, follow the separation plan you agreed on.
Leave time before flying
Commonly used guidance says to wait at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and at least 18 hours after repeated dives or several days of diving.
Call the dive when it feels wrong
Any diver can end any dive at any time, for any reason, and nobody should argue. Feeling unwell, cold, anxious or unsure is reason enough.
Before the trip
Safety starts before you get in the water
Your health
Do not dive with a cold, congestion or an ear infection: you may not be able to equalize, and you risk injury. Stay hydrated, avoid alcohol before diving, and get proper sleep. If your health has changed since your last medical questionnaire, check with a doctor before diving. Our guide on how to learn to scuba dive explains the diver medical questionnaire.
Your skills
If it has been more than a year since your last dive, or you have only a handful of dives, book a refresher or a checkout dive. Buoyancy control in particular fades quickly, and it is the skill that most affects your safety and the reef's.
Your gear
Have your regulator and BCD serviced on schedule, check that your computer's battery is fresh, and try on gear you have not used for a while. If you rent, check the fit and function before the boat leaves. Our scuba gear for beginners guide explains what each piece does.
Your insurance
Standard travel insurance often excludes diving or limits its depth. Specialist dive insurance, such as the cover offered by Divers Alert Network (DAN) and others, can cover emergency treatment, recompression and evacuation. Check what your policy covers before you travel, especially to remote destinations.
How to choose a safe dive operator
The operator you dive with has a big effect on your safety. Good operators share a few things in common:
- They check your certification and recent experience, and match the sites to your level.
- They give a clear briefing covering the site, conditions, entry and exit, depth and time limits, and emergency procedures.
- Their rental gear is clean, well maintained and fitted properly.
- They carry emergency oxygen and a first aid kit, and the crew know how to use them.
- Groups are small, and guides keep track of everyone in the water.
- They are willing to cancel or change a dive when conditions are poor.
Each of our dive destination guides links to local operators. Use this list when you compare them. (Read how DiveHaus writes its guides for more on where our advice comes from.)
Protecting the reef is part of diving safely
Good buoyancy keeps you, and the reef, safe. Stay off the bottom, keep your gauges and hoses tucked in, do not touch or chase marine life, and follow local marine park rules. Many parks charge a small fee that pays for their protection.
Questions
Dive safety questions
Is scuba diving dangerous?
Recreational scuba diving has a good safety record when divers are properly trained, fit to dive and stay within their limits. Most problems come from diving beyond your training, running low on air or ascending too fast, and all of those can be avoided with the habits above.
How long should I wait to fly after scuba diving?
Commonly used guidance is at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and at least 18 hours after repeated dives or several days of diving. Many divers simply keep the last day of a trip dive-free.
What is a safety stop?
A safety stop is a pause of about three minutes at around 5 meters (15 feet) near the end of every dive. It gives your body extra time to release nitrogen before you surface, and it is recommended on every dive, even when it is not strictly required.
Can I dive with a cold?
It is best not to. Congestion can make it hard or impossible to equalize your ears and sinuses, which can lead to injury. Wait until you are fully recovered.
Dive with confidence
Choose a destination that matches your experience.