Asian Diver — October 2017

90

PART OF THE THRILL of diving

is encountering the unexpected;

you never know what is going to

emerge out of the blue, or what

critter you might discover hiding

in the muck.

But there are certain surprises

we would rather do without

underwater; running out of air,

losing our buddy, becoming

entangled, taking a hit of DCS are

just some of situations that we

can do our best to avoid with a

little bit of planning and a good

dose of common sense.

Make sure you are prepared

for the unexpected with these

basic guidelines. AD

PREP FOR THE

UNEXPECTED

Scrimp on the kit. Dive

gear is life support gear,

and cheap or second-hand

equipment could cost you

when push comes to shove

Dive if you’re not feeling

confident and happy with

the plan. Trust your intuition

and remember that smart

divers know when to say no

Deviate from your dive plan.

No whale shark at 50 metres

is worth it if it means putting

your life, or that of your

buddy, in danger

DON'T DON'T DON'T

Plan your dive and dive

your plan. Talk through the

whole dive with your buddy

and/or dive guide, including

all emergency procedures

and entries and exits, and

don’t deviate!

Dive with a responsible

operator. Make sure that

the dive centre you choose

has well-maintained gear,

an emergency plan, oxygen

on the boat, and properly

trained guides

Get kitted out. Your standard

dive kit should be well

maintained and should

include basic safety gear.

Speciality dives will need

speciality equipment – don’t

dive without it!

DO DO DO

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DOS & DON'TS