Scuba Diving Safety
Scuba Diving Safety — What Every Diver Needs to Know
I know someone who got decompression sickness. They went to the recompression chamber and came out fine. But in the time between realising something was wrong and getting the all clear from the chamber, they were absolutely terrified. And understandably so — decompression sickness can kill.
Scuba diving is not inherently dangerous. Millions of dives are completed safely every year. But it requires attention, discipline, and respect for the water. The people who get hurt are almost always the people who stopped paying attention or stopped following the rules.
Here is what actually matters from a PADI Divemaster’s perspective.
The Most Common Mistakes Divers Make
Panicking. The number one cause of diving incidents. Panic causes divers to bolt for the surface, hold their breath, or make rapid movements that waste air and lead to poor decisions. The antidote to panic is preparation — knowing what to do before you need to do it, and slowing down rather than speeding up when something feels wrong.
Not equalising properly. Ear pain during descent is your ears telling you to slow down and equalise. Ignore it and you risk a perforated eardrum. The rule is simple — if it hurts, stop descending, equalise gently, and only continue when the pressure equalises successfully. Never force your way through ear pain.
Not listening to the briefing. The dive briefing exists for a reason. It covers the dive plan, entry and exit points, depth limits, time limits, what to do if you get separated, and any site-specific hazards. The DM and instructors are professionals — listen to them. Every single time, no matter how many dives you have.
Not knowing your buddy. Diving with a buddy you have never met without a proper buddy check and a plan is asking for problems. Introduce yourself. Agree on signals. Know their experience level. Know the plan.
Ignoring the dive computer. Your computer tracks your depth and no-decompression limits in real time. It is not a suggestion. It is the line between a safe dive and a recompression chamber.
The Buddy Check — Do It Every Time
The buddy check is the pre-dive safety check you complete with your dive partner before every single dive. In PADI training it is taught using the acronym BWRAF — sometimes remembered as Begin With Review And Friend or, as I learned it in a slightly more memorable way involving a drink at the end of the day.
B — BCD. Check both BCDs inflate and deflate correctly. Check the tank is properly secured.
W — Weights. Check both divers have the correct weight, the weight belt or integrated weights are correctly fitted, and you both know how to release each other’s weights if needed.
R — Releases. Know where every release on your buddy’s equipment is — shoulder buckles, waist buckle, crotch strap. You may need to remove their equipment quickly in an emergency.
A — Air. Both divers check their cylinders are fully open and check their own and each other’s air supply. Breathe from your regulator and confirm it is working.
F — Final check. Overall check — mask, fins, computer, SMB, dive plan agreed, signals confirmed.
The buddy check takes about 90 seconds. It is not optional. It is the most important 90 seconds of any dive.
Decompression Sickness — What It Is and Why It Matters
Decompression sickness — sometimes called the bends — occurs when nitrogen that has dissolved in your body tissues under pressure during a dive comes out of solution too quickly on ascent. The nitrogen forms bubbles in the tissues and bloodstream, causing symptoms ranging from joint pain and fatigue to paralysis and death in severe cases.
The way you prevent it: follow your dive computer’s no-decompression limits, ascend slowly — no faster than 18 metres per minute — and complete your safety stop at 5 metres for 3 minutes at the end of every dive.
The person I know who got the bends had a case serious enough to require the recompression chamber. They went in terrified and came out fine. Not everyone is that lucky. The chamber works — but the goal is never to need it.
If you or your buddy experience any unusual symptoms after a dive — joint pain, skin rashes, numbness, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, dizziness — treat it as a diving injury and seek medical attention immediately. Tell them you have been diving. Time matters with DCS. DAN is who I have my professional insurance with. they are brilliant.
Buoyancy — The Foundation of Safe Diving
Good buoyancy control is not just about looking like a good diver. It is a safety issue. A diver who cannot control their depth risks ascending too quickly, losing the safety stop, and surfacing away from the boat or entry point.
Work on your buoyancy every dive. Peak Performance Buoyancy is the PADI specialty that addresses this directly and I recommend it to every diver regardless of their experience level. Being neutrally buoyant — hovering effortlessly without touching the reef or the seabed — is what separates safe, experienced divers from those who are still managing their depth rather than controlling it.
The Rule You Never Break
Never hold your breath while scuba diving. Ever. Under any circumstances.
Breathing compressed air underwater means the air in your lungs is at ambient pressure — the same pressure as the water around you. If you ascend while holding your breath, the air in your lungs expands as the pressure decreases. A lung over-expansion injury — arterial gas embolism — can occur in as little as a metre of ascent while breath-holding. It can be fatal.
Keep breathing. Always. Even in an emergency — especially in an emergency. This is the one rule that every diving instructor from Open Water upward emphasises because it is the one rule that, if broken, has the most serious consequences.
Key Safety Signals to Know
Even the most experienced divers use hand signals underwater. Know these before every dive:
OK — thumb and index finger forming a circle, other fingers extended. Also used as a question — are you OK?
Not OK — hand held flat and rocked side to side.
Ascend — thumb pointing upward.
Descend — thumb pointing downward.
Out of air — hand drawn across the throat.
Low on air — closed fist tapped on chest.
Go to buddy — index and middle finger pointed at eyes then at your buddy.
FAQs
What do I do if I run low on air underwater?
Signal your buddy immediately using the low on air signal. Share air using the alternate air source (octopus) and ascend together in a controlled manner. Never attempt to surface alone when low on air — stay with your buddy.
What should I do if I get separated from my buddy?
Spend one minute searching at your current depth — look 360 degrees, above and below. If you do not locate your buddy within one minute, ascend slowly to the surface and meet there. Never continue a dive alone.
Is scuba diving safe for beginners?
Yes — when completed with a qualified PADI instructor at a registered dive centre, scuba diving has an excellent safety record. The risks increase significantly when divers exceed their certification limits, ignore their computer, or dive in conditions beyond their experience.
Always dive within your certification limits and experience level. If you suspect a diving injury, contact Divers Alert Network (DAN) immediately at dan.org.
