When you’re trying something new, especially a new outdoor recreational activity or sport, it can be easy to make mistakes. That being said, it’s important to know what these mistakes are so you know how to avoid them in the future.
Scuba diving is no exception to these mistakes, either. In fact, with 500,000 people becoming certified scuba divers every year in the U.S., it’s not a stretch to assume that a lot of people are still on their way to a full certification. So to avoid making some rookie mistakes, here are some of the common ones you need to know about.
Diving Outside Training Limits
Going to a new dive site can be exciting and fascinating, to say the least. It can be easy to want to explore so much more than what your training area allows, but you should under no circumstances let that happen. No matter how much you practice scuba diving on your own or how familiar you are with your scuba diving equipment, this is an extremely unsafe practice. Just because you have an experienced diver with you doesn’t mean going outside the training area is safe or smart.
Not Communicating
Communication during a dive is absolutely essential. If you lose track of your buddy, bad things can happen. After all, you may need to save their life during a dive, or they may need to save yours. Communication is key!
Being Unaware of Events Around You
If you take too much time to focus on adjusting your equipment or marvel at the marine life, you could easily lose track of the bigger picture. Where is your group? Are you being pushed away by a current? It’s incredibly important that you maintain situational awareness during your dives.
Ignoring Air Consumption
Air consumption should be at the top of your list of scuba training priorities. Whether you’re just aiming to practice scuba diving techniques or you’re preparing for beginner scuba diving classes, you should always be thinking about your air consumption and checking your oxygen levels.
These are just a few of many beginner mistakes that people make while learning to dive. Now that you know about some of them, they should be easier to avoid.
