The most common diving related injuries to divers are buoyancy related. Uncontrolled ascents, marine life injuries, ear and sinus trauma, and more can be prevented by simply learning to better control your buoyancy during a dive. Remember, practice makes perfect so if you are not perfect the first time you try, don't give up, just try again!

Poor buoyancy control can result in descending deeper than you intended or ascending more quickly than is safe. By adjusting the amount of air in your BCD you can help minimize this problem
Having to make constant adjustments in your BCD uses air more quickly which will impact the amount of time you have to dive.

Ear and sinus injuries often result from poor buoyancy control. During descent, if a diver feels uncomfortable they should stop the descent immediately and ascend until the pressure resolves, attempt to equalize again, and then continue to descend if everything equalizes. The same is true on the way up. If you feel pressure upon ascent, descend until the pressure subsides, equalize, and continue the ascent slowly. Without proper buoyancy, this can be difficult to impossible.

Most marine life injuries happen because of accidental contact between the diver and the marine life. Proper buoyancy helps keep distance between the diver and the marine life to minimize the risk of injury.
Your diving experience should be a comfortable and pleasurable experience. Maintaining proper buoyancy can help ensure that you have a good time exploring the underwater environment!

Never stop developing your diving abilities. The more you learn the more comfortable and prepared you will be as you explore the underwater world. There are many different things you can learn from first aid to diving in new environments such as caverns, wrecks, and caves. Each environment comes with its own excitement and adventure so get trained and explore them all! No matter where your diving adventures take you, make sure you are equipped with the proper training!

• Your certification only qualifies you for a set diving environment. DO NOT DIVE BEYOND YOUR TRAINING!
• As you continue your training, slowly extend your experiences. Diving from the shore in the Carribean is different than diving from a boat in the Midwest. Remember to dive within your comfort zone as well as your certification. Consider environment and water temperature into your comfortability in new diving locations.
• If you are worried or feel uncomfortable with a dive, DO NOT DO IT! Diving should be a fun experience, not a stressful one
• If you want to begin exploring new types of environments, get the proper training first to ensure you are exploring them safely. Each new environment brings its own set of challenges so be sure you are prepared to manage them. Training can mean the difference between life and death in the underwater environment, so choose wisely!
• Don't forget about first aid training. In an emergency you will not regret spending a few hours of your time in a class.
• Other Specialty Courses Available (not an exhaustive list)
  • Wreck Diver
  • Cavern Diver
  • Night Diver
  • Deep Diver (60ft +)
  • Drysuit Diving
  • Nitrox Diving
  • Advanced Diver
  • Master Diver

If you or someone you know are interested in any of these continuing education courses call or stop in to the shop and ask to speak to Steve!