5 Safety Mistakes Beginner Divers Make (and How to Avoid Them) – Clear Tips to Prevent Underwater Accidents
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5 Safety Mistakes Beginner Divers Make (and How to Avoid Them) – Clear Tips to Prevent Underwater Accidents
The underwater world is incredible, but to fully enjoy it safely, you need to know and follow a few basic rules.
Many diving accidents happen not because of a lack of equipment or adverse conditions, but due to common mistakes that can easily be avoided with awareness and proper training.
Here are the 5 most frequent mistakes beginners make — and how to avoid them.
1. Not Checking Your Gear Before the Dive
Common mistake: getting excited about the descent and forgetting to do a complete buddy check.
Example: your weight belt isn’t secured properly and falls off shortly after entering the water, causing an uncontrolled ascent.
How to avoid it: always perform the B.W.R.A.F. check (BCD, Weights, Releases, Air, Final OK) with your buddy, as taught in the PADI Open Water Diver course.
2. Descending Too Quickly
Common mistake: letting excitement take over and descending without controlling buoyancy or equalizing.
Example: ear pain and risk of barotrauma after just a few meters.
How to avoid it: descend slowly, equalize often, and maintain eye contact with your buddy.
3. Ignoring Signs of Stress or Panic
Common mistake: thinking “I’ll be fine” even when breathing is fast or visibility is poor.
Example: a diver who feels uneasy starts using air too quickly and has to end the dive early.
How to avoid it: learn to recognize stress symptoms, stop, signal your buddy, and manage the situation calmly.
4. Failing to Plan the Dive (or Not Sticking to the Plan)
Common mistake: entering the water thinking “we’ll see how it goes” without a clear plan.
Example: losing sight of your buddy and drifting off course, forcing you to surface far from the boat.
How to avoid it: plan maximum depth, time, route, and emergency signals, as taught in the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course.
5. Ascending Too Fast
Common mistake: underestimating the dangers of a rapid ascent.
Example: a diver runs out of air and ascends quickly without a safety stop, increasing the risk of decompression sickness.
How to avoid it: maintain a maximum ascent rate of 18 meters per minute and always do a 3-minute safety stop at 5 meters.
Conclusion:
Scuba diving is safe and rewarding when approached with the right preparation. Taking a course like the PADI Open Water Diver will give you the skills to dive safely and recognize and handle unexpected situations.
Credits: Photo from the web
Author: Francesco Cordone
