Top 10 Scuba Diving Tips From The Pros

We’ve been hard at work and done some research amongst the staff at Mike’s Dive Store. We’ve asked the staff about their most useful scuba diving tips. From diving equipment maintenance to best scuba diving practices and tips they’re found useful, this is what the store’s staff has put together.

The best way to improve your skills is to keep learning, practising and improving. To help advance your skills in scuba diving, check out our blog, social media and Youtube Channel for daily updates and advice on all things scuba. But don’t forget, the more your practice, the more dives you complete and the different environments you encounter, the better your diving skills will become.

Clinton

From diving advice to gear recommendations, this is what our Store Manager, Clinton says are his top tips for scuba divers.

“Always dive with a dive buddy: Diving is safer in numbers”: By diving with someone, they can assist when you’re in need.

“Understand your own dive gear as well as your dive buddy’s gear”: Pre-dive planning is essential to ensure a safer dive. Before using your dive gear, research it and observe it to better understand its functions. If you’re diving with a new buddy, take time to get to know their gear too in case of a dive emergency.

“When buying dive gear, always buy gear that is best suited for you”: Don’t just go for something that looks pretty. Find something that fits your needs in terms of functions, features, fit, feel and budget.

Dan

From diving progression advice to what gear to buy, this is what our Customer Support Advisor, Dan, says are his top tips for scuba divers.

"My most useful tip is to follow your own path. A lot of divers get drawn into club clicks or peer pressure, getting pushed to the next course. Never feel the need to progress because someone else says so. There is a lot of diving to be done out there even in the Open Water levels, we are all different and all have different goals."

"Buying a kit is no different. If you fancy those Pink fins – Blue masks, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. They are just jealous. – If the colours clash – So what! They still do the great job they need to!"

Tristan

Here are some top tips from Store Supervisor, Tristan, on scuba diving gear, understanding your gear and tips on how to feel more relaxed when diving.

“Ensure that you understand your dive gear and how you would like for your dive gear to work for you as the diver.” - By better understanding your gear, it will ensure a safer, more enjoyable dive. Take time to research your new gear and learn more about its features and functions.

“Be happy diving and never do diving you do not feel is right for you.” - Never go beyond your comfort zone. Not only will it make your dive less enjoyable, but you could be putting yourself and others in danger. Make your dive more enjoyable by sticking to what you feel comfortable with.

Lauren

From my top recommended equipment to safety advice, these are my top tips on what all divers should keep in mind when scuba diving.

Bring a waterproof camera on all diving adventures: I never go on a dive without my underwater camera. I love capturing underwater memories so I can remember them for life and share those experiences with others. If you’re a beginner diver, I recommend taking a compact camera rather than a camera that you need to set up with a housing and lots of accessories. This is why I undoubtedly recommend the Sealife Micro 3.0 camera.

Never dive beyond your skill set: If you don’t feel comfortable diving at a certain dive site or environment, give that dive a miss. If you want to ease into a different environment, try a less extreme version of that environment and work your way up or take a course to develop your skills.

Take time to research before investing in gear: Don’t buy gear just because it looks pretty or matches your set-up. Take time to research the gear before you purchase. Go into a shop, try it on and ask the experts about what gear will best suit your diving needs. Make sure to invest in quality rather than the budget-friendly option as it's more environmentally friendly.

Take a mesh bag on all dives so that you’re prepared for any plastic or other rubbish that you find on your dives.

Titus

Titus, our Sales Assistant, has one main piece of advice - this is to “stay calm and relaxed as possible when diving – one thing at a time”.

It’s easy to become stressed or anxious in a new situation when diving. Scuba diving anxiety affects over half of divers at least once on a dive. If you’re starting to feel anxious underwater or concerned about your buddy feeling anxious, we’re here to help with some advice that we’ve gathered from scuba divers we’ve known to undergo underwater anxiety. Check out this blog on How Manage And Prevent Underwater Anxiety for more useful information, tips and advice.

Shem

Last up, here’s Shem, our Content and Marketing expert, with some of his top advice for scuba divers.

“Sea drops for masks are always handy.” - Mask fog is the worst, isn’t it? Having your mask fog up during your dive adventures is a pain. But say no more to mask fogging with this nifty invention as it’s designed to properly clean your mask and leave your mask free from fogging throughout your entire dive.

“Carry a spare kit box with you.” - We consider this to be something that every diver should contemplate investing in, as it could pretty well save your life during emergencies. Having the Spare Air kit gives you the peace of mind that during emergencies, you’ll have spare air in case you need it.

“Don’t panic.” - Panicking underwater is essentially a dive emergency. Panicking can lead to you doing things that you wouldn’t usually do. If you feel like you’re going to panic, signal to your buddy and remember to breathe.