Scuba & Snorkeling

Scuba diving and snorkeling open up the water below the surface — with their own rules, since panic underwater is more dangerous than almost any equipment failure.

Top 10 Scuba & Snorkeling Safety Tips

  1. Never dive beyond your certification level or without a buddy.
  2. Check gear before every dive — regulator, BCD, tank pressure, mask seal.
  3. Know and respect no-decompression limits, and always do a safety stop.
  4. Equalize early and often during descent to avoid ear and sinus injury.
  5. Watch your air supply and turn back with a comfortable reserve, not on empty.
  6. Never hold your breath while scuba diving. Ascending with held breath can cause a serious lung over-expansion injury.
  7. Check current and conditions before snorkeling from shore. Even calm-looking water can have strong currents offshore.
  8. Use a dive flag or float when snorkeling or diving away from a boat.
  9. Know local marine hazards — coral, jellyfish, sea urchins — and how to avoid contact.
  10. Stay within your comfort zone. Panic underwater is more dangerous than almost any equipment failure.

Recommended Items to Bring

  • Mask, snorkel, and fins
  • Wetsuit or rash guard
  • BCD and regulator (scuba)
  • Dive computer
  • Correctly sized weight system
  • Dive flag or float
  • Underwater light, for low-visibility diving
  • Surface marker buoy
  • First aid / oxygen kit at the boat or shore
  • Reef-safe sunscreen

New to diving? Get certified through a recognized agency (PADI, SSI, NAUI) before diving independently — this is equipment- and skill-intensive in a way that genuinely requires formal training.

Relevant Terrain

Relevant Months

See also: Surfing.