bad habits to avoid?

[Leejnd]

Don't let them give you any crap, if you were aware of your depth, and therefore not going up and away embolizing, then why be embaressed?

Thanks! I feel better!

????? Please explain this bad habit ?????

I don't know if I would call this a bad habit, but certainly for me, if I forget to clear my ears on the surface right before I descend, I usually have a harder time once I drop and then start trying to clear them. I'll usually have to ascend a bit to get the clearing started. So I do have to remind myself to always clear my ears on the surface, and not wait until I descend and start to feel the pressure. If I wait that long, it's usually too late and I have to interrupt my descent to go up and clear.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Yep, no prob leejnd

 

[WeekendDiver]

- Fundamentals shouldn't become fundamentalism.

That is just so right. Just because you know how to Do It Right in most circumstances does not mean that it applies in ALL circumstances.....

 

[i think i am]

Good thread.

Here's a short list of things to avoid:

- getting in the water without knowing how much gas you need at a minimum, for the depth you are planning to dive to.
- using your hands
- getting complacent about skills (not practicing air shares)
- skipping predive planing
- touching the bottom with a finger or fin to stay in place
- Not checking on your buddies remaining gas when you check yours
- diving deeper 'just because'
- straying from your buddy (ask yourself: how far could I get if the next breath I took from the tank simply wasn't there?)
- letting you light 'drop and spin' for night dives when needing your hands. Looks like you're signalling that you are distressed.
- not testing your backup gear before getting in the water (reg, lights etc)

That's it off the top of my head, there are probably many more

I was actually instructed to use two fingers to gently push off the bottom if I get too close. Is there something wrong with this method? Idealily I would be able to control my bouyancy so this wouldn't happen but I'm only at the PADI Scuba Diver level and am working on my OW Certification.

 

[Steve_Dives]

A short story to help those using their hands underwater (yeah, me too). The light color of the palm could look like a fish to a predator. If you're stirring the water, it looks like a fish in some sort of death throws. So if you don't mind losing it, flap away!

Or was this the story about why you should wear gloves???

 

[SteveDiver]

A bad habit to avoid is NOT going with your instinct and following others. You can call a dive at anytime.

 

[RonFrank]

????? Please explain this bad habit ?????

Ear problems are the number one cause of injury in scuba divers. If you can not clear your ears at the surface (for lack of a better term) then you may have problems clearing while descending. I find that many, maybe most divers I know make sure their ears are ready to go before even getting in the water. I certainly do.

Doing this on a regular basis also exercises the tubes.

I'm not sure if it can be called strickly a bad habit. But it's certainly a good habit to make sure the ears are ready for diving before starting the dive. It also may remind the diver to start the process before necessary. If you are descending on a line, and wait until you need to clear before clearing, it maybe too late. I truly clear EARLY, and often as failure to do so can result in an ascent before the dive is off the ground just to clear.

 

[Quarrior]

Don't become an "expert" who knows everything there is to know about every type of diving regardless of how long you've been diving. Do not criticize the type of diving other's have done or scoff at their pride in their experience and equipment.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Don't become an "expert" who knows everything there is to know about every type of diving regardless of how long you've been diving. Do not criticize the type of diving other's have done or scoff at their pride in their experience and equipment.

he speaks the truth

 

[mobeeno]

Did not read the whole thread but forgetting to defog mask would be bad