Alert Diver Category: Skills in Action

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, WARM SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. We were conducting two checkout dives for an advanced open-water course at a popular dive site in Puget Sound. I […]

WORKING AS A MATE ON DIVE BOATS for the past 22 years has allowed me to be a part of many interesting situations. When teaching scuba classes, I use one particular situation as evidence of the importance of maintaining skills through regular practice.

It was a sunny day at South Florida’s Blue Heron Bridge. Two years had passed since I last dived this location, and I was anticipating a simple excursion to look at the local fish. The dive plan was to make a shore entry and allow the current to take me west down the beach.

PROPER OUT-OF-AIR TRAINING and practice are important so a situation like this will not be the first time a diver is exposed to it.

“DON’T YOU DO IT. END IT CLEAN. Don’t make me come get you,” I’m muttering under my breath as I kick furiously along a lane line, doing my best to […]

MY DIVE BUDDY AND I planned to do a longer than usual dive one Saturday morning at Madison Blue Spring State Park in Lee, Florida. For several years and more […]

First aid training may come in handy at any moment and could save a life. A DAN member’s CPR training helped him save the life of a young drowning victim.

Even when in distress, it’s important to keep your regulator in place. Securing it can be the difference between a bad situation and a potentially life-threatening one.

Always dive with a buddy, and always do your predive safety checks. Should a life-threatening situation arise, don’t panic. Taking the extra time for both yourself and your buddy before getting in the water is important for every diver on every dive.

Be prepared for unexpected underwater situations by taking the initiative to be a responsible diver, keeping your cool and following your training.