Scuba Diving Step By Step

Are you a beginner? We recommend going scuba diving with an instructor. You should research the diving schools you’ll talk to before doing business with them. Follow our step-by-step scuba diving guide to know how to start.

Step1. Get Certified
You don’t need to get certified to scuba dive, but there are no businesses that will allow you to scuba dive without proper certification. It’s too dangerous to allow anyone to throw themselves underwater if they don’t know what they’re doing.

So, how can you solve that issue? Get your scuba diving certification! You probably have a few places nearby to certify you if you plan to scuba dive near home. Of course, you should take the classes to learn how to scuba dive properly (and not because of the certification itself).

Step2. Buy (Or Rent) Your Gear
It’d be incredible if we could breathe underwater, but unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. You have to buy or rent scuba diving gear if you plan to submerge yourself.

Is it better to buy or rent scuba diving gear? Renting is more affordable, but we suggest buying your equipment if you’re serious about this activity. You’ll save money long-term if you plan to dive often, and you’ll get to check your gear before each dive.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what to get. We’ll cover the essentials in the section below.

Step3. Scout The Location
Make sure you know about your next diving spot before you go there. In other words, do your research to see what may happen underwater and on the surface.

You should know the twists and turns you may face after you dive. What animals are swimming there? How deep can the dive get? Will there be a lot of people diving there as well?

Learn about the surface too. Are there too many scuba diving places nearby? Where’s the nearest hospital? Is there a place to eat something and rest your legs after diving?

Step4. Suit Up Into Your Gear

1. Remove the cylinder head cap from the cylinder.
2. Put the BC cylinder strap on the cylinder, put the cylinder height adjustment strap on the cylinder head, make sure the cylinder head is at the same height as the BC collar, and fasten the cylinder strap. The Clamp is very stiff, be sure to keep your hand open and fingers away. The contours in the BCD should match the contours of the tank to avoid hitting your head while underwater. You will know the tank is on tight enough if you can pick up the tank by lifting the BCD with little tank movement.
3. Loosen the dust cap of the first stage head, and put the first stage head on the cylinder, do not need to rotate very tightly. The regulator’s tightening knob should be away from the BCD.
4. Connect the middle air pipe to the BCD controller, To attach the hose pull back the slide piece, insert male end and release the slide piece.
5. Residual pressure gauge face down, press the second-stage head regulator, open a small section of the cylinder, hear the sound of air leakage after the cylinder open all the way to the bottom and turn back half a turn. Listen for leaks or blowouts. A leak means that you may have a loose connection. A blowout means you need to replace the tanks O-ring.If you do not hear a Leak or Blowout you are good to go!
6. Check whether the residual pressure is sufficient.You may dive with less than a full tank This will shorten your dive time.
7. Check whether the regulator is normal air supply,Take TWO “sip’s” of Air From Your Regulator Making Sure the Air Is ON. This ensure’s you your tank is on and that the air you are provided is clean.
8. Check whether the backup regulator is normal air supply
9. Put on the cold suit
10. Put on diving shoes.Put on Scuba fins.
11. De-fog the mask
12. Move the pipeline to the front of the body, kneel in a high position to prepare for the equipment
13. Ask your dive partner to assist you in loading
14. Adjust BC shoulder straps, glue on belly band, buckle belly buckle, buckle chest buckle, Be sure to secure the chest buckle, cumber bun, and stomach buckle.
15. Put the backup regulator in place
16. Load the counterweight
17. Wear goggles
18. Prepare visual inspection

Step5. Confirm the location and direction of the dive

Diving often goes to different places, many of which may be visited for the first time and therefore very unfamiliar with the location as well as the underwater environment. Therefore, before diving, it is best to do some understanding of the dive site. If you don’t understand the underwater environment at all, you will be more nervous after the dive.

When you officially go down to the sea, you need to confirm the direction of the island, the direction of the boat, and the direction of advancement after the dive, so that you have a good idea.

Step6. Record the start time of the dive

The dive plan before the dive includes the time of the dive. Therefore, after starting the dive, we need to record the start time and the end time of the dive. Divers generally wear a dive computer watch to record the depth, time, and decompression-free time of the dive.
Diving within the limits of your body is also an important part of safe diving.

Step7. Enter the Water

The giant step is the safest and most often used method of entering the water

1. Approach the Dive Platform of the boat
2. Place the Primary air source in your mouth
3. Take Two more sips of air
4. Hold all dangling equipment close to your body to avoid snags
5. Hold your regulator in your mouth and your mask on your head
6. Look towards the horizon
7. Take a Giant Step Forward Into the Water

Masks have been known to shatter on direct impact. This is why you should look to the horizon.
The BackDrop

1. Sit up on the gunnel on the side of the boat
2. Place the Primary air source in your mouth
3. Take Two more sips of air
4. Hold all loose equipment close
5. Hold your regulator in your mouth and your mask on your face
6. Fall Backwards Into the Water

Step8. Confirm the dive with your dive buddy and make the dive and ok sign
Give the O.K. Sign or pound your fist twice on your head if you are ok and ready to dive. Nowadays, scuba diving has a buddy system to better protect the safety of both parties. Therefore, we need to confirm with our dive buddy before diving. Before the dive, give your partner a dive action and give them an ok sign after they respond.

Step9. Letting out the air little by little in the BCD

The exhaust valve is on the left hand side, so we raise the valve with our left hand to Letting out the air little by little in the BCD, and we can use our right hand to do the ear pressure balancing in order to adapt to the sea environment faster.
When starting a dive from the surface, don’t let too much air out of the BCD and make yourself look like a boat anchor being thrown overboard. You need to establish a certain amount of neutral buoyancy while still at the surface. Letting out the air little by little, you should first transition from floating to upright, when your lungs are full of air, your eyes should be basically level with the water, this is exhaling some air and you will slowly start to dive, this is the neutral buoyancy you need to establish at the surface. With constant practice, you can finally achieve neutral buoyancy by letting out air once, but before that, you should try to let out a small amount of air each time, a few more times, to eventually achieve neutral buoyancy. (Tip: Do not use kicking action for this process)

Step 10: Completely exhale the air from your lungs and start diving

Once neutral buoyancy has been established at the surface, you can completely exhale the air from your lungs and begin the dive. This process takes some practice, in order to ensure that you can completely exhale the air from your lungs. After you have slowly expelled the air from your lungs (at this point the secondary head should be in your mouth), keep your lungs free of air for a few seconds. You can try the following: exhale, exhale, exhale, exhale again, hold it, try to exhale some more. Line up. This process should be done slowly and last for about 10 seconds. Patience is needed in this process, and your body should start to gradually sink as you approach the 10-second mark. If you find that when re-inhaling you are back on the surface, let a little air out of the BCD and repeat the steps above. If you are doing it properly, venting through your lungs will be enough to make you dive (no BCD deflation required). When you dive to a sufficient depth, the air in the BCD begins to compress and you can maintain a continuous slow dive (without returning to the surface).

Step 11: Re-establish neutral buoyancy

Relax during the dive and allow yourself to sink naturally without making too many movements in order to control your body shape. Until you find that when you take a deep breath and still sink, it means that at this time you have been unable to form neutral buoyancy by controlling the amount of air in your lungs. If you want to establish neutral buoyancy, you should feel yourself slowly rise to the surface after taking a full breath. Remember: the goal is to ensure that you can establish neutral buoyancy at any time during the entire dive, not to dive with negative buoyancy. So, at this point you should fill the BCD with a little bit of air (because it was already compressed) and then take a deep breath and you should be able to form a suspension or gradually start to float up. Do not rush, take some time to try to find your neutral buoyancy and experience this feeling.

Step 12: Adjusting and Rallying

After you have dived a few meters and re-established neutral buoyancy, the next thing you want to do is check your ear pressure to see if you can still successfully complete the ear pressure balancing act, and then check your depth to see if you are close to or have reached your planned depth. Once these tasks are completed, start looking for your dive buddy, hopefully he is around you at this time 。。。。。。

Step 13: Continue the dive by breathing

　　When you have finished assembling with your dive buddy and other team members, if you have not reached the planned depth, you can continue the dive by venting through your lungs. At this point, you should have found your way to use your lungs and BCD in conjunction with each other to adjust your buoyancy, just be aware of slowing down your dive speed. When you reach the planned depth, you will only need to make minor adjustments again to maintain a neutral buoyancy state.

There’s nothing else but to enjoy yourself after following the previous steps! But note that you must understand the purpose of the BCD.BCD is not a portable lift. Do not use a BCD to deflate to dive or inflate to ascend, only use a BCD if you have lost control of your buoyancy, for example when you exhale all the air in your lungs and are still ascending, or take a deep breath of air and are still sinking, your buoyancy has exceeded the range of your lung air control and needs to be adjusted by deflating or inflating (this is why a BCD is called a “buoyancy compensation device” and not a “depth control device”). “The BCD is only used to adjust your body to a state of neutral buoyancy, not to ascend or descend. Remember, the correct way to ascend or descend is by adjusting your lung air volume, or occasionally using your flippers to help with ascent, but never use a BCD.

1. Perform A Safety Check The Day You Dive
   Your gear can (and will) save your life when scuba diving. We’re talking about the things that’ll help you breathe when you’re underwater. You need to make sure your gear is in perfect shape to avoid any trouble because of that.

How can you check your scuba diving gear? Follow BWRAF! BCD and Buoyancy, Weights, Releases, Air, and Final accessories. Each part is essential. You don’t want anything to malfunction once you’re in too deep.

We suggest checking your gear a day or two before the dive (and doing so every once in a while if you’re not diving that often).

2. Practice Diving Skills
   Have you got certified recently? That’s awesome. Don’t forget to practice your diving skills, so you can cement that knowledge and never forget about it.

Have you been certified for a long time? Fantastic. Don’t forget to practice your diving skills, so you don’t forget them.

That’s right! You have to practice basic diving skills, no matter how much of a beginner or veteran diver you are.

For example, something as simple as performing a CESA (Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent) maneuver is not to be taken lightly. Using your buddy’s air system in case of an emergency isn’t either. Practice them often to avoid issues when you need to do any of these things.

3. Plan Your Dive
   Preparation is half the job when it comes to diving. You have to check your gear and practice several skills periodically. Of course, preparation doesn’t stop there. Before grabbing your gear and diving, you need to plan ahead.

How can you prepare for a dive? Talk to your diving buddy and see if they need anything. Choose a location that you both want to explore. Make sure you do your research about the place (and what you may encounter underwater) before going there.

Last but not least, go over emergency scenarios. For example, what would either one of you do in case of an accident?

4. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings
   Once you’re diving, make sure you enjoy yourself. Pay attention to nature, explore, and have a great time.

Enjoying yourself doesn’t mean you don’t have responsibilities. You still have to pay attention to a few things. For example, your surroundings. Always pay attention to what your buddy is doing, to the animals around you, and to what’s going on under you.

You should pay attention to yourself too! Are you okay during the dive? Is your equipment working properly? Make sure nothing catches you by surprise when you’re several feet underwater.

5. Don’t Go Too Deep Too Quickly
   Veteran divers will tell you time and time again not to rush your way underwater. You’re scuba diving, not scuba racing, so make sure you enjoy the process instead of trying to touch the bottom of the ocean (though you won’t get anywhere near it!)

What’s wrong with diving too quickly? Technically speaking, nothing much, as long as you take the necessary precautions. However, diving too quickly may lead to desperation if you suddenly want to reach the surface, and that’s where the trouble begins.

Rising too quickly may cause decompression sickness. A worst-case scenario would be an air embolism. So, it’s better to enjoy your dive and do so slowly.

Here’s the crash course. First, check your scuba diving gear, practice your diving skills, and plan your dive ahead. On the day of the dive, make sure you pay attention to your surroundings and never go too deep too quickly or rise in a rush.