5 Common Mistakes Beginner Divers Make

Free-diving is the most beautiful yet life risking experience one can have in their life. Although one doesn't go underwater without taking some sort of training first, there are still some mistakes that are common among beginners.

5 Common Mistakes Beginner Divers Make

Giving the following points a read may prevent you from putting your life at risk while you experience the beauty of marine life.

1. Buying the Wrong Fins

Free-diving gear can be a major investment for many which is why it’s important to know what to look for when buying it. The wrong fins are either too big or too small, too narrow, too stiff or are a mismatch for your feet's natural shape and arch. Getting the wrong fins can cause blisters and even slip away while you're under water.

Since all of us are at different skill levels of free-diving, its best to get a pair based on that. You can even find well researched market reviews for free-diving fins at https://scubalist.pro/best-freediving-fins

2. Missing the Buoyancy Check

Skipping your buoyancy check is as bad as going to the airport without weighing your luggage, except you're risking your life in this one. Weighing oneself negative can turn out to be a huge problem in case of a blackout under water, since all the excess weight will make it harder to rescue you.

Its best to get a fresh check since you might've gained or lost weight, or the water quality might've changed from fresh to salty. For accurate buoyancy, do a check in a swimming pool with a friend assisting you by handling the weights. Wear the same equipment as you plan to on the dive.

3. Diving Alone (include trusting the guide too much in this)

Diving alone can have serious repercussions for your safety. If you're a solo traveler, take your guide along or a travel partner. One is at risk of a blackout anytime underwater, so always take a buddy along. When diving with a buddy, make sure you communicate well.

Revise your hand signals before you dive in and keep your partner under supervision and make sure they do the same, since you don't know which of you will be saving the other person's life.

Lastly, if you're diving with a guide, you still need to be careful about currents, marine life basics, depth limits etc. There's a reason why those briefings are given in the beginning because you're responsible for your own safety just as much as your guide is.

4. Equalizing Too Late

Equalizing is one of the basics taught in free-diving classes, yet amidst the excitement and nervousness, beginners often forget to equalize, until they're deep down and the pressure gets to them. Its important that you equalize after you're a few feet down and repeat this multiple times during your first 30 feet.

When you start to experience pain, try and ascend a little and then equalize. As the pain begins to increase its going to be a lot harder to equalize so its best if you do so in the beginning phase.

5. Forgetting to Check Air Pressure Gauge

The key to always remembering to check the air pressure is that when asked how much air you're left with, you shouldn't have to look. Keeping a constant check on your air pressure gauge is the one thing you should never lose track of, since you're putting your life a