diver girl

Diving is a fun and popular sport. However, there are some steps every diver should follow to ensure he has a safe dive.

Scuba Diving Safety Rules
Get proper training - Being comfortable underwater will go a long way towards having a safe dive. Proper training is one key to being comfortable underwater. The beginning of proper training is to get your open water certification. If you go diving in caves, caverns, wrecks, etc., you should also have the proper training for this type of dive. Don't dive beyond your ability.
Never dive alone - Always dive with a buddy no matter where you are. This is key. When you do dive with a buddy, keep an eye on him/her to make sure everything is OK (and hopefully they are doing the same). If something happens, that buddy can be the difference between life and death. Never violate this rule. Also do a pre-dive equipment check with your buddy.
Be in good physical shape - You don't have to be a triathlete but you should be able to swim and take the stress of diving. A physical exam is a good idea before diving.
Don't hold your breath - Remember to always breathe slowly and in a relaxed manner and to exhale fully. Don't take short, shallow breathes and never hold your breath. Holding your breath underwater can lead to lung injuries and worse, in the extreme case.
Ascend slowly and with control - As you ascend you are ridding your body of nitrogen in your tissues and bloodstream. If you ascend too quickly, you risk decompression sickness. Always do a safety stop at 15 feet for at least 3 minutes after deeper dives. After your safety stop, do not propel yourself to the surface either. Ascend that last 15 feet very slowly also.
Check your equipment - Checking equipment is especially important if you are renting. If you own your regulator and haven't dove in a while, it should also be serviced to make sure it is working properly. Do a check of the regulator hoses also.
Relax - Being relaxed and comfortable underwater is key to a successful dive. If something happens, stop, breathe, think and act. Do not panic and rush to the surface. But observing this safety rule could be key to a safe dive.
Plan your dive and dive your plan - You will hear this in your training (or you should) and you should follow this advice. Prior to going under, you and your buddy should know the max depth you will go, the amount of bottom time you'll have and how much air you will start to ascend with. Check your air supply often. You should also agree on the hand signals you will use to communicate underwater.

This is just the beginning of scuba diving safety rules. However, if you follow the above list you increase your chances of a safe dive.

Getting The Right Fit - The way to see if a mask fits you is to put it onto your face without the strap on, and inhale through your nose - if you feel a good seal then you have a good fitting mask!

Dive Mask Material/Skirt - Almost all dive masks have some sort of plastic frame, with a skirt that is either silicone or rubber - silicone is MUCH the more common because it is softer and provides a better seal on your face. You generally have the option of a clear or black skirt; clear offers a better field of vision whereas black is better for photographers because they don't get distracted by light coming in from the sides. Don't even think about getting a really cheap mask with a plastic skirt, no matter how cheap they are.

Purge Valves & Volume - A few dive masks offer a purge valve under the nose - the idea being if the valve is at the lowest point (it usually is) you only have to exhale through your nose to get rid of any water that has leaked in. Personally I consider this a waste of the 5 to 10 bucks you will spend for this - if your mask leaks *that* much, then the problem is that it doesn't fit properly.. or you have a huge mustache! A lot of dive masks advertise being low volume, and the lower the volume the easier it is to clear of water - whilst this is true I wouldn't pay more for a mask with marginally lower volume as you won't notice the difference, and your lung volume is *massive* compared to any dive mask volume! The only exception to this would be if you are free diving - where you only have one lung full of air.

Single vs Double Lens Dive Masks - A double lensed dive mask comes with (obviously) two lenses, seperated by a plastic bit of frame, whereas a single lens mask doesn't have the plastic bit over your nose. The biggest disadvantage of getting a single lens mask is that you can't get prescriptive lenses for a single lens dive mask. If this is not an issue for you then single lens dive masks can offer a less claustrophobic feel. If you truly want the best field of vision, then a dive mask with side windows is a great option - Apeks and Cressi both make this type of mask and I can personally recommend the Cressi Penta Dive Mask. If you DO require prescriptive lenses, most Tusa dive masks can take prescriptive lenses.

Dive Mask Straps - Whilst this is a trivial part of the mask I can't emphasise enough how much easier things will be if you get a slap strap for your dive mask - especially if you are a girl or have long hair.

Full Face Dive Masks - A full face dive mask is one which has an integrated regulator, and covers your entire face - a lot of full face dive masks have some form of communications system integrated. The reason that these dive masks offer all of these features is they are designed for commercial and specialist use - TV divers will generally use them, and commercial divers that dive in dirty or very cold conditions. When using a full face mask most divers will go through more air, and of course they are a lot harder to get on/off. Generally a full face dive mask is inappropriate for most recreational scuba diving