No matter what type of hobby you have and what extracurricular activities you participate in in your spare time, each activity has a certain set of rules that must be followed in order to maintain good relationships with the people you participate with during the activity. In that sense, diving is no different. There are certain rules for practicing good diver etiquette that you should know before getting in the boat and donning your oxygen tank.
These unspoken rules of behavior are followed not only to help you get along with your dive buddies, but also to make things easier for your instructors and guides. So if you’re planning to take a trip to tropical territory to try scuba diving, here are four rules to follow when it comes to diving etiquette.
Avoid complaining
The number one rule of dive etiquette for beginners is to try to avoid complaints. Complaining not only annoys other divers, but it also makes it seem like you’re giving the instructors a hard time too. If you are going to try diving, you should know that it is quite a difficult activity to master and that it is not a walk in the park. If you simply want to see the fish swimming comfortably, you can always go to an aquarium. There’s a chance the water is cold, your wetsuit is likely wet and cold, the weather isn’t ideal, or you don’t have enough space on the boat. However, these are all things you must overcome. Most divers will tell you that the rewards of diving are so abundant that they easily outweigh all the potential discomforts and things one might complain about.
Keep your wetsuit clean
There really isn’t a better way to put it, so it’s best to get straight to the point. Please don’t pee in your wetsuit if you want to respect your dive instructors and dive buddies. Wetsuits are thick and intended to preserve heat. That means they will also preserve the smell of your urine. Even if you don’t go to the bathroom in your suit, it will be bad in a couple of days. If you want to be courteous to everyone, including yourself, clean your wetsuit every two to three days. You can simply put it in your shower or bath and take a quick look with a little soap and warm water.
Be courteous underwater
It’s easy to get too excited when you’re underwater, because it can be a very exhilarating experience. However, remember to be courteous to people who dive with you and to respect their space. You should know where you are at all times and try to avoid bumping into other people who are trying to enjoy the views as much as you do. Also, don’t go too fast. Moving quickly underwater scares fish away and can lead to accidents. Go slowly and be aware of your surroundings to avoid injury and disturbing others. If you are diving with people who like to take pictures underwater, respect their passion and try not to scare the fish while they are trying to take a good photo.
Respect your instructors
These people who are teaching you to dive are not your servants. Just because you’re paying them doesn’t mean they’re obligated to go out of their way to please you. Even if the instructor is younger than you, he has probably done hundreds of dives more than you and is highly qualified. Respect them and remember that they are there to keep you safe and teach you how to have the best diving experience possible, not to grant your every wish.