Frequently Asked Questions

We have an entire Getting Started Guide.

If you intend to rent, then just mask, fins, and a snorkel. Otherwise, check out our complete guide to essential dive gear.

Scuba diving is statistically safer than many common activities, including driving, skiing, and skydiving. The key difference is that diving takes place in an unforgiving environment, meaning small mistakes can become serious if not managed properly. Proper training, equipment checks, and situational awareness minimize risks.

Recreational diving focuses on no-decompression limits and open-water environments, while technical diving expands to:

• Decompression diving: Going beyond no-stop / no-decompression limits.
• Trimix diving: Using helium-based gas mixes for deeper dives.
• Overhead environments: Diving in caves or wrecks where a direct ascent isn’t possible.

Yes, but most items will go in checked baggage. You should carry on fragile or high-value items like your regulator, dive computer, and mask.

No. Dive knives, trauma shears, and any sharp tools must be placed in checked luggage. TSA will confiscate them if found in your carry-on.

Not recommended. Even empty tanks may only be accepted with the valve fully removed, and the hassle usually outweighs the benefit.

Teamwork in scuba diving means planning, communicating, and executing the dive together as a coordinated team—not just diving next to someone. Strong dive teams assign roles, monitor each other’s status, stay connected through signals or lights, and support each other from entry to exit. This leads to safer, smoother, and more enjoyable dives.

If you get separated from your buddy or team, stop immediately and begin a controlled 360-degree search for no more than one minute. Use your dive light or turn slowly to look for bubbles or signals. If you don’t reconnect, ascend safely, deploy your SMB if needed, and wait on the surface. Always review lost buddy protocols during the pre-dive briefing.

You can—and should—call a dive at any time, for any reason. If you feel anxious, unwell, overloaded, or just not right, signal your teammates and begin a safe ascent together. There’s no need to justify the decision. Strong dive teams normalize this culture and support each other without hesitation or judgment.

In low visibility, scuba divers should use their primary lights for signaling and stay in close formation. Common light signals include short flashes for attention, circular motion for OK, and side-to-side sweeps for emergencies. Teams should reduce spacing, confirm signals with deliberate gestures, and use consistent positioning to avoid separation.

To end a dive as a team, stay together during the final ascent and surface swim. Assist teammates with fins or gear during exit, especially in cold or challenging conditions. Once out of the water, check on each other, confirm gas and equipment, and do a brief self-assessment for fatigue or symptoms. The dive isn’t over until everyone is safely out, stable, and accounted for.

The safest way to exit the water is to maintain three points of contact when using a ladder (two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand), keep your regulator in your mouth until you’re fully aboard or on land, and wait your turn to avoid crowding. Always stay inflated at the surface and remove your fins only when stable or when handing them up to crew.

In most real-world situations, it’s safer to use your regulator at the surface. The gas used is minimal, and a reg keeps you breathing comfortably even in chop, swell, or current. A snorkel may be useful in calm, flat water for long surface swims, but it can become a liability in rough conditions.

To tow a tired diver, first ensure they are positively buoyant and breathing from their own regulator. Use a push tow, tank valve tow, or underarm tow depending on the situation. Avoid offering your own regulator unless you use a long-hose configuration. Move slowly, communicate clearly, and never let a panicked diver compromise your own safety.

Putting your mask on your forehead is a bad habit because it’s the least secure place to keep it — it can fall off easily, especially in waves or when boarding a boat. The idea that it signals distress is a myth. Better options include keeping your mask on your face, around your neck, or spinning it backward so the strap rests across your forehead.

Inflating your BCD at the surface helps you stay positively buoyant, conserve energy, and stay safe — especially while waiting for pickup or swimming on the surface. You don’t need to fully inflate it — just enough to float comfortably. If your power inflator isn’t working, you should be ready to orally inflate your BCD as a backup.

The most important skills for beginner divers include buoyancy control, trim, mask clearing, controlled descents, and proper safety stop technique. These foundational abilities help new divers stay calm, maintain control, and prevent accidents underwater.

Neutral buoyancy is achieved by fine-tuning your weighting, adjusting your breathing, and using small bursts of air in your BCD. Staying relaxed and aware of your trim and breath cycle is essential for hovering in place without sinking or floating up.

To deploy a dSMB midwater, maintain neutral buoyancy in horizontal trim, check above for hazards, inflate the SMB with a small puff of air (or LP inflator), and release it while managing the spool. Practicing this skill is key to avoiding runaway ascents or lost gear.

There are two main methods to share air: donating your primary regulator (long hose configuration) or offering an alternate air source (octopus). Both divers should remain calm, maintain visual contact, and begin a controlled ascent together while monitoring gas supply.

To stay in place during a safety stop, maintain neutral buoyancy, control your breathing, and stay in horizontal trim. Use visual references like a dSMB line or a teammate, and avoid sculling or finning, which can cause you to rise or fall unintentionally.