The summer diving season is nearly in full swing. A lot of us dive year round, but in general, we dive in our local waters a lot more during summer and fall.
If you and your dive gear have been out of the water for several months, now’s the time to:
Take a close look at your gear. Check to see that zippers, mask and fin straps, wet suit seams, dry suits and seals are in good shape. Be certain that that you can put your hands on all of the accessories you need such as booties, hoods, gloves and mask de-fogger.
Check to see if your tanks need to be hydrostatically tested or visually inspected. And be sure to hook up your regulator and BC to a tank, and give them a good going over. Breathe through your regulator, and check the integrity of hoses and mouthpieces. Make sure the inflator and deflator buttons and valves on your BC are working properly.
If you are in doubt, or if it’s been more than a year since your dive gear was overhauled, take it to your local dive center for professional servicing. Schedule this service at least several days or more before you plan your first dive outing of the season.
Take a look around your local dive center. Find out what’s new in terms of gear and accessories. Stock up on save-a-dive spare parts and accessories, and check out the latest scuba toys the cool kids will be playing with, like new cameras, lights or dive computers.
Ask about refresher courses or maybe new specialties that can help kick start your diving adventures. Now’s the time to book charter trips well in advance, so you can be assured to get to the hotspots during peak dive season.
Take a good look at yourself, too. How’s your overall health and physical condition? Have you done any swimming? While wearing fins? Have you reviewed basic safe diving protocols recently? If not, consider scheduling a refresher dive in a pool or confined water area before you go crashing through the surf toward a more challenging dive.
The old adage, “look before you leap” is a perfect common-sense reminder for us divers. All of us at California Diving News wish a wonderful summer of diving.
