At the end of the dive, the first thing that should happen
is that the diver communicates with his dive buddy. Compare gauges for NDL and tank pressure. Even though you dived together, it is
always possible for one member of a buddy team to require more deco/safety stop
time than the other. Air allowing,
buddy teams should ascend and make those stops together. This is important so each person has
nearby help if an emergency should occur.
After agreeing to make the ascent, dump a little air from
your BC. This allows proactive control of the ascent, allowing more time to
respond to increased buoyancy due to expanding air. Remember that you want to remain neutral or a little negative
throughout your ascent to make sure you do not blow through your safety stop at
15 ft. While 30ft./min is
generally recommended as the rate for safe ascents, it is preferred, if you
have one, to allow your computer to guide you. As you ascend, keep a hand on your dump cord and a hand on
your gauges.
Be aware of what is overhead and around you. Nothing spoils a dive experience like
doing a header into the bottom of the boat, coming up underneath another diver,
or passing through a swarm of stinging jellies. Again, control of the rate of your ascent along with
attention to your surroundings, will go far to help avoid mishaps.
Once the safety stop depth is reached, make yourself neutral
and relax. You are still diving,
so look around! Many times bigger animals vacate dive sites when groups of
divers are around, but return when the divers are on their safety stops. The safety stop has gone from optional
to a routine part of a dive. The
usual safety stop, three minutes in length, allows the diver’s blood to circulate
through his body three times. This
is important because it is easier to exhale the gas than to deal with it once
it forms a bubble. The small
amount of pressure at 15ft. is enough to keep the nitrogen in circulation so it
can be safely exchanged for oxygen in the lungs.
At the end of your safety stop, again check that your buddy
is ready to make the final ascent to the surface. Ascend close to the boat, but not under it or the swim
ladder. If other divers are on the swim ladder, get over to the current line so
you will not be pushed away from the boat by surface current. Inflate your BC
so you can float comfortably and switch to your snorkel. When it is your turn
to exit the water, get yourself over to the boat, but again, never directly
below a diver climbing the boat ladder! To make sure that you are not separated
from the boat, hold onto a line or the rung of the swim ladder when taking off
your fins. Lengthen the straps and hang them on your wrists, or hand them up to
a boat crew member, then make your way up the ladder.
If your exit
point is at the shore, swim in to a depth a little over your waist. Remove your fins, enlisting your buddy’s
help to stabilize you in the surf. If there are big waves, it is a good idea to
keep your regulator in your mouth, so if you are knocked down, you are not in
danger of drowning before you can make yourself upright again.
In a novel, the middle part is the most memorable, but
without the set up in the beginning and the conclusion tying up all the details
in the end, it will never make a best seller. Dives are like that. A diver must pay attention to all the
parts of the dive; descent, exploration and ascent to make the experience a
great one.
SIDE NOTE: Tis the season for gifts and giving and Manta Divers has just thing for that scuba divers on your list. During the months of December, we a number of great deals so stop on into the shop and check them out. What if the people on your list don't dive? Perhaps your could sign them up for a class! What better gift could you give than the world of scuba? It is the gift that keeps on giving.
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