Gear check – Have you checked zips, cuffs and maintained and stored correctly since last worn?
Does it still fit?
Have you had all your gear fully serviced, including a proper regulator service and checked out ready for the season ahead?
Have you booked in for a full SCUBA REVIEW should you not have logged a dive within the past 6 months as recommended?
Is your life underwater important to you? If so, you will have completed, at the very least, the checklist above and actioned accordingly.
DAN (Divers Alert Network) have produced a useful check sheet particularly for this purpose. Check it out now and contact us at SCUBACO to get your diving season going once again. Visit DAN and use their link below to find out why supporting this fantastic organisation is a MUST do. https://dan.org/
What Kept You Away From Diving?
If your absence was due to twists and turns in your life journey, and you are still healthy and fit, you will want to focus on your skills and equipment. If you were out because of illness or injury, a review of your health will be important. If you couldn’t dive because of the pandemic, focus on public health and travel guidance from the proper authorities.
Did illness or injury keep you away?
While acute illnesses are not compatible with diving and even the common cold could keep you out of the water temporarily, some illnesses may affect your physical activity for a prolonged period or even permanently. If you were severely ill, had COVID-19 or have a chronic illness, consult your physician about your plan to return to diving. DAN is available to consult with your physician about the health requirements of diving, or we can refer you to a doctor trained in diving medicine.
How does inactivity affect your return to diving?
Diving requires special skills learned during training and maintained through practice. “Use it or lose it” is especially true in diving. While skills will degrade somewhat with as little six months of inactivity, most dive educators and instructors consider inactivity of one to two years sufficient to warrant refresher training.
Credit to DAN (Diver Alert Network) for the above article ‘Returning to Diving Safely’ and images. https://dan.org/