My dive preparation routine!

Hello everybody and welcome to my new blog! In my last blog, I talked about choosing the right dive suit. This time, I’m going to talk about my dive preparation routine. I’m already very excited to read about your preparation routines below in the comments!

This topic is important for a good diver. Somebody who prepares well for their dives can have a more relaxed dive and of course more fun. It is also very important to prepare well for your own safety!

The first thing I do is decide which suit I need. Check out my last blog, How to choose the right suit for your dive needs, if you haven’t read it yet. This is important for me because I don’t want to freeze while diving or be too hot. Here in Egypt, for example, I need to wear my Flexa Z-Therm at the moment.

The second thing I do is check if I have everything I need for my dive. I have already chosen my suit, now I need my ABC of equipment: booties, my BCD, my regulator and my computer. I always want to be prepared to photograph any surprises spotted at sea, so I always try to take my action camera with me.

Third thing: I have to check everything is working well. I start with my computer. The computer needs to be charged and set correctly. Before every dive with nitrox, I measure the oxygen content and check the cylinder! Then I set my computer.

Fourth thing: I start to arrange my equipment, beginning with the BCD, then the regulator. After I connect the regulator to my BCD, I open the cylinder. I listen carefully to see if I can hear any air streaming out anywhere. After I have tried the fast release, octopus and regulator, I store all hoses with the BCD. Don’t forget the weights.

This is my first safety check and preparation.

Then it’s time to don the suit and booties. Under my suit, I always wear a rash guard. My favorite is the Thermo Guard. I prefer to wear a rash guard because I feel more comfortable, and if I just wear half the suit until the dive starts, I also have sun-protection.

Now it’s not so long until we jump into the water.

One of the most annoying things when diving is if the mask gets foggy! I have tried toothpaste, normal soap and antifog gels in the past, now finding my favorite tool, Mares Antifog. Because of the small brush on the front, it’s perfect to brush the gel into the glass. I use it before every dive.

Last but not least, I’m now ready to do a buddy check.

You can never do enough checks. Always check your equipment and bring it in to be serviced, this will save you trouble and even save your life.

I would like to know about your preparation routine! What do you do to combat a foggy mask? I’d be happy to read about your experiences in the comments below...

Written by
Semra

Date
27th June 2019

Where
Egypt

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Semra Yurtkuran on Jul 11th 2019
Thank you Vanessa for reading my blog! I agree, it’s more relaxed to be in time and not in hurry 😅

Stefan Michl on Jul 08th 2019
@ Undine: Good point about checking yourself and actively sharing this with your buddies. Especially if the group gets bigger there is always somebody not being on the same level of experience and expertise than others in the group. Sharing your situation and feelings above an below the waterline is key for yourself and others to react and care. Thx Udine for this important message from your side...! Have fun in all your dives!

Vanessa on Jun 30th 2019
Great article! If i go diving with several people I like to be there a few minutes before to prepare without any stress/rush. :-)

Undine on Jun 30th 2019
Great text. My preperation routine includes spitting in my mask. Some people might think it's disgusting, but I've done more than 200 dives and never had any problems with a foggy mask. And it's a thing you've with you always ;-) I also promote a good buddy check. And I would like to add one thing: Before your dive check yourself. Are you feeling fit and comfortable? Do you have any health problems right now? Do you worry about anything because of the dive? Maybe it's your first dive from a boat, your first one-way-dive, your first night dive. Please tell your buddy and your guide about of this. This information is important and will help them, to make you feel safe during the dive.

Bernd Winkelmann on Jun 30th 2019
My preparations are similar to yours. For the mask I use from Cressi the Premium Anti Fog, because I am very satisfied with this product. In preparation for the preparation, I work on my keywords such as: Fins, mask, snorkel (ABC equipment) Jacket regulator octopus Finimeter compass Dive Computer (Battery Status? Settings?) Scuba tank Lead belt / lead pockets (and correct lead quantity) Diving suit (long? Short?) slowly. That was a small insight into my preparations for scuba diving.