Responsible & Safe Diving

As well as observing safety aspects of diving and snorkelling, the following offers some tips to protect and preserve the marine environment:

• If you haven't dived for a while, do a local dive or refresher course with a reputable dive company. Dive within your limits and don't push your depth or bottom time limits.
  
  
• Never dive alone. Always dive with a buddy. If you're inexperienced always dive with an experienced 'buddy', and if you're snorkelling don't stray off alone.
  
  
• Practice and maintain proper buoyancy control and avoid overweighting.
  
  
• Stay warm in and out of the water, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and use sunscreen between dives.
  
  
• Avoid flying for at least 24 hours after your last dive (to avoid decompression sickness) and also avoid driving from sea level to altitude (above 150m) immediately after a dive.
  
  
• Never drop boat anchors onto a reef.
  
  
• Avoid touching living marine organisms with your body and equipment, and resist the temptation to collection any souvenirs, even from shipwrecks.
  
  
• Take great care in underwater caves, archways and ledges, which can be especially dangerous during heavy surges.
  
  
• Secure gauges and the octopus regulator so they're not dangling - they can damage reefs and become entangled in kelp.
  
  
• Take home all your rubbish.