Scuba Magazine ~ for divers & by divers

DSMB’s, or Delayed Surface Marker Buoys, are a diver’s best friend. Used for communication with surface crews or boats while the diver is still at depth. They can be used to signal the need for a boat pick up, as a distress signal, a marker of a location (maybe of...

As a diver you need the octopus. And I don’t mean that 8-legged ocean creature, I mean your alternate air source; in other words your second regulator or your backup. The octopus works the same way your primary regulator does. Here's the real Smart Octopus. If your...

Knowing the difference between looking safe and being safe can help you choose the right dive operator. A dive center might say they are and think they are your best option, even appearing so on the surface. But what happens when one day there is an actual accident?...

We generally see scuba diving as a fun sports activity that we are simply passionate about. To become a good scuba diver we need to receive professional training and then get into the water. That is true, but that is not all. We need to always remember a few important...

If you could choose solo diving or buddy diving, which would you prefer? It is actually not the question of preference; it is a matter of safety. If you are a novice diver, the buddy system is a must for you, and if you are an advanced or expert diver, it still might...

How to develop the sixth sense of advanced scuba diving, the illusive “situational awareness”. This is the last article in our three-part article series about emergency planning. First we covered personal dive planning and yesterday we talked about dive emergency...

How to increase safety for your entire dive team! This is the second in a three-part article series about emergency planning. The first covered personal dive planning, this second one covers the dive team emergency plan, and the third and final will cover situational...

This is the first in a three-part article series about emergency planning, this one will cover personal planning, the second will cover the dive emergency plan, and the third and final will cover situational awareness. Scuba diving is a fantastic sport, one that...

Have you ever experience vertigo doing a dive? It’s the same feeling you get when spinning to many time around. Often when it happens it’s due to different pressure on your eardrums ex if one ear is equalized and the other isn’t. As soon as the other ear “pops” you...

It was not until 1999 that solo diving was formally entered into the certification roll by SDI. Although PADI, NAUI and other agencies have not included this type of diving certificate until now, solo diving has slowly gained acceptance among diving enthusiasts around...