| Scuba is thrilling, exciting and interesting. It can also | | | | probably taught himself to dive years ago. |
| be very safe if taught properly. If not the dangers | | | | Each lesson will start with an opening talk for a few |
| are only too apparent and the risk of injury or death | | | | minutes, irrespective of whether it is a dry practical, |
| very real. | | | | in the swimming pool or in the sea. At the start of |
| Only a few people are killed each year diving. The | | | | the briefing are the safety issues relevant to that |
| details of the incidents always show that most could | | | | lesson and to the site being used. When learning to |
| be avoided if the divers had known better what to | | | | remove a regulator underwater it may seem obvious |
| do - or not to do. Sub Aqua teaching by the leading | | | | but a student is warned to hold their breath for a |
| training bodies such as BSAC, PADI and many more | | | | short while until it is replaced! Safety warnings may |
| is of a superlative standard. This includes the superb | | | | seem like overkill at times and may be repeated but |
| level of training of instructors who in turn must teach | | | | they do have the desired effect. |
| the novices. The trouble is that a few training | | | | Teaching skills are important, especially for new |
| agencies do not insist on such high levels of safety | | | | students waiting like sponges to absorb all the new |
| and even some of the best can occasionally miss the | | | | knowledge you have to give them. Skills are best |
| under performance of one or two of their | | | | learned when demonstrated in small bits before |
| instructors. | | | | putting them together for the complete procedure. |
| The time when a new recruit first starts learning to | | | | Each part of the skill must be taught in a way that it |
| dive is the best occasion for lecturing the safety | | | | is safe to execute. If you commence with little bits |
| ethos. A new and open mind is more ready to soak | | | | and build up this can be achieved much more easily. |
| up the safety culture than a seasoned diver who | | | | |