PADI Open Water Course OW~Section1 - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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It's exciting being a diver, because underwater, you experience new sensations.
You feel pressure, swim almost weightlessly, and see and hear things differently.
These result from the different physical properties that water and air have, and relate directly to your safety and enjoyment as a diver.
Right now, you're surrounded by pressure.
It's the weight of the atmosphere of air.
We call this one bar or atmosphere.
When you go underwater, the water adds to this pressure. 10 meters, 33 feet of water adds the same pressure as the one atmosphere of air.
So the pressure increases one bar or atmosphere for every 10 meters or 33 feet you descend.
Increasing pressure doesn't affect water, but it compresses the gas like air.
So as you go deeper, pressure reduces an air volume and increases its density by pushing the molecules closer together.
This pressure volume density relationship is important because it affects air spaces including your ears, sinuses, lungs, and mask.
It also affects controlling your buoyancy and how long your air lasts.
As shown here, there's a relationship between the pressure and a gas's volume and density.
At 10 meters or 33 feet, the pressure is twice the surface pressure.
So half the air volume remains and the density doubles.
The same relationship applies when you ascend.
As the divers ascend, the gas re-expands so it's full of air at the surface.
But what would happen if the divers inflated a balloon and sealed it at depth, then ascended?
The air would expand and burst the balloon.
To prevent this, the divers must keep the balloon unsealed and release some expanding air as they ascend.
This is a very important concept we'll return to shortly.
As you descend, water pressure compresses the air in your body air spaces.
When descending, this primarily affects your ears, sinuses, and mask.
A squeeze is discomfort caused by the imbalance between the water pressure and the air space.
A squeeze can injure you if you continue to descend.
But you can prevent a squeeze by adding air to air spaces to balance the pressure.
This is called equalization.
Equalize your ears and sinuses by blowing gently against your blocked nostrils or by swallowing and wiggling your jaw.
Blow through your nose into your mask to equalize your mask.
Equalize frequently as you descend before you feel discomfort.
You shouldn't ever feel pain.
If you can't equalize, stop your descent.
Signal your buddies or the instructor.
They can't tell that you're having difficulty unless you do.
Ascend slightly and try again.
If you still can't equalize, discontinue the dive and try another day.
Continuing to descend with unequalized air spaces can lead to serious injuries.
A colder allergy that causes congestion can make equalizing difficult or impossible.
So don't dive until you're well.
Equalize gently.
Never attempt a forceful and or extended equalization.
A forceful extended equalization can cause serious permanent ear injuries.
Ear plugs create an air space that you can't equalize.
So don't use them while scuba diving.
Increasing pressure may affect other body air spaces.
It's rare, but an air space can form under a tooth filling and cause discomfort.
There's no way to equalize this, but your dentist can correct it.
A dry suit holds an air layer around your body that compresses.
You learn to add air to equalize it when you take the paddy dry suit diver course.
Air expands as you ascend and normally exits your internal ear spaces, mask and sinuses without doing anything.
But expanding air can be a serious issue related to your lungs.
Using scuba, your lungs are at normal volume at depth.
If you were to hold your breath and ascend, expanding air would over expand and rupture your lungs.
Much like it bursts a balloon filled and sealed at depth.
For this reason, the most important rule in scuba diving is to breathe continuously and never, ever hold your breath.
Even small depth changes can cause lung overexpansion injuries.
If you hold your breath, lung overexpansion can cause severe injuries, including paralysis and death.
Medical treatment requires a pressurized recompression chamber, but diving commonly takes place several hours from such chambers.
But while lung overexpansion injuries are very serious, they are also very easy to avoid.
Breathe continuously and never hold your breath while scuba diving.
This way, during ascent, expanding air escapes without issue.
If you don't have your regulator in your mouth, exhale a slow, steady bubble stream so you don't hold your breath.
Also, never dive with lung congestion, which has some risk of trapping air in your lungs and causing overexpansion injuries.
It is rare, but some body air spaces may have a reverse block.
This means expanding air can escape.
Diving with a cold or allergy can cause a reverse block, but again, you shouldn't dive with a cold.
Gas forming in your digestive system can cause some discomfort if it doesn't pass.
And an air space under a dental filling may, again, very rarely, cause one.
If you experience a reverse block, stop your ascent.
Descend a meter or a few feet or so and give the chamber a rest.
Give the trapped air time to work itself out.
Then continue your ascent more slowly.
As you've learned, as you go deeper and the pressure increases, the more gas volume decreases.
This means that the deeper you are, the more air each breath uses from your cylinder.
So the deeper you are, the faster you use your air.
Because the air is denser with depth, it takes more effort to breathe.
Take slow, deep breaths while scuba diving.
Pace yourself and avoid getting winded or out of breath.
If you have a problem, stop and maintain or restore slow, deep breathing.
As a scuba diver, one, breathe continuously and never, ever hold your breath.
Two, breathe slowly and deeply.
Three, don't allow yourself to get winded or out of breath.
And four, if faced with a problem, stop and maintain and or restore slow, deep breathing.
When you put something in water, buoyancy pushes the object upward.
The upward force is equal to the weight of the displaced water.
Whether something floats, sinks, or does neither, depends upon whether it weighs less than, more than, or the same as the water it displaces.
As a diver, you primarily use your weight system in BCD, buoyancy control device, to control your buoyancy.
As you descend, you tend to lose buoyancy.
You add air to adjust for the change.
When you come up, you become more buoyant, so you vent air to adjust.
You'll discover that even breathing changes your buoyancy.
It increases slightly when you inhale, and decreases slightly when you exhale.
By mastering buoyancy control, you enable yourself to control your descent and ascent rates, to stop at any depth, to save energy, to stay off the bottom, or to float comfortably on the surface.
Recreational divers do not dive alone.
You always dive with a buddy or buddies.
Together, you plan your dives, help each other gear up, safety check each other, provide dive time reminders, assist with problems, and assist with a dive objective.
The buddy system is important for practicality, because you assist each other, and for safety, because you can help each other prevent and handle problems.
It's also important because diving is a social activity.
You'll find diving is more rewarding and fun, simply because you get to share your underwater adventures and experiences with others.
Without the equipment that adapts you to going underwater, diving's impossible.
So to become a diver, you need to learn about scuba gear, the basics on how it works, and how to choose it.
Like most divers, you'll probably enjoy getting to know your gear.
You find literally dozens of makes, styles, and models of scuba gear, which is great, because it allows you to choose equipment that accommodates your size and preferences.
How do you know what's best for you?
After you learn the basics about what your gear does and how it works, as a beginner, your best bet is to have a pro at your paddy resort or dive center help you.
The gear you invest in will last years with proper care, but like all technologies, scuba continues to advance.
Stay up to date with the latest innovations.
You'll probably trade up over time, not because something older doesn't work anymore, but because there's something newer that you like better.
There are some basics in choosing and caring for dive equipment that apply to virtually all your gear.
The most important considerations and choice are suitability, fit, and comfort.
Suitability means it's appropriate for the diving you want to use it for, like choosing a full wetsuit for cool water, rather than a short wetsuit used in the warm tropics.
Fit is important because a lot of gear doesn't work right if it's the wrong size.
You get the right fit by choosing the right size.
Comfort means the gear has the right feel and configuration.
Properly adjusted gear that fits right is usually comfortable, but not always.
If it's not comfortable, keep looking.
After addressing suitability, fit, and comfort, secondary considerations include finding the cost and features that work for you, and making sure you have access to service, though dive operations almost always service the brands they sell.
You can usually choose colors and styles that go with the rest of your kit, and remember the accessories that go with each piece.
These little items add a lot to your enjoyment.
Ask your dive professional for suggestions.
Caring for your gear includes inspecting it for proper operation and for any wear or damage before each use.
Never dive with any equipment that is not in good working order.
Have something that's not right corrected before diving with it.
After each dive, rinse everything in clean, fresh water, and let it dry out of the sun before storing it.
As reasonably possible, protect your gear from extended periods in direct sunlight.
You'll learn that some pieces require additional maintenance and service by a professional, and follow any maintenance and service requirements in the manufacturer literature.
You need a mask because your eyes must be in air to focus properly.
Since this creates an airspace you must equalize, your dive mask must enclose your nose as well as your eyes.
Never scuba dive with goggles because you can't equalize them.
Choose a good quality mask made specifically for scuba diving.
Your PADI dive shop can help you check the fit.
After finding some that fit you, look for a low profile and a wide vision field.
The silicone color is usually either clear or black.
You often can choose from different frame colors.
With a new mask, you may need to scrub the interior with a cleaner.
Check the manufacturer literature.
Adjust the strap so it fits snugly but comfortably with the strap over the crown of your head.
A snorkel is standard equipment for recreational diving.
It lets you breathe, look, swim and rest with your face in the water or waves without wasting scuba air, or if you're low after coming up.
You usually choose your mask and snorkel together.
You attach it with a clip or snorkel keeper.
Get one that fits comfortably when adjusted with the top at the crown of your head.
Many divers like a snorkel that flexes away when you're not using it.
Most scuba snorkels have self-drain valves to help you blow out water.
And many have guards that reduce water splashing in.
After choosing the right fit and options, you can usually match the color to your mask.
Fins allow your powerful leg muscles to push you through the water.
You can choose from adjustable fins, which you usually wear with wetsuit boots, and full-foot fins, which fit like slippers.
Since you don't use wetsuit boots, they're usually reserved for warm water.
You choose fins based on blade and foot pocket size.
Small bladed fins are suited to snorkeling, but not scuba.
Be sure to get fins appropriate for scuba diving.
Have a professional help you choose the right fit.
Fins have options, including the materials they're made from, as well as splits and vents to improve performance.
Adjustable fins may feature quick-release buckles or spring heels for convenience in adjusting, donning, and removing.
Your PADI professional can help you choose from these options.
Besides inspecting and adjusting them, you don't have to do much before diving other than closing the quick-release buckles, if yours have them.
Get full-foot fins wet to make them easier to slip on.
Regular fins aren't much use to someone with limited leg mobility, but there are other ways to get around.
Webbed gloves allow such divers to swim with surprising strength.
DPVs, or diver propulsion vehicles, are a fun way for any diver to be mobile underwater.
But you should be able to use your legs or arms in case it has a problem.
Your scuba kit is actually four equipment systems integrated into a single package.
Your BCD, buoyancy control device, holds everything together.
As you learned, you use it to control your buoyancy.
Your cylinder supplies high-pressure air to your regulator, which provides it to you when you inhale.
Your weight system holds just enough lead to let you descend.
Its quick-release lets you easily drop your weight in an emergency.
We'll look at each of the systems more closely next.
Scuba gear is generally interchangeable, but because everything integrates, you usually select your scuba kit as a package that puts everything together to meet your preferences.
Five components make up your BCD.
It has a bladder you inflate and deflate to control your buoyancy.
The bladder integrates with a harness or jacket with a band that securely holds your cylinder.
The low-pressure inflator lets you use it to add air directly from your cylinder by pressing a button.
You use the other button to deflate the bladder or inflate it orally.
Overpressure valves are designed to prevent rupturing from accidentally overfilling the bladder.
Some of these have quick-dump releases you can use to deflate the BCD.
The weight system pockets hold lead weights, but you can release them quickly.
You have options regarding BCD features.
Beyond getting the right size and fit, some have more air capacity than others.
Pockets and D-rings for storing and clipping accessories come in handy.
Many divers like shoulder quick-releases that make getting out of your kit easier.
BCDs are among the most stylish pieces of gear, and you can choose from several looks.
Adjust your BCD so it's snug, but not too tight while wearing your exposure suit.
Inflate it to be sure it doesn't restrict breathing.
After it's set, attach an emergency whistle to the low-pressure inflator and mount the hose retainers that hold some of the regulator components.
When caring for your BCD, rinse the inside of the bladder as well as the outside.
Drain it, and after drying, store it with a bit of air inside.
Your regulator has five components.
The first stage attaches to the cylinder valve and supplies air to the other components.
You breathe from the second stage.
It delivers air only when you inhale, or when you press the manual purge button.
Your alternate air source is a second stage on a longer hose that you use to share in an emergency.
You'll learn about other types of alternate air sources too.
The low-pressure inflator hose supplies air to your BCD inflator, and your SPG, submersible pressure gauge, tells you how much air you have.
An SPG may be separate or part of your dive computer, and it may be on a hose, or use a transmitter that sends air supply information to your dive computer.
Ease of breathing is the most important consideration when you choose a regulator.
Modern regulators meet the requirements for recreational diving, but the higher-end models usually breathe the easiest.
You'll choose between the yoke system or the DIN system.
Many divers choose DIN with yoke system adapters.
You can adjust many higher-end regulators to keep the breathing optimal.
Some have dive-pre-dive switches that avoid accidental air release when it's not in your mouth.
Besides the popular second stage on a longer hose as your alternate air source, you may opt for an alternate inflator regulator, which combines a second stage with your BCD inflator.
Some divers carry independent pony bottles, which would allow them to handle an air supply problem without buddy assistance.
Preparing your regulator requires attaching these components to the appropriate ports, which you should leave to a SCUBA professional.
Regulators are robust and reliable, but have a couple of maintenance considerations.
When rinsing, keep the first stage dust cap in place, or leave it attached to a cylinder so water doesn't enter the air inlet.
Don't press the purge button when rinsing the second stage with fresh water, because doing so could let water flow backward into it.
Regulators require professional overhauls every one to two years.
Have your dive center do this as required by the manufacturer.
SCUBA regulators are surprisingly simple.
Air flows from the first stage to the second stage, which you can think of as a cup with a mouthpiece, a flexible diaphragm, and one-way valves.
When you inhale, water pressure causes the diaphragm to flex inward, depressing the air valve lever.
This releases air that you breathe in.
When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, the lever rises, and the valve closes.
One-way valves bend your exhalation into the water, where it rises as bubbles.
Although there are variations, it is this simple design that makes SCUBA diving possible.
Your SCUBA cylinder, sometimes called a tank, holds high-pressure breathing air.
Made of steel or aluminum alloy, it has a chrome-plated valve that turns open and closed to enable or disable airflow to the regulator.
You can choose from different sizes, and you match your regulator with respect to a yoke valve or DIN valve.
Some DIN valves accept an insert so they can take yoke regulators, too.
All cylinders have markings stamped into the metal, and labels stuck onto them with the working pressure and the dates of pressure tests and inspections.
Your dive center checks these when you have your cylinder filled.
You may see a cylinder with this marking, which means it's used with enriched air nitrox.
You must be certified as an enriched air diver to use these cylinders.
You'll learn more about enriched air a bit later.
Follow these handling precautions.
Don't leave a cylinder standing unattended, especially if your kit's set up.
Lay it down, BCD up, so it doesn't fall.
Block and restrain cylinders in a boat or car so they can't roll or slide.
On boats, keep cylinders in their racks so they can't fall and injure someone or damage equipment.
Scuba cylinders require pressure testing every two to five years, and visual inspection annually.
Have your local dive center do these for you.
Open and close the valve gently, and never completely drain it.
Lay your cylinder down before and after diving, but for storage, keep it standing someplace it won't get knocked over, out of excessive heat.
Scuba air must be specially filtered and filled with special breathing air compressors, so have your cylinder filled only at a professional dive resort or dive center.
As mentioned before, your weight system's most important feature is a quick release that lets you drop enough weight so you float reliably in an emergency.
Most BCD weight systems do this with two releasable pockets.
It may also have small non-releasable weights you use for trim adjustment, that is, your balance in the water.
Your BCD and weight placement determine trim, and your instructor will show you how to adjust it for a level, horizontal position in the water.
BCD integrated weight systems are the most popular, but some divers use separate weight belts.
Your instructor may also have you use small accessory weights to help adjust your trim.
These should be only a fraction of the weight you wear, so they don't need to quick release.
Let's go over the skills you'll be learning as a diver.
You'll practice many or all of these during your first confined water dive.
The previews you see here show you the basics that apply to most equipment and divers.
But there are many ways to accomplish most skills, so your instructor may show you a different method as appropriate for you and your gear.
The first skill is setting up your kit.
Start by inspecting everything for wear or damage.
If you have a new BCD, wet it or at least the cylinder band.
This helps it stay adjusted.
Slide the BCD onto the cylinder with the valve opening facing the BCD to about this height.
You can adjust it later to suit your preference.
Tighten and then lock the cylinder band.
These vary, so get your instructor to help if necessary.
Lift everything by the BCD and make sure the cylinder doesn't slip or move.
If it does, tighten the band.
Remove the first stage dust cap and the cylinder valve cap, if it has one.
Make sure there's an O-ring and that it's not damaged.
With the yoke system, it's part of the valve opening.
With DIN, check here on the regulator.
You can't dive without this O-ring.
If it's missing or appears damaged, your instructor will show you how to replace it.
With your BCD facing away from you, fit the first stage to the valve so that the primary second stage, the one you breathe from, goes to the right and the low-pressure inflator hose to the BCD goes to the left.
Secure the first stage just finger tight.
Cylinder pressure will keep everything secure after you open the valve.
Connect the low-pressure hose to the BCD inflator, like this.
Holding the SPG away from you, slowly open the cylinder valve all the way until it stops.
Check to be sure you have a full cylinder or at least enough air for the dive.
Press the purge button, like this.
Air flow should stop when you let go.
Exhale into the mouthpiece.
Exhalation should be easy.
Then, take a few breaths.
Breathing should be easy and smooth.
If your regulator free flows or continues to release air after you stop breathing or seems to have some other problem, notify your instructor.
Next, test your BCD inflator, like this.
Secure your SPG and alternate air source so neither will protrude or dangle underwater.
Your SPG usually comes under your left arm and an alternate second stage under your right.
Attach your alternate with a quick release so that it's in this triangle area when you're wearing your gear.
This keeps it out of the way, yet visible and quickly accessible if it's needed.
Check that you've reconnected shoulder release buckles and loosen the waist strap.
If you won't be diving for a while, say an hour or more, close the valve and depressurize the regulator by pressing the purge button.
This saves your air if there's a leak you didn't notice.
Depressurizing also reduces the chance of you accidentally getting water in it with the valve closed.
Loosen any straps you can tighten after you put your rig on so it's easier to get into.
Secure your kit so it can't fall or lay it down.
On your first confined water dive, you may gear up in shallow water.
But often, you kit up seated out of the water, like this.
Or standing, like this.
Let's go over the steps.
Before getting into your kit or exposure suit, get everything else ready.
Defog your mask, then adjust it, your fins, and snorkel as necessary.
Your scuba kit should be fully assembled and ready to go, like you just learned.
To avoid overheating when it's hot, put on your exposure suit last, just before getting into your scuba kit.
Wetsuits fit snugly and take some effort.
The order depends on the type.
With this common style, start with the bottoms, followed by the boots, hood if you're wearing one, and jacket.
Your instructor will show you the right order for your suit.
Drysuits are single pieces and differ in how you put them on.
If you're using one in this course, your instructor will show you how to get into yours.
You can put on wrist-mounted instruments now, though some divers wait until they're in their scuba kits.
If you're using a weight belt, that goes on next.
Wear it so it has the standardized right-hand release.
If your BCD has a crotch strap, which is not common in recreational diving, your weight belt goes on after you have your scuba kit on.
This is necessary so the crotch strap doesn't trap the belt and make it hard to drop in an emergency.
If possible, it's best to get into your kit seated.
But sometimes buddies have to hold their rigs for each other.
Dive gear is moderately heavy, so use proper lifting whenever you move it.
This means bend at the knees and lift by standing.
Keep your back straight with its normal curve, like this.
Raise your upper chest and stick out your buttocks slightly to keep your back in the right position.
Exhale as you lift.
Never bend your back to lift scuba gear, or anything else that's heavy for that matter.
If you have to hold your buddy's kit, support it with your strong arm and hand on the cylinder bottom and the other balancing it like this.
The stronger diver usually kits up first because the diver will be wearing and holding gear at the same time.
If your physical characteristics make lifting, standing, and or walking in scuba equipment unreasonable and or unsafe, don't do it.
Ask for help as necessary, and there are plenty of alternative methods for getting into your kit.
While seated or with a buddy holding your kit, slip into your BCD and tighten the straps with the weight off your shoulders.
Check for trapped hoses.
Then, secure all the releases and buckles.
Check the cylinder height by tilting your head.
If it touches the first stage, readjust the cylinder lower.
When your buddy or buddies are ready, you perform a pre-dive safety check and confirm gear operation, location, and connection for each other.
You'll learn the details to this in Section 2.
Put your mask on by placing it against your face for a good seal and then pulling the strap back.
Develop good habits by always having your mask on in the water, even at the surface.
This protects your eyes from unexpected splashes and waves and lets you see underwater to check your buddy's gear, for instance, if you have to deal with a sudden problem.
It also keeps the defog from washing out.
Put on your gloves.
Then your fins go on last, just before entering the water.
Buddies help steady each other, donning fins one at a time.
Don't forget to wet full-foot fins so you can put them on easier.
Avoid walking with fins on as much as possible.
Put them on as close to the water as you can.
If you must walk while wearing them, be cautious and walk backwards so you don't trip over the blade.
Sometimes you put your fins on after you enter the water, like when training in a pool.
At this point, you're ready to get in, using one of several possible entry techniques you'll learn during the course.
You constantly use your BCD to control your buoyancy.
Before entering, partially inflate it so you will float, say about one-third.
Inflate using short bursts, like this.
You can also inflate it orally, which you'll practice.
To deflate your BCD in the water, breathe from your regulator and raise and depress the exhaust button, like this.
Air will vent from the BCD and you'll descend.
During the course, you practice using your BCD until you can stay neutrally buoyant, like being weightless, whenever you want.
Release and add air in small amounts so you avoid accidental rapid descents and ascents.
For the first dive, you'll use your BCD primarily at the surface.
Make a habit of floating positively buoyant with your mask on, breathing from your snorkel or regulator.
Inflate your BCD before entering the water, and inflate it first thing when you come up from a dive.
If you have a problem at the surface, immediately make yourself buoyant.
Inflate your BCD.
Later, you'll also learn to drop your weight so you're buoyant.
When everything's set, your instructor will have you go underwater using scuba.
Your first breaths underwater are exhilarating.
Breathing underwater is one of the unique experiences that makes diving special.
Enjoy the moment.
Breathe slowly, deeply, and don't hold your breath.
Chances are, you'll never forget your first breath underwater.
You can't talk using standard recreational scuba gear, so you and your buddies use hand signals.
Here are some widely accepted signals, but you may learn some regional ones, as well as make some up with your buddies for the circumstances.
OK or OK.
Stop.
Go up or go down.
Stop or end the dive.
Something's wrong.
Which way?
Boat.
Ears not clearing.
Come here.
Watch me.
Get with your buddy.
Hold hands.
You lead, I'll follow.
Down or descend.
Low on air.
Out of air.
Share air.
Slow down or calm down.
Breathe.
How much air do you have?
Danger or hazard.
Turn the dive or head back.
I'm cold.
At the surface, you use large signals that are more visible from a boat or shore.
This means OK or OK.
If you can only use one hand, it's like this.
This means distress or help me.
Your instructor may show you additional signals that apply to training.
You find that you understand signals in context with what's happening.
See if you can figure out what these divers are saying.
He signaled stop and something is wrong.
The buddy replied to stop, breathe and slow down.
That is, take it easy and to catch his breath.
The diver signaled let me rest a little.
A little is not an official signal, but you can tell what he meant.
This is normal diver communication.
When your regulator leaves your mouth, it fills with water.
So you'll learn two ways to clear it and resume breathing.
The first is the exhalation method.
If you have a breath in your lungs, replace the mouthpiece and blow into it.
This pushes the water out.
Your head needs to be relatively upright so the exhaust valves are in the lowest position.
And of course, you must exhale before you inhale.
Use the purge method if you don't have much air to exhale.
Replace the second stage, stick your tongue against the mouthpiece to block it and push the purge button for a moment, like this.
This pushes out the water.
Blocking the mouthpiece helps keep water from spraying in and making you cough.
With either method, because you should never hold your breath, remember to blow a steady stream of small bubbles when the regulator is out of your mouth.
It helps to make a continuous ah sound so you keep your airway open.
After clearing, inhale your first breath gently and cautiously in case there's residual water.
If you release your second stage, depending upon your position, it may drop in front of you or it may end up behind your shoulder out of sight.
To recover with the arm sweep method in a relatively upright position like this, lower your right shoulder.
Extend your right arm backward along your cylinder, then sweep outward like this to locate the hose.
Follow the hose to the second stage, replace and clear it.
With the reach method, reach back to the first stage, find where the hose attaches and follow it out like this.
It sometimes helps to lift the cylinder up and to the right with your left hand.
With either method, blow bubbles when the regulator is not in your mouth.
When swimming, a dropped regulator usually hangs in front of you where it's easy to find.
But if you ever have difficulty relocating your second stage, don't waste time trying to find it.
Just switch to your alternate air source and then get your buddy to help.
It's normal for some water to trickle into your mask, but it's easy to get rid of it.
Hold the top of your mask, then while exhaling slowly and steadily through your nose, look upward.
Your breath forces the water out the bottom edge of your mask.
Start exhaling before you look up so you don't get a little water in your nose.
Some masks have a purge valve for clearing.
If yours does, hold the mask firmly against your face and look down while exhaling.
The water goes out the valve.
By the way, if you normally wear contact lenses but can see well enough without them, you may want to have them out during your training dives.
But if you need them, tell your instructor and keep your eyes closed so you don't lose them when learning to clear your mask.
Use your SPG to manage your air supply at all times.
With good air monitoring and management habits, you avoid running out of air, so they're obviously important habits to develop.
With a full cylinder, your SPG reads close to the cylinder working pressure.
Pay attention to how fast you use your air.
You'll notice you use it faster as you exert more and when you dive deeper.
With experience, you get a feel for how much air you use.
Also with experience, you'll use less air as you relax, control your buoyancy better and move more efficiently.
Note the caution zone, which indicates when you have 50 bar or 500 psi left.
If your SPG is part of your computer, the display may blink or have some other alert.
This is your reserve pressure.
You plan and execute dives so you have at least this remaining after you're out of the water.
During training, alert your instructor when you're getting close to 50 bar or 500 psi.
Your instructor may ask for alerts at other pressures.
During the course, you'll learn to turn the dive, that is, head back to the boat or shore, based on your remaining air supply.
You learned about equalization earlier.
Recall that you need to equalize as you descend to avoid squeezes.
Equalize gently and often, every meter or few feet.
Equalize your mask by blowing into it from your nose.
Descend slowly and be patient.
Do not use long, forceful equalization, which can damage your ears and cause hearing loss.
If you have difficulty equalizing, stop your descent, signal your buddy and your instructor, ascend a bit and try again.
After equalizing, descend more slowly and equalize more often.
Never continue descending if you can't equalize.
The most popular dive kick is the flutter kick.
To do this without wasted effort, starting neutrally buoyant, horizontal and level, kick from the hip with your arms at your side or against your body, like this.
Your knee doesn't bend much and it's a slow, long kick.
Stay well above the bottom so you don't damage fragile organisms.
You may learn other kicks depending upon your preferences or to meet specific needs.
This is the frog kick.
Many experienced divers use it most of the time instead of the flutter kick.
With proper air management, an air supply emergency should be highly unlikely.
But as a diver, you'll know how to manage the problem should it occur.
Were you to find yourself out of air, if possible you would use an alternate air source, most commonly provided by your buddy.
Signal out of air and share air.
Your buddy responds by providing her alternate second stage, though you can secure it yourself if she doesn't.
If your buddy uses an alternate inflator regulator, she switches to it and provides you the primary from her mouth.
Either way, secure the alternate, clear it and begin breathing.
Grip each other's right forearms like this.
This keeps you together and leaves your left hand free to deflate your BCD and control your buoyancy as you ascend.
Take just a moment to get settled if you need to.
Then ascend at a safe rate to the surface.
You'll learn to ascend at a safe rate with your buddy.
Signal up to your buddy.
Start your ascend by swimming upward.
You should not need to put air in your BCD.
You should come up, look up, reach up and come up slowly, like this.
Staying with your buddy and checking overhead regularly.
Breathe normally and don't hold your breath.
Ascend slowly.
Your computer may warn you if you go too fast.
Remember what you learned about expanding air?
As you come up, the air in your BCD expands, so you have to vent some to keep from becoming too buoyant.
Release small, regular bursts like this.
During your first confined water dive, your instructor may do this for you.
When you reach the surface, keep breathing from your regulator while you inflate your BCD.
Once you're floating comfortably, you can switch to your snorkel.
Again, make a habit of keeping your mask on and either your snorkel or regulator in your mouth while at the surface.
If you need to float in an emergency, one option is to drop your weights, especially if you don't have air in your cylinder or have a BCD problem.
Never hesitate to drop your weights at the surface.
Remember, you don't have to drop all your weight, just enough to float.
Dropping your weight underwater risks an uncontrolled rapid ascent, so you only do it if you're unsure you could reach the surface any other way.
When you practice with your instructor, first make sure no one's below you.
Breathe from your regulator and simulate a BCD problem by deflating it.
You may have to kick to stay up.
Then, quick release your weight, pull it well clear and drop it.
You'll float right up.
After surfacing in an out-of-air emergency, or if you disconnected a runaway inflator, your BCD low-pressure inflator won't work, so you use oral inflation.
At the surface, hold the BCD inflator-deflator with your left hand.
Inflate by blowing into it while depressing the same button you usually use to deflate.
Remove your mouthpiece, kick upward taking a breath, and blow about half to two-thirds of it into your BCD as you settle back into the water, like this.
Repeat this until you're positively buoyant.
Be sure to release the deflator button when you're not blowing in.
Otherwise, the BCD will deflate, of course.
How you exit the water depends upon the environment and your physical needs.
You'll probably learn and practice several techniques.
The following guidelines apply to most exits. 1.
Establish positive buoyancy before switching to your snorkel. 2.
Remove your fins before exiting, if appropriate for the technique.
This helps you avoid walking with fins on. 3.
Keep your mask on and breathe from your snorkel or regulator until you're on the boat or in calm waters shallow enough in which to stand.
After exiting, if you didn't take your fins off before exiting, sit as soon as you can or take them off with a buddy.
It's usually easiest to get out of your gear seated, though buddies sometimes help each other while standing.
Remember to use proper lift techniques, and on a boat, secure your equipment so it can't fall.
When you're ready to take your gear apart, start by closing the cylinder valve.
Depressurize the regulator by pressing the purge.
Then disconnect the low-pressure hose from the BCD inflator.
Remove the first stage.
Dry the dust cap and replace it.
Take weights from the weight system and secure all the BCD buckles and straps.
Release the cylinder band and slide off the BCD.
Resecure the cylinder or, on shore, lay it down.
Rinse everything like you've already learned.