It is always best to understand and establish safe scuba diving practices. These safe guidelines will provide you with the knowledge and understanding set forth with the intent to increase your comfort and safety while scuba diving. 

1. Each diver should always maintain the best mental and physical fitness for diving.  Never consume alcohol or dangerous drugs when scuba diving.  Always sharpen your proficiencies in diving by increasing them through additional education and reviewing them before each activity.

2. Make sure that you have good knowledge of each, and/or new dive site.  Never dive when diving conditions worsen and as your experience allows.  Only dive to your level of training.

3. Always keep you equipment, well-maintained, and only dive with reliable equipment that you are familiar with.  Never loan your dive equipment out to non-certified divers.  Each Utopia Scuba Diving Instructor can assist you in the proper equipment.

4. Always plan your dive then dive your plan.  You may need additional training when diving in other geographic areas especially after a period of inactivity.

5. Never dive alone.  That’s the rule… Plan your dives – including communications and what to do in the event you get lost from each other.

6. Understand the dive tables.  Make NO decompression dives and allow safety margins.  Limit maximum depth to your level of experience.  Ascend at a rate of not more than 60 feet per minute.  Be a SAFE diver – Slowly ascend from every dive. Make sure a safety stop is included as an added precaution, usually at 15 feet for three minutes or longer.

7. Understand how to control proper buoyancy.  Adjust weighting at the surface for neutral buoyancy with no air in your buoyancy control device as you float at eye level.  Always stay at neutral buoyancy while underwater in order to protect the reefs.

8. Understand how to breathe properly for diving, which will be covered in your scuba course. Never hold your breath or skip-breathe when breathing under water.  

9. Know, understand and obey ALL local dive laws and regulations, including fish and game and dive flag laws.

Each diver should recognize that rules are for their own safety and well-being, and that failure to adhere to them can place you or your dive buddy in jeopardy when diving.