Every spring, the water warms around Okinawa and certified divers who have pursued other interests during the winter months begin to reenter the ocean. Others seek scuba training in order to get certified and to be able to join their friends in this fascinating activity. Each one of these divers, whether certified or aspiring, expects to enjoy their experiences under water. Diving is fun and relaxing. No one thinks that he or she will encounter a problem, especially a serious one. Unfortunately, potential problems, or what we call, the inherent risks of scuba diving are too often dismissed or ignored. Those risks are real. You need to be aware of what they are so you can take action to avoid them.

Over the years, military recreational divers on Okinawa have had their share of accidents. Some were very serious, and a few resulted in fatalities. The most significant factor in serious injury or death has been the environment. Water conditions can make shore entries extremely hazardous. Many divers enter in marginal conditions and a few go in in extreme conditions with predictable results. Since much of Okinawa diving is from shore, divers must know how to judge waves and surf. Rough seas also produce dangerous situations for boat divers, especially for those trying to climb back on board. Currents can stress divers physically and psychologically. Even tidal changes can cause difficulties. Knowledge of how weather influences sea conditions is a must.

Another important contributing factor to our accident rate have been divers who don't possess the basic skills to safely conduct a dive. These basic skills include breathing, swimming, buoyancy, and even monitoring your air supply. Checking to see how much air you have every five to ten minutes should be a no-brainer. Proper breathing and efficient swimming technique are necessary to becoming a proficient diver, but good buoyancy control is absolutely essential for safety. A diver who can't control his or her descent risks ear and sinus injury. Inability to control buoyancy during the dive causes overexertion and the potential for sudden descents and ascents. And a diver who can't control his or her ascent is a serious accident that will happen. No matter what some suggest, buoyancy is not an advanced skill. You should be good at it when you get your certification card.

The final significant factor is STUPIDITY. There's no fix for stupidity. You must avoid it to survive.

Below is a baker's dozen list of suggestions that will, I think, make your diving safer and more enjoyable. The list is in no particular order.

1. Know Weather & Water Conditions. You don't need to be an old salt to appreciate what the effects of heightened wind velocity, crashing surf, increased tidal flow, and serious currents can have on your dive. Luckily, most of these phenomena are predictable when you understand what causes them and where to look for the necessary information. Weather information can be obtained 24 hours a day by calling 634-4081. Many publications provide tide charts. Sites on the internet are also good sources of information about weather and water conditions. Do not be influenced by peer pressure in to making a dive in conditions that you're not comfortable with. Practice the "10 second rule" - if it takes longer than 10 seconds to decide yea or nay about the dive, the correct response is nay.

2. Improve and Refine Diving Skills. None of us are as good as we can get and the better we are in the water, the safer and more pleasant the experience. We feel more confident in our abilities and that reduces anxiety. In addition, we should practice our survival skills at least monthly so we can handle an out of air emergency. Technical divers, who go well beyond the traditional recreational limits, perform an air/gas sharing exercise at 15 to 20 feet at the beginning of every one of their dives.

3. Don't Dive Beyond Your Experience Level. Know what conditions and what depths you're comfortable with. Don't let anyone talk you into diving Bolo or Hedo when all you've done is Maeda and Sunabe. Don't believe you're up to diving the Emmons when all you hold is an Advanced Open Water rating. Expanding your "comfort zone" should be done in small increments.

4. Don't Dive Impaired. Never enter the water when you're sick, hungover, or drunk. Divers who aren't up to par physically open themselves up to decompression sickness, barotrauma, and mistakes in judgment.

5. Stay Hydrated. Dehydration reduces circulatory efficiency and makes you much more susceptible to decompression sickness. Drink at least a quart of water before diving. On hot, humid summer days drink at least a gallon.

6. Maintain Physical Fitness. Life is better when you're healthy enough to enjoy it. Diving is a physical activity and only those who are "in shape" can handle its demands when things don't go as planned.

7. Quit Smoking. This highly addictive behavior ruins lives and sends people to early graves. Tobacco use makes divers more likely to suffer from decompression sickness and air embolism.

8. Avoid Exertion. During, and especially after diving, avoid strenuous physical activity. Postpone your workouts until the day following. Otherwise, the muscle strain and movement may create inert gas bubbles where none had existed before.

9. Observe Depth Limits. The deeper you go, the more nitrogen you absorb increasing your chances of decompression sickness if your ascent isn't sufficiently slow. The deeper you go, the more pronounced the effects of nitrogen narcosis are. The deeper you go the more air you use. Set reasonable limits based on training, experience, and conditions and follow them. Refrain from diving below 130 feet.

10. Dive Conservatively. Do not press the limits of your tables or computer, especially on repetitive or multiday dives. Make your first dive the deepest. Try to make only one ascent per dive at a rate of 30 feet per minute or slower. Ensure that you spend at least an hour out of the water during your surface intervals. When the dive is cold or strenuous, reduce your bottom time and/or add time to your safety stop.

11. Maintain Your Gear. Ensure that all of your equipment is in good working order. Replace or fix what isn't. Have regulators, BC's (inflator mechanism), and cylinders serviced annually. Conduct predive checks of your equipment.

12. Dive With a Buddy. Despite the advice about solo diving in the recent edition of Rodale's, a buddy is your only source of assistance in any kind of a difficult situation. However, you also have a responsibility to be capable of lending assistance when necessary.

13. Know What To Do in an Emergency. Sign up for rescue training. Learn the local emergency services telephone numbers. Be aware that "911" does not work off base. Carry a first aid kit. If you are an instructor or dive leader, you should also have an oxygen kit with you.

Diving is incredibly exciting and enjoyable. For many, the time they spend under Okinawa's waters provides the best experiences of their lives. When other memories fade, they still recall the coral reefs, the colorful fish, and the great times they had half a world away. Don't let an accident ruin that. Dive safe.