Ascend. Slowly. From. Every. Dive.
This little statement, ‘Ascend slowly from every dive’ is the mantra drilled into the skull of every scuba beginner. I recall my first PADI lesson in which they help you to don all the heavy gear, and then they wade you into the shallows and start talking. I was like ‘Really? Im paying good money to stand in one meter of water and be told taught how to float properly? Let me out into the blue, Im ready to dive those wrecks and find me some Spanish doubloons!’. But once they get you through the basics of how to keep breathing and how to control your depth, they start with this mantra. ‘ Never come up quickly. Don’t panic and lose control of your ascent.. because thats what can kill you..’ Sorry.. what was that? Coming up too fast can WHAT NOW!? Scuba is really great fun and I have no desire to put anyone off, and of course neither do the scuba companies, but they will get you to sign indemnity documents making it clear that if you are in any way inclined to forget your tra