[underwater exhalation]
Divers need to be able to perform a controlled descent
and must be able to slow or stop if they have a problem clearing their ears or sinuses.
Not all dives are on the bottom.
Some dives are mid-water or on a ship's hull.
if you plan a dive to a certain depth, you should not exceed that depth or your dive tables will change.
In the case of Nitrox you may have a maximum depth based on what you are breathing.
Before you make a controlled descent, there are a few things you need to do.
Check with your dive buddies and make sure they are ready to leave surface.
Get a compass heading on the beach, or your exit point, as a reference.
Check your cylinder pressure and then check your time so you know when your dive starts.
To make a controlled descent, put your inflator/ deflator high above your left shoulder and vent air from your BC until you start to descend.
On the way down, if you need to, You can add small bursts of air to your BC to control your descent.
When making a controlled descent we always keep our feet beneath us so if we need to use our fins
to slow or stop our descent because of ear or sinus issues, we can.
We only descend as fast as the slowest diver in the team and we always stay together as buddy teams when diving.
That's a controlled descent.