SCUBA DIVING UNIVERSITY / SAFETY
Conditions & equipment
Apply risk awareness to Australian shore entries, currents, boats, cold water and equipment problems.
10 lessons in this section
YouDive educational guide · References checked 30 September 2026 · Independent instructor and medical review pending. This library does not provide certification, individual medical clearance or a dive plan.
Reading weather and swell
A pleasant sky does not establish that a shore entry or boat trip is suitable.
Read the guide →02Currents and tides
A tide time is only one piece of information about water movement at a dive site.
Read the guide →03Shore entries and exits
The dive is not complete until the team is safely out of the water.
Read the guide →04Boats, ladders and propellers
Surface activity around a boat needs the same attention as the underwater portion of the dive.
Read the guide →05Cold water and hypothermia
Cold can reduce comfort, coordination and the ability to manage equipment before a diver recognises a serious problem.
Read the guide →06Low visibility and night diving
Less visual information changes navigation, communication and team spacing.
Read the guide →07Entanglement and line hazards
Fishing line, nets and poorly routed equipment can restrict movement and complicate an exit.
Read the guide →08Buoyancy and weighting
Stable buoyancy helps protect the diver, the buddy and the environment.
Read the guide →09Equipment faults and maintenance
A small fault identified before entry is an opportunity to prevent a larger underwater problem.
Read the guide →10Marine life and injury prevention
Observe wildlife with enough space that neither the animal nor the diver needs to react defensively.
Read the guide →