Safety

Safe diving

Diving is a fascinating and addictive sport, but please always take responsibility for your own safety, and ensure your equipment is properly maintained. In Denmark the Watersport Safety Council has published a set of 10 simple rules that can be seen as the minimum level of compromise between the rules set by different diving organizations.

1. Only dive if you are fit, healthy and physically and mentally prepared for the dive.
2. Be familiar with the conditions you will dive in.
3. Take good care of your equipment. Before diving remember to check your equipment, your air supply by caring out a self-check, buddy-check, and dive leader-check.
4. Always follow the dive leader’s instructions.
5. Be familiar with and respect your diving tables (avoid decompression sickness - remember your safety stops, and to ascend slowly).
6. Never dive alone.
7. Optimize your buoyancy (adjust your weight belt correctly)
8. Breathe deeply and calmly.
9. Use surface support (e.g. a buoy, boat or raft)
10. Know the applicable rules and laws. Always use a dive flag.

Dive Correctly

To dive correctly Danish Maritime law stipulates the following:

1. The international signal flag “A” (120 x 100 cm) must be flown when undertaking any form of diving in open water. The distance between the flag and divers near the surface should never exceed 30 meters.
2. The flag must be visible and flown at least 100cm above the surface of the water. It must be placed at both ends of the area to be dived.
3. If the dives move out of the marked area, they must be followed by a support boat displaying the signal flag “A”.
4. All dive teams should use a tethered surface buoy (SMB) that clearly shows the divers position on the surface.
5. On evening- and night dives the dive flag and SMBs must be lit up, so these signals can be clearly seen by passing vessels.

WARNING:

All diving under the car deck on M/F Ærøsund is not recommended! Fine and loose mud reduces visibility. 

M/F Ærøsund is a wreck located in a streep water. All diving at M/F Ærøsund is under your own responsibility and must be based on applicable rules (see section on safety).

NEVER dive on wrecks or in caves without safety lines!