Diving Tips to Prepare you for Saint Lucia Dive Fest
If you’re paying Bel Jou Hotel a visit this September, we hope you’ve got Dive Fest 2019 on your itinerary. The 4th annual Dive Fest at Anse Chastanet celebrates Saint Lucia’s marine life and of course, diving with a full week of activities. Held from the 8th to the 15th of September, you can look forward to boat and shore dives, nighttime and daytime dives, Professional Diving Instructor courses, cooking demonstrations, a sunset cruise and much more.
In honor of Saint Lucia Dive Fest, here are a few diving etiquette tips to help you navigate safely in the deep blue.
1. Be On Time
Dive Fest has a set itinerary for their activities. On some days there is more than one dive scheduled and other activities as well. If you’re participating in a dive, don’t be the one to hold up the group. Arrive early and get preparations and any pressing, one on one questions out of the way so there can be a prompt start. After all everyone’s excited to explore and there are still general briefings to get through.
2. Stay Organized
When preparing for your dive, be aware of the fact that there are people around you. While you may be tempted to unpack your whole bag looking for your mask, be mindful that your stuff may be getting in other people’s way. Try to pack your stuff strategically, in the order you’ll be using them, to make sure you get ready efficiently and with little mess.
3. Pay Attention To The Dive Briefing
It’s so important to listen to briefings as they contain very important information like emergency and safety procedures. Likewise, they’ll inform you of the boat rules, diving rules and signals while underwater.
4. Know What Is Below You
From people, to fish, to coral, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and that includes above and below. It’s very easy to disturb settled marine life with your boots or accidentally break coral. Awareness is key, not only for your safety but for the safety of sea dwellers.
5. Pay Attention To Your Dive Leader
Your dive leader will obviously, lead the dive and it will be more difficult to get each person’s attention than if you were on land. Therefore, you should pay attention just in case they’re giving instructions, warnings or simply trying to show you something amazing.
6. Look Don’t Touch
Yes, the coral is breathtaking, the fish are beautiful and the turtles are majestic but they are living things. Don’t grab them or break off pieces of the coral. Respect the marine life just as you’d respect above.
7. Have Fun!
Diving is fun, not to mention all the other interesting and exciting outings Dive Fest has planned. While it’s important to pay attention to what’s going on around you, have fun exploring underwater and bonding with Saint Lucia’s alluring marine life.
