SCUBA QUIZ: Do You Know the Beer Fine Rules in Diving?

All over the world dive instructors apply the beer fine law for common 'mistakes' made by new divers. Being penalized with buying a beer (or chocolate, candy, etc) for your instructor is NOT a real punishment but it gives the SCUBA course a funny twist while learning new things. Beer fines are there for a reason!

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Here are some of the most used SCUBA Beer fine rules:

By making the shift from snorkeling to diving the first thing you might hear: "Divers use fins, not flippers!" While you might have called the blades on your feet flippers since you were a little kid - fins is the official name. This will not get you into any troubles while diving but referring to flippers might rise some eyebrows on a dive trip. If you call your fins flippers during your course you need to buy your instructor a beer!

Learn more scuba diving hand signals, fun and useful!

Another rule that is often applied is; buying a beer after putting your mask on your forehead at the surface - and this is more serious. When a diver puts his mask on his forehead he signals for help. It is a sign of stress since the diver has lost 'control', especially with waves. People on the shore or dive boat should immediately ask if you are OK with the big OK hand-signal (circle above the head with arms) of which you have to respond in order to prevent unnecessary rescue operations.

If that is not reason enough - you can also loose your mask easily with a wave - and I have seen it happen dozens of times. It would be a waste of money to buy your first piece of dive equipment and loose it within the first few dives... Train yourself in putting your mask around your neck instead of your forehead, even in the pool and when snorkeling.

To leave a SCUBA tank standing is another one, especially with a BCD and regulator attached to it. If it tips over the tank can start rolling, loosing air and (worst case) break at the valve. A full tank holds a lot of pressure, about 200 bar. Compare this to a bottle of champagne of about 5 bar, shake it and see what happens when you open it! With a SCUBA tank you get something similar to a rocket launch since an immense power is released. It will go through swimming pool walls and can hurt people pretty bad due to the immense power that can be released. Google away for interesting rocket launches and do NOT leave your tank standing!

Giving the thumbs-up signal for OK instead of the diver OK signal (making a loop with your thumb and index finger). The thumbs-up sign is a signal for going up/ascent!