A successful dive begins with proper preparation. As you'll learn later in this lesson, a thorough site survey and briefing should be conducted before you even unload your gear.

After you've determined that the dive site and conditions are favorable, there are a few preparations that must be made. These include discussing the dive plan with your buddy, reviewing hand signals, preparing and donning your gear, and inspecting your buddy's gear. Following these preparations helps to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and successful dive.

After this lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain the purpose of the buddy system.
• List the qualities of a reliable buddy.
• Conduct a thorough dive plan.
• List the steps required to assemble and disassemble your scuba unit.
• State the order in which you should don your gear.
• List the steps of a thorough buddy check.