If your dive buddy gets hurt or dies, could you be found liable in a court of law? In a word, yes.

Set a course. Whether you follow a compass course from the anchor line or lay out a guide line or do both depends on how much you can see. So does the route you follow. In the worst conditions, a short, straight out-and-back route is probably ...

Check for leaks. Pressurize the BC using the oral or power inflator and submerge it to look for leaks. Rotate it in all directions to give small bubbles a chance to escape. Want to keep your BC in tip-top shape? Then take care of it. Read ...

Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Both tobacco smoke and alcohol irritate your mucus membranes, promoting more mucus that can block your eustachian tubes. Learn the ins and outs of the ear with our "11 Tips For Easy Equalizing".

More v. Bigger. In general, look for more batteries (six or eight) if you want a brighter light; look for bigger batteries (C or D cells) if you want longer burn time. You can find more light buying tips in Night Skills, our feature devoted to ...

If you have a tank, mount the regulator to it and turn on the air to pressurize. While hosing or soaking the regulator, press the purge button to wash inside the second stage. If you don't have a tank, be sure the regulator's dust cap ...

Bill ran the numbers and decided he could break one of tech diving's cardinal rules of safety. The numbers didn't lie, but they also didn't account for an unplanned emergency.

Two divers follow a divemaster beyond the level of their training. Only one comes back.

Adhering to predive procedures is crucial when using a closed-circuit rebreather. Without a buddy to catch his mistake, one diver pays the ultimate price for carelessness.