Generally, scuba diving in Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef is quite easy because of the conservative depths, warm water and fantastic visibility so a newly qualified scuba diver will have no problem finding Australia scuba diving destinations. Night diving and wreck diving require a greater degree of skill, confidence and experience. Normally, novice divers will be accompanied on these dives by a dive master - which may incur a fee.

The accident rate in Australia is one of the lowest in the world, due largely to the diving conditions, warm clear shallow waters and the high safety standards required by the Australian Government for all operators in the industry. You will be briefed by your dive leader on what to look for, and what you should and should not touch.

Medical facilities... Queensland has one of the best diver recovery systems in the world, including a fixed and rotary wing aircraft with portable decompression chambers.

Coastal centres servicing the main scuba diving locations in Australia have excellent medical support and most resorts have a nurse and nurse's station on site. Liveaboard dive boats are equipped with a medical kit, which the crew can use under instruction from a mainland doctor over the radio or telephone. All dive vessels are required by law to have oxygen systems and supplies on board, as well as trained staff.

For non-diving sickness or injury, your operator will direct you to the best local medical facilities. Each major city has a central hospital and 24 hour medical clinics. Pharmacies are always useful for advice about minor problems not requiring prescription drugs.

Scuba diving, flying and driving... Many divers get to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia by plane. While it's fine to dive soon after flying

• Remember that your last scuba dive should be completed at least 12 hours (some experts advise 24 hours) before your flight to minimize the risk of residual nitrogen in the blood that can cause decompression injury.
• For longer scuba diving trips on liveaboard dive boats, or if you have made multiple daily dives for several days or have made dives that include decompression stops, an extended surface interval of more than 24 hours before you fly is recommended.

For a detailed article on this, see Diving then flying or driving.

Diving medical... Dive students will need a current medical to Australian Standard 4005.1. This can be organized once you are in Queensland or before traveling but can only be obtained from a doctor practicing dive medicine. Learn to dive students will have to complete a continuous swim of 200 m and also be able to tread water for 10 minutes continuously. No medical is required if you are a certified scuba diver.

To learn more refer to Australian Dive Medical

Travel insurance does not cover scuba diving... Standard travel insurance policies specifically exclude scuba diving activity but dive operators carry specific insurance which covers medical or retrieval expenses. This can be purchased prior to diving. You can also check on secondary insurance cover through the Divers Alert Network (DAN). For information on DAN and the Diving Emergency Service (DES)... see Diver safety & emergency services

Scuba diving certification... Most internationally recognized certification is valid in Australia including:

• Australian Underwater Scuba Instructors (AUSI)
• British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC)
• Confederation Mondial Des Activities Sub Aquatics - World Underwater Federation (CMAS)
• Federation of Australian Underwater Instructors (FAUI)
• National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI)
• National Association of Dive Schools (NASDS)
• Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and
• Scuba Schools International (SSI).

To learn more, refer to Diver certification in Australia

At least a month before you leave to travel Australia, inspect your scuba diving gear. Remember, your regulator should be serviced annually, whether you've used it or not. If you use a dive computer check the battery level and if it's low and you can replace the battery yourself, change it before the trip or buy a spare one to take along. Otherwise, send the computer to the manufacturer for a battery replacement.

Purchase any additional scuba diving equipment you might need, such as a dive light and tank marker light for night diving, a line reel for wreck diving, etc. Make sure you have at least a whistle attached to your Buoyancy Compensator (BC) and an alternative air source as required by law in Queensland.

About a week before taking off, do a final check of your gear, grease o-rings, check batteries and assemble a 'save-a-dive' kit. This kit should at minimum contain extra mask and fin straps, snorkel keeper, mouthpiece, valve cap, zip ties and o-rings. Don't forget to pack a first-aid kit and medications such as decongestants, ear drops, antihistamines and sea sickness tablets. If you are entering Australia you need no immunisations but it's best to fill your prescriptions before departure as drugs vary... for detailed information on Australia visa and travel requirements... see Visa applications.

In addition to the cheery `G'day' and a friendly `How ya goin mate?', you'll hear a variety of distinctly Aussie words, when you go diving.

Here are some: