When diving, what should you regularly evaluate to prevent panic?

Regularly evaluating your diving limitations is essential for ensuring a safe and enjoyable dive experience. Understanding your personal limits and the specific conditions of your dive allows you to make informed decisions and avoids situations that could lead to anxiety or panic. Each diver has different levels of training, comfort, and experience, and acknowledging these factors helps manage risks effectively.

When you are aware of your limitations, you are better positioned to stay within a safe operating zone, which reduces the likelihood of encountering unforeseen challenges that could lead to panic. This proactive approach enables you to recognize when conditions might be becoming overwhelming and allows for early intervention, whether that's ascending to a safer depth, regrouping with your buddy, or adjusting your dive plan.

Other factors, like underwater visibility or air supply, are indeed important for dive safety and can influence your comfort level, but they do not directly pertain to your individual capacity for handling stressful situations. A buddy's behavior is also vital, but it is essential to first have a clear understanding of your limitations to respond appropriately to any situation that may arise.