Well here we are again in the height of the Diving
Season! The water and air are warm, the seas are blue and
the vis is, well, the vis is what the vis is. We have most
of the bugs worked out in our boats and gear, thinner (if
any) suits, less weight, more “voluntary hydration”, ahhhh,
the good life!
At times like this diving becomes so much more relaxed and
depending upon your log books, almost second nature. I can’t
speak for others, but under these conditions, I find it easy
to become complacent especially about safety issues.
It’s the little things that can lead to trouble. Gear
gets dragged from car to boat and boat to car to Motel Room
to home again and again, always getting bumped and banged.
We assume that the Dive Boat we have just boarded is in
perfect operating condition with all the latest equipment.
We know that the O2 kit is fully checked and current. Right?
Wrong! There are a million scenarios like this; you can make
up your own.
The point is that we all, no matter what our experience
and skill levels, need to keep an eye out. This can be as
simple as locating where the safety gear is on the boat you
have just boarded or checking which way the current is
running as soon as you enter as well as at your planned
depth, or remembering to take a compass bearing before you
get in the water. Simple easy things like this go so far
towards keeping us safe.
The safety aspect of Scuba diving is covered to various
degrees as part of whichever course you took to get that all
important certification. But then in many cases, it seems to
loose its priority in favor of more important things
like….what color wetsuit should I buy or how many bands can
I strap to this spear gun or how close can I get with this
camera? When is the last time you worked out repetitive
diving with only tables and a pencil? Unless you just
finished up a class or just bought your first computer, I’ll
wager it’s been a while. I know it has for me. Maybe its
ego, maybe its testosterone or maybe its just that we all
love what we do and what we see so much that we choose not
to remember that we are doing something that is quite
unnatural for human beings to do. Breathe underwater.
Now I’m not jumping up and down screaming that the Grim
Reaper in a wetsuit is going to come for us if we don’t all
become Rescue Certified and train in Emergency response
(although these are both great additions to your dive
resumes and personal safety factors). What I am saying is
that keeping your eyes ears and mind open to what you are
doing, and equally important, what those around you are
doing will keep the odds of an unpleasant experience in your
favor.
And oh, by the way, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention
the fact that this time of year there are a lot of brand new
divers out there. They are people without all the vast
knowledge of the undersea world and salty real world
experience that we will share with them whether they want it
or not. Watch these people, help these people. They have an
interest in the same thing that you do. People helped you
along the way, remember? A few well placed words or an offer
to help if someone is struggling could make the difference
between a lifelong diver and someone who takes up golf (ugh)
next week.
Got a few minutes before your next dive trip? Just for fun,
drag out your old training manual and reread the sections
that deal with safety, take the quiz if there is one. If
nothing else, this will help to put safer diving back in
your mind, back towards the top of the mental priority
pile….where it belongs!
Plan your dive, dive your plan
Todd |
