BSAC

 

Just Checking

Safety Talk has previously considered the importance of checks (June 2006) in particular focussing on the use of checklists, especially for technical diving. What Paul highlights above however is a much simpler but still fundamental process of reminding everyone of the importance of appropriate checks.

Kit and Buddy Checks

Your kit is your life support system and so it is important to take the necessary time and care to properly prepare yourself and perhaps more importantly your kit for the dive. Check it is properly assembled, turned on and has adequate capability for the dive (e.g. adequate gas, scrubber life, decompression time). Buddy Checks are important as a second check that everything is working OK and provide peace of mind for yourself as well as your buddy.

Boat Checks

In recent years there has been a significant decline in the number of surface incidents involving boat breakdowns and consequently lost divers. This in part, we believe, is due to the publicity given to this and owners taking heed of the advice of RNLI, MCA , BSAC and others on checking the boat prior to use. But there are no grounds for complacency as breakdowns still occur. As well as checking operation before departure remember to check functionality throughout the day's activity. It is a good idea to check fuel levels before deploying divers rather than run the risk of having to change fuel lines during recovery. Other simple checks, such as marking the site on GPS and/or taking transit marks of the site may provide dividends should the need for them arise.

During and After the Dive

During a dive regular checks on each other should be the norm and is usually ingrained during training. Divers, of whatever level, should take responsibility not just for themselves but also for their buddy even if there is a significant difference in their skills (don't be afraid to take control if your instructor seems unresponsive or acting strangely).

Frequently, however, we encounter situations where something we thought had been checked is not quite right (hoses tangled, equipment located in not quite the right place) and is corrected underwater usually with some buddy assistance. The key lesson here should be to record such incidents at the end of the dive, either with the Dive Manager or in your dive Log (or both) so that future checks ensure there is not a repeat of the problem.

The simple reminder suggested by Paul and his branch should help to keep these points at the forefront of divers minds.