Safe Diving Practices - Yes or No?

[DevonDiver]

Most agencies have a published statement upon which they state their definition of safe diving practices, which they expect divers holding their qualifications to adhere to.

Having read many threads on Scubaboard, that invariably deal with the issue of diving safety, I was wondering what divers' attitudes towards the safety recommendations given by their agencies were. Many of the posts that I've read certainly seem in opposition to these most basic safety recommendations that certifying divers declare to adhere to.

The most obvious examples being:

1) Untrained solo divers.
2) Group diving.
3) Proper dive planning.
4) Disregarding the briefings/directions of divemasters.
5) Overhead environments.
6) Decompression diving.
7) Exceeding recommended depths.
8) Diving generally beyond the limits of training and experience.

I've quoted the PADI 'Safe Diving Practices Statement' below. This statement is signed by certifying PADI divers as part of the mandatory administration for all recreational scuba courses. It is also used by many dive operations, as a prerequisite declaration for fun diving activities.

My interest is to investigate the extents to which recreational divers adhere to these safe diving practices and their general attitudes towards them.

Do you apply these safe diving practices and to what extent?

If/when divers do not apply all/some of these practices, then what reasoning (if any) do they apply to that decision?

If you're a dive pro (instructor or DM), or a dive operation, to what extent do you enforce/support these practices when dealing with customers? Do you require customers to sign such a declaration?

Divers from other agencies, should answer in relation to their own certifying agencies' equivalent stated safety practices and/or recommendations/limitations. Where possible, the relevant document should be cited/quoted and linked.


PADI STANDARD SAFE DIVING PRACTICES STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

This is a statement in which you are informed of the established safe diving practices for skin and scuba diving. These practices have been compiled for your review and acknowledgement and are intended to increase your comfort and safety in diving.


Your signature on this statement is required as proof that you are aware of these safe diving practices. Read and discuss the
statement prior to signing it. If you are a minor, this form must also be signed by a parent or guardian.


I, understand that as a diver I should:

1. Maintain good mental and physical fitness for diving. Avoid being under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs when
diving. Keep proficient in diving skills, striving to increase them through continuing education and reviewing them in
controlled conditions after a period of diving inactivity.


2. Be familiar with my dive sites. If not, obtain a formal diving orientation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving
conditions are worse than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better
conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience. Do not engage in cave or technical diving unless specifically trained to do so.


3. Use complete, well-maintained, reliable equipment with which I am familiar; and inspect it for correct fit and function prior
to each dive. Deny use of my equipment to uncertified divers. Always have a buoyancy control device and submersible
pressure gauge when scuba diving. Recognize the desirability of an alternate air source and a low-pressure buoyancy
control inflation system.


4. Listen carefully to dive briefings and directions and respect the advice of those supervising my diving activities. Recognize that additional training is recommended for participation in specialty diving activities, in other geographic areas and
after periods of inactivity that exceed six months.


5. Adhere to the buddy system throughout every dive. Plan dives – including communications, procedures for reuniting in
case of separation and emergency procedures – with my buddy.


6. Be proficient in dive table usage. Make all dives no decompression dives and allow a margin of safety. Have a means to
monitor depth and time underwater. Limit maximum depth to my level of training and experience. Ascend at a rate of not
more than 18 metres/60 feet per minute. Be a SAFE diver – Slowly Ascend From Every dive. Make a safety stop as an
added precaution, usually at 5 metres/15 feet for three minutes or longer.


7. Maintain proper buoyancy. Adjust weighting at the surface for neutral buoyancy with no air in my buoyancy control device.
Maintain neutral buoyancy while underwater. Be buoyant for surface swimming and resting. Have weights clear for easy
removal, and establish buoyancy when in distress while diving.


8. Breathe properly for diving. Never breath-hold or skip-breathe when breathing compressed air, and avoid excessive
hyperventilation when breath-hold diving. Avoid overexertion while in and underwater and dive within my limitations.


9. Use a boat, float or other surface support station, whenever feasible.


10. Know and obey local dive laws and regulations, including fish and game and dive flag laws

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree with Devon Diver. Depends on the situation. Just use common sense, for &*^%'s sake.

 

[DevonDiver]

I think the issue is that one person's 'common sense' can differ greatly from another's - hence the great variety of viewpoints that are displayed on the Board.

It'd be nice to think that common sense made such declarations/statements unnecessary. If that were true, there wouldn't be any otherwise avoidable dive accidents.

Shouldn't 'common sense' dictate that every diver followed stated safe diving practices? When is it common sense not to?

 

[vladimir]

I think 70% is a passing grade on this test.

I, understand that as a diver I should:

1. Maintain good mental and physical fitness for diving. Avoid being under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs when diving. Keep proficient in diving skills, striving to increase them through continuing education and reviewing them in
controlled conditions after a period of diving inactivity. FAIL. I am fitter than 90% of the divers I see. I rarely drink--never while diving--and I don't use drugs, except the occasional ibuprofen. I believe I am proficient in diving skills, but I am not striving to increase them through continuing education, unless you count the time I spend on the Scubaboard. I have a job, and a fiancee, and limited time to dive. I don't really want to spend it in a class.

2. Be familiar with my dive sites. If not, obtain a formal diving orientation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving conditions are worse than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience. Do not engage in cave or technical diving unless specifically trained to do so. PASS


3. Use complete, well-maintained, reliable equipment with which I am familiar; and inspect it for correct fit and function prior to each dive. Deny use of my equipment to uncertified divers. Always have a buoyancy control device and submersible pressure gauge when scuba diving. Recognize the desirability of an alternate air source and a low-pressure buoyancy control inflation system. PASS


4. Listen carefully to dive briefings and directions and respect the advice of those supervising my diving activities. Recognize that additional training is recommended for participation in specialty diving activities, in other geographic areas and
after periods of inactivity that exceed six months. PASS. I do listen carefully to briefings, and respect those supervising my diving, though I try to minimize the supervision. I also recognize that additional training is recommended, but I don't confuse that with a requirement. Let's not forget that PADI is in the business of selling certifications.


5. Adhere to the buddy system throughout every dive. Plan dives – including communications, procedures for reuniting in case of separation and emergency procedures – with my buddy. FAIL. I solo at every opportunity.


6. Be proficient in dive table usage. Make all dives no decompression dives and allow a margin of safety. Have a means to monitor depth and time underwater. Limit maximum depth to my level of training and experience. Ascend at a rate of not more than 18 metres/60 feet per minute. Be a SAFE diver – Slowly Ascend From Every dive. Make a safety stop as an added precaution, usually at 5 metres/15 feet for three minutes or longer. PASS, though I don't know why somebody with two perfectly good dive computers needs to be proficient at tables.


7. Maintain proper buoyancy. Adjust weighting at the surface for neutral buoyancy with no air in my buoyancy control device. Maintain neutral buoyancy while underwater. Be buoyant for surface swimming and resting. Have weights clear for easy removal, and establish buoyancy when in distress while diving. PASS, though the only "distress" I've had while diving is a couple of instances of vomiting and a reverse block, none of which would have been a good reason to "establish buoyancy." But I get their meaning.


8. Breathe properly for diving. Never breath-hold or skip-breathe when breathing compressed air, and avoid excessive hyperventilation when breath-hold diving. Avoid overexertion while in and underwater and dive within my limitations. PASS


9. Use a boat, float or other surface support station, whenever feasible. FAIL. Boats are feasible in Bonaire, for instance, but sometimes I like to shore dive. And I wouldn't tow a float to do it. I've never seen anybody else do it, either.


10. Know and obey local dive laws and regulations, including fish and game and dive flag laws PASS, I think. I rely on dive briefings to educate me.

Shouldn't 'common sense' dictate that every diver followed stated safe diving practices? When is it common sense not to?

When I am willing to accept more risk than PADI prescribes in order to enjoy my diving. But I still follow safe diving practices, just not PADI's.

 

[Primalchrome]

PASS, though I don't know why somebody with two perfectly good dive computers needs to be proficient at tables..

I realize that I'm a geek and like to know what goes on behind the scenes....and that may bias my opinion on the need for dive table knowledge......but.... How do you plan out your day's dives if you don't have tables beforehand? I generally sit down with my dive buddy well before we head to a site and compose a general plan for expected depths, times, and surface intervals to make certain that we are well within conservative limits. This way we both have a general expectation of what we can accomplish within the time/limits we have available.

 

[ClayJar]

What about when the safe diving practices of one of your certifications directly conflict with the safe diving practices of another of your certifications? I have a collection of safe diving practices that come from various sources, but they cannot map one-to-one to the safe diving practices of any particular organization.

(On the other hand, when I'm actively instructing, I follow the safe diving practices, standards, and policies that apply. To do otherwise would be untenable.)

 

[Ste Wart]

Just a few of the mild deviations I've had over the years.

Dive in good health: I've definitely dived with cold, in order not lose money. I've dived hungover a couple of times and have definitely received a very minor hit for this. Unfortunately it was not an isolated incident.

Dive Solo: Lots. Worst event, reg seized 45 minutes into a dive. I was on a single. A few interesting minutes were had on the bottom.

Overheads: Been extremely narced going through the Blue Hole Arch on Scottish nitrox. Done the 'hidden Canyon' a few times, not a stict overhead as it does not close-over, but there is only one entry point unless you take your tanks off.

Recommend limits: Blue hole on Air (see above). Phillipines pushed air limit to 63m planned, sadly (was to repair a buoyline, the boss wouldn't pay for helium). Diving a single 11 (80) down to 50+m, but not bringing enough weight for when the tank got below 100 bar, so I had to dig my hands into the sand during accidental deco to stay under water.

Proper dive planning: again see above. My buddy on same dive refused my octo (another instructor) even though he was down to 30 bar and still had 15 minutes deco to get through.

There's a few more tales. Oddly enough all these things happened after I became an instructor

I should know better.....

 

[Mossman]

I realize that I'm a geek and like to know what goes on behind the scenes....and that may bias my opinion on the need for dive table knowledge......but.... How do you plan out your day's dives if you don't have tables beforehand? I generally sit down with my dive buddy well before we head to a site and compose a general plan for expected depths, times, and surface intervals to make certain that we are well within conservative limits. This way we both have a general expectation of what we can accomplish within the time/limits we have available.

After a certain number of dives, one tends to be able to estimate the framework of a dive based on prior similar dives. I'm certain I could make reef dives without a computer as long as I didn't exceed 100' because I've done enough dives with various profiles to know that I'll be able to spend a few minutes at 90-100', a while at 60-80', then a long time in the 30-50' range without incurring any deco obligations. The computer actually allows me to be less conservative than I would without it since it will tell me exactly how long I can spend at depth before incurring a deco obligation, then recalculate the numbers as I head to shallower depths. Diving on nitrox makes it even easier since the NDC times are greatly extended.

For a place like Bonaire, which offers nitrox and stuff to see at depths from 15' or less to beyond recreational depths, it's easy to jump in without a plan and just follow the computer because I'll follow the same profile I always do, like the one outlined above but fine-tuned with the help of the computer in case we want to stay longer at the deeper depths. For wreck dives where the entire interesting part of the dive will be deeper, many computers have dive planning features built in. On my Suunto, for instance, once I set my nitrox mix, I can consult the dive planning feature before jumping in and it will tell me the NDC time, based on my surface interval, for each 10' increase in depth so I can know, if I care too, that I would have 6 minutes to spend at 110' for instance before incurring a deco obligation. That's only if I care to check in advance. Normally, I'd just dive to the 110' and let my computer tell me then how much time I have to spend at depth.

(To keep on topic, no, I realize that the above is not a PADI Safe Diving Practice, but it is a reality, just as vladimir pointed out that it's a reality no one carries a float when shore diving in Bonaire. As for how many of the Safe Diving Practices I've violated, or continue to violate, well... let's just say I'm not good about following rules. I've broken all of them at one point or another.)

 

[Thalassamania]

1. Maintain good mental and physical fitness for diving. Avoid being under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs when diving. Keep proficient in diving skills, striving to increase them through continuing education and reviewing them in controlled conditions after a period of diving inactivity. - this combines way too many concepts, but since I have never taken what PADI would consider to be a "con-ed" course, I'd have to say "no" to number one.

2. Be familiar with my dive sites. If not, obtain a formal diving orientation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving conditions are worse than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience. Do not engage in cave or technical diving unless specifically trained to do so. - No, this is horse pucky. New locations and situations need to be approached with caution and respect ... but tell me this, where does one find a "knowledgeable, local source" to teach you about, say, open ocean diving under ice bergs?

3. Use complete, well-maintained, reliable equipment with which I am familiar; and inspect it for correct fit and function prior to each dive. Deny use of my equipment to uncertified divers. Always have a buoyancy control device and submersible pressure gauge when scuba diving. Recognize the desirability of an alternate air source and a low-pressure buoyancy control inflation system. No, more horse pucky. You use the gear that is available, which is sometimes poorly maintained and less that reliable or poorly fitting. I often dive without a BC, and though I like to have an SPG, I can manage without one when I need to. I don't always find a alternative air source or low-pressure buoyancy control inflation system to be desirable. This item seems to me to be a massive substitution of equipment solutions for basic diving skill problems.

4. Listen carefully to dive briefings and directions and respect the advice of those supervising my diving activities. Recognize that additional training is recommended for participation in specialty diving activities, in other geographic areas and after periods of inactivity that exceed six months. - Again, too many things lumped together. I suspect that PADI and I would not see eye-to-eye on additional training being recommended for participation in specialty diving activities, or for that matter, even what specialty diving activities might be.

5. Adhere to the buddy system throughout every dive. Plan dives – including communications, procedures for reuniting in case of separation and emergency procedures – with my buddy. - Finally, complete agreement.

6. Be proficient in dive table usage. Make all dives no decompression dives and allow a margin of safety. Have a means to monitor depth and time underwater. Limit maximum depth to my level of training and experience. Ascend at a rate of not more than 18 metres/60 feet per minute. Be a SAFE diver – Slowly Ascend From Every dive. Make a safety stop as an added precaution, usually at 5 metres/15 feet for three minutes or longer. - Too many clauses. I decompression dive, I use variable ascent rates, I use deep stops, I may or may not use "safety" stops depending on the circumstances.

7. Maintain proper buoyancy. Adjust weighting at the surface for neutral buoyancy with no air in my buoyancy control device. Maintain neutral buoyancy while underwater. Be buoyant for surface swimming and resting. Have weights clear for easy removal, and establish buoyancy when in distress while diving. - Too many clauses and neutral buoyancy should be established at 10 feet with a near empty tank, not at the surface with a full one (as I think is implied).

8. Breathe properly for diving. Never breath-hold or skip-breathe when breathing compressed air, and avoid excessive hyperventilation when breath-hold diving. Avoid overexertion while in and underwater and dive within my limitations. - Again, too many clauses, too much mom-and-apple pie. Try taking pictures without ever breath-holding or skip-breathing, and how will you ever learn anything if you only "dive within your limitations?"

9. Use a boat, float or other surface support station, whenever feasible. - No.

10. Know and obey local dive laws and regulations, including fish and game and dive flag laws - Yes.

So I guess I agree with PADI 20% of the time and think that they are full of it (the "it" of your choice) 80% of the time. Looks more to me like a legal liability laundry list than an intelligent list of rules for diving.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

How many PADI instructors, I wonder, teach their students how to follow those guidelines?

Same question goes for other agency's "safe diving practices".

As an example ... how much effort in a typical OW class actually goes into training a diver how to be a dive buddy?

Telling someone to do something is one thing ... training them how to do it is something else altogether ... e.g. "end the dive with 500 psi" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)