K
KeithG
Guest
This matches my experiences exactly. I was trying to convey this, but you said it much better!
And these type of divers do not read scubaboard and hence you will not get their behaviour accounted for in this poll.
Do you plan your rec (not tech) dives?
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This matches my experiences exactly. I was trying to convey this, but you said it much better!
And these type of divers do not read scubaboard and hence you will not get their behaviour accounted for in this poll.
I plan what I am haveing for lunch after my diving.
I plan to not run out of air by checking my guages often, I plan not to go into deco by doing the same with the computer.
I plan to have fun, we are recreationally diving in the caribbean, it is warm and clear.
I plan to do a 1 hour surface interval between dives, unless diving in Bonaire. (Nx.)
My Coz dive plan is to go down then come back up when at 500# (or 60 min).
Bonaire dive plan is to swim up current until about 1400# turn head back and leave water with about 200# (30 ft) then do it the other way.
Bvi dive plan is to swim about the site until about 200# and surface.. SI is never an issue. and depth rarely exceeds 45ft unless it is a wreck.
If my wife sees a turtle, Ray or Shark there would be no point telling her, "dear we only planned to be at this depth for 4.32 minutes, please ignore the critter and move to 40 ft as planned." her response is the universal hand sign for expressing displeasure,
If we have time on the computer and air in the tank we swim.
I am sure that their are places in the world that we would make better plans, but so far, simple works.
I plan to not run out of air by checking my guages often, I plan not to go into deco by doing the same with the computer.
I plan to have fun, we are recreationally diving in the caribbean, it is warm and clear.
I plan to do a 1 hour surface interval between dives, unless diving in Bonaire. (Nx.)
My Coz dive plan is to go down then come back up when at 500# (or 60 min).
Bonaire dive plan is to swim up current until about 1400# turn head back and leave water with about 200# (30 ft) then do it the other way.
Bvi dive plan is to swim about the site until about 200# and surface.. SI is never an issue. and depth rarely exceeds 45ft unless it is a wreck.
If my wife sees a turtle, Ray or Shark there would be no point telling her, "dear we only planned to be at this depth for 4.32 minutes, please ignore the critter and move to 40 ft as planned." her response is the universal hand sign for expressing displeasure,
If we have time on the computer and air in the tank we swim.
I am sure that their are places in the world that we would make better plans, but so far, simple works.
I do the planning that is appropriate to the dive I plan to do. Sometimes that plan is very precise. Sometimes it isn't very precise at all. I am also not afraid to change the plan based on circumstances that arise during a dive. When I hear people who are fanatical in their adherence to "Plan your dive and dive your plan," I wonder what they do when they descend and discover an unexpected ripping current that prevents them from doing what they intended. I suspect they will change the plan under those circumstances, despite what they might proclaim while writing on the Internet.
Once while diving in Hawai'i, our group had what I would describe as a middle level plan in terms of specificity--we had a plan to go to a certain location for a certain amount of time, etc. On our way there, we saw a manta ray at a cleaning station, and we went to watch it instead. The manta eventually left, and we were about to do the same when an eagle ray came to take its place. We stayed to watch that until computers showed it was time to move on. We ascended up the reef for a while, our original plan totally forgotten, and then we ran into another great sight--a helmet conch stalking (and eventually attacking) an urchin. We watched that for a while and then finished the dive on the top of the reef. It was not remotely what we had planned, but it stands as one of the best reef dives I have ever experienced. I would have missed it completely if we had rigidly followed our original plan.
If you truly understand dive planning, then you can start with the plan that makes the most sense for the dive you are intending to do, and you know when and how that plan can (and often should) be safely changed. If you don't really understand dive planning fully, you are extremely limited in what you are able to do.
Once while diving in Hawai'i, our group had what I would describe as a middle level plan in terms of specificity--we had a plan to go to a certain location for a certain amount of time, etc. On our way there, we saw a manta ray at a cleaning station, and we went to watch it instead. The manta eventually left, and we were about to do the same when an eagle ray came to take its place. We stayed to watch that until computers showed it was time to move on. We ascended up the reef for a while, our original plan totally forgotten, and then we ran into another great sight--a helmet conch stalking (and eventually attacking) an urchin. We watched that for a while and then finished the dive on the top of the reef. It was not remotely what we had planned, but it stands as one of the best reef dives I have ever experienced. I would have missed it completely if we had rigidly followed our original plan.
If you truly understand dive planning, then you can start with the plan that makes the most sense for the dive you are intending to do, and you know when and how that plan can (and often should) be safely changed. If you don't really understand dive planning fully, you are extremely limited in what you are able to do.
BDSC
Contributor
I don't usually "plan" my dives. I most likely do what a lot of folks do on a typical Caribbean type of dive. Take diving in Little Cayman for example. The boat ties up and the DM gives us a briefing of the site and then will usually tell us a max depth and time to be back and off we go. We seldom if ever wait for the DM to join us. We usually swim along the wall in one direction, turn at about half the tank, and swim back. The main thing I try to adhere to is the time they would like us back. When we first jump in I have no idea which way we are going to head and I have no idea what depth I am going to. All that depends on how the dive is going. For this type of diving, I don't see a need for any more planning than this.
BTW, I am so far the only one who has checked "You forgot an option." That option is, "On all dives, including recreational dives, I follow whatever plan makes sense for the location, the circumstances, and my purpose for the dive.
Abraham Maslow said if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If you only know one way to plan a dive, then you think it has to be applied to every dive, and any other plan looks like a failure to plan because it does not work the way yours does.
Abraham Maslow said if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If you only know one way to plan a dive, then you think it has to be applied to every dive, and any other plan looks like a failure to plan because it does not work the way yours does.
Yup ...
I always plan to come back alive from a dive 
So far I have followed those plans.
Alberto (aka eDiver)
So far I have followed those plans.
Alberto (aka eDiver)
milbournosphere
Contributor
This. For the dive spots that we frequent quite often, our plans are somewhat simple. Usually we have the whole 'We'll go this deep and cruise until we hit our turnaround psi, with a decent safety stop' conversation. On these familiar dives, the most important part of the conversation tends to be compass headings. However, it's a sliding scale. Anything over 60ft (even familiar spots) is planned more carefully; we pay attention to our planned profile and take care to determine how long we'll be staying at our deepest point, plan deep stops, etc. Any new sites are given a full plan as well.
+1, all the planning is dictated by the dive at hand
Ditto to boulderjohn.
As a rec diver, do I plan a dive to the extent that a tech diver does? Probably not (edit: of course not). But when Eric and I dive, on the boat we listen to the dive briefing, agree to our plans (follow the DM or not), what to do in a buddy separation, at what psi to ascend, to ascend separate or together, etc. On shore dives, we agree to general depth, direction, who will lead, at what psi to turn. Are the plans set in stone? Absolutely not. Our plans are malleable, based on conditions and marine life Sometimes we discuss possible aspects of the dive plan that may change when we descend or that might change based on unplanned conditions at the site. As a couple, we have tried to developed hand signals to cover these last minute changes in the predive plan so that the other is always aware of any changes.
As a rec diver, do I plan a dive to the extent that a tech diver does? Probably not (edit: of course not). But when Eric and I dive, on the boat we listen to the dive briefing, agree to our plans (follow the DM or not), what to do in a buddy separation, at what psi to ascend, to ascend separate or together, etc. On shore dives, we agree to general depth, direction, who will lead, at what psi to turn. Are the plans set in stone? Absolutely not. Our plans are malleable, based on conditions and marine life Sometimes we discuss possible aspects of the dive plan that may change when we descend or that might change based on unplanned conditions at the site. As a couple, we have tried to developed hand signals to cover these last minute changes in the predive plan so that the other is always aware of any changes.
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