The following was once said to me when I was a new diver by an older more experienced person on the boat.
You remember when you were being OW certified right? BWRAF. Now I will be the first to admit that diving with my wife our Pre Dive checks are somewhat cursory. We dive the same set up all the time and know each other inside out (of course that doesnt make it right).
The one check we ALWAYS do is the checking of AIR.
Everyone is taught (I believe) to look at their SPG while taking 3 normal breaths through their regs. Time and time again (as I did once) I see new divers doing no more than 3 quick sips while looking at their gauge but not seeing.
The whole purpose of the check is to ensure your gas is on and the valve fully opened. 3 sips may not use enough air to get the gauge to move. I know when I first learnt I didnt want to waste my precious air (in the same way I used to orally inflate my BCD before jumping to so as to have the absolute max air to dive with). Trust me its all a fallacy youre not wasting air and the little you do use wont extend your dive by more than a minute max.
Fully check both regs by breathing on them look for that deflection and let your buddy see you doing it too.
None of us are perfect, I have been distracted a couple of times and forgotten to turn my air on. But Ive never ever entered the water with my air off or partially off. This check has always caught it.
Actually, I normally test before I put my kit on, but ALWAYS just before I jump or roll into the water, as the last minute check. Even if I know I have done it while kitting up Ill do it again. I have made sure its so ingrained that its habit.
When Ive seen people just go through the motions, I always politely explain why they should be more careful to do it properly. Maybe they didnt really understand when they were taught, maybe they just go a bit complacent, no-one has ever been upset I've explained it to them as someone once did to me. And for that I've always been thankful that they did.
Dive safe and may the number of your descents always equal your number of ascents.
You remember when you were being OW certified right? BWRAF. Now I will be the first to admit that diving with my wife our Pre Dive checks are somewhat cursory. We dive the same set up all the time and know each other inside out (of course that doesnt make it right).
The one check we ALWAYS do is the checking of AIR.
Everyone is taught (I believe) to look at their SPG while taking 3 normal breaths through their regs. Time and time again (as I did once) I see new divers doing no more than 3 quick sips while looking at their gauge but not seeing.
The whole purpose of the check is to ensure your gas is on and the valve fully opened. 3 sips may not use enough air to get the gauge to move. I know when I first learnt I didnt want to waste my precious air (in the same way I used to orally inflate my BCD before jumping to so as to have the absolute max air to dive with). Trust me its all a fallacy youre not wasting air and the little you do use wont extend your dive by more than a minute max.
Fully check both regs by breathing on them look for that deflection and let your buddy see you doing it too.
None of us are perfect, I have been distracted a couple of times and forgotten to turn my air on. But Ive never ever entered the water with my air off or partially off. This check has always caught it.
Actually, I normally test before I put my kit on, but ALWAYS just before I jump or roll into the water, as the last minute check. Even if I know I have done it while kitting up Ill do it again. I have made sure its so ingrained that its habit.
When Ive seen people just go through the motions, I always politely explain why they should be more careful to do it properly. Maybe they didnt really understand when they were taught, maybe they just go a bit complacent, no-one has ever been upset I've explained it to them as someone once did to me. And for that I've always been thankful that they did.
Dive safe and may the number of your descents always equal your number of ascents.
