Practicing 'emergencies' / 'accidents' underwater - cue / training cards

[DutchDiverDude]

There have been some SCUBA deaths lately here, and because of that our club wants to put more effort in practicing emergencies underwater.
After some brainstorming, we discovered that the steps from 'training drills' are still quite far from the actual situations where they would be required. We believe that by simulating emergencies after drills have been trained, we can better prepare our divers for such situations in the future.

For example: we practice a valve drill a few times, but don't actually simulate a situation where the response should be (part of) the valve drill.
We do an S-drill every dive, but don't actually practice sharing gas for a part of the dive after certification anymore.
We carry a backup mask and torch, but never actually simulate the situation where we should switch to them.
we carry knives, but don't actually simulate situations where we need them.
We have practiced some emergency ascents a few times, but always with instructions prior to the dive and never as a reaction to something happening in the water.

I've seen bundles of cue cards for sale by some agencies, but these are crazy expensive and seem more like underwater checklists for an instructor.

So, our idea was to create sets of 'cue cards' (for lack of a better work) for each certification level. Not checklists meant for ticking off skills, but really meant to keep certified divers current in their skills with simulated emergencies.
Then, during each of our club dives, each buddy team would take a set of cards corresponding to the buddy's level containing maybe 3-5 simulations, and every few minutes 1 buddy shows a card to the other buddy, and the other buddy must react to what is on the card.

An example would be: card says primary regulator freeflow. The diver should then for example switch to the octopus and do part of the valve drill to close the corresponding valve, give an OK sign, and the open and switch back.
Another could be: light broken. The diver should then clip off the primary light and switch to the backup. Give an OK, and then switch back again.

My initial idea was to use a boltsnap with a ring and attach 5 white empty plastic 'credit cards' with a hole in the corner to them.
We'd somehow write or print the simulations on there.
For each level we'd then create several different sets of simulations matching the skills they should know, so they don't get the same ones every time.

So my question is:
Does something like this exist already?
Any tips on how to build it?
Is there maybe a list of situation that we could use to create the cards?
Any advices on materials? Are creditcard size cards too small? How to waterproof?

Any tips and tricks are welcome!

 

[steinbil]

If it's for training purposes, and not a real simulation (i.e. seeing a card is not the same as noticing bubbles from a valve) a why not just use hand signals?

For valve shutdown drills:
- point (you) + bubbles + point to manifold

For light failures:
- point (you) + light + broken

For entanglement:
- STOP/HOLD! + you + entangled

For backup mask:
- tap your buddy's mask as a prearranged sign
Or if your team is really comfortable and willing: simply pull off the mask of a team mate

For gas sharing:
This can actually be simulated by just giving an OOG sign to your team at any time and staying on the donated reg for any amount of time, or even ascend while gas sharing.

 

[34109411]

There have been some SCUBA deaths lately here, and because of that our club wants to put more effort in practicing emergencies underwater.
After some brainstorming, we discovered that the steps from 'training drills' are still quite far from the actual situations where they would be required. We believe that by simulating emergencies after drills have been trained, we can better prepare our divers for such situations in the future.

For example: we practice a valve drill a few times, but don't actually simulate a situation where the response should be (part of) the valve drill.
We do an S-drill every dive, but don't actually practice sharing gas for a part of the dive after certification anymore.
We carry a backup mask and torch, but never actually simulate the situation where we should switch to them.
we carry knives, but don't actually simulate situations where we need them.
We have practiced some emergency ascents a few times, but always with instructions prior to the dive and never as a reaction to something happening in the water.

I've seen bundles of cue cards for sale by some agencies, but these are crazy expensive and seem more like underwater checklists for an instructor.

So, our idea was to create sets of 'cue cards' (for lack of a better work) for each certification level. Not checklists meant for ticking off skills, but really meant to keep certified divers current in their skills with simulated emergencies.
Then, during each of our club dives, each buddy team would take a set of cards corresponding to the buddy's level containing maybe 3-5 simulations, and every few minutes 1 buddy shows a card to the other buddy, and the other buddy must react to what is on the card.

An example would be: card says primary regulator freeflow. The diver should then for example switch to the octopus and do part of the valve drill to close the corresponding valve, give an OK sign, and the open and switch back.
Another could be: light broken. The diver should then clip off the primary light and switch to the backup. Give an OK, and then switch back again.

My initial idea was to use a boltsnap with a ring and attach 5 white empty plastic 'credit cards' with a hole in the corner to them.
We'd somehow write or print the simulations on there.
For each level we'd then create several different sets of simulations matching the skills they should know, so they don't get the same ones every time.

So my question is:
Does something like this exist already?
Any tips on how to build it?
Is there maybe a list of situation that we could use to create the cards?
Any advices on materials? Are creditcard size cards too small? How to waterproof?

Any tips and tricks are welcome!

The more your practice what you all said the better it is. I don't think you need cue card just agree on a exercise to perform and do it 2-3 times randomly during the dive.

I will add deploy a dsmb and practice navigation skills.

Also you should ask member of your club to enroll in the rescue diver course and self reliant course these are good class for what you try to achieve
Be safe

 

[DutchDiverDude]

Thanks both.

Agreeing upfront which exercises to do together is what we do NOT want. We want to simulate a situation that was NOT discussed beforehand. It has to be a surprise to the diver what happens, so that we can exercise the thinking and responding underwater, instead of preparing for it before the dive. We want to make that destinction: skills are trained during the courses by preparing above water, and once a student has passed the certifiaction, simulations that 'use' the skills should be a surprise.

Hand signals would be an option of course, but we also want to introduce all exercises structurally, so we don't forget some of them. THe problem with a large club is that you dive with someone else every time. They don't know what you practiced last time, and you don't know what they practiced last time. So some sort of record keeping is a must, but at the same time it needs to remain unknown for the diver what the 'emergency' will be.

The idea of cards for us seemed perfect, especially for training. If the buddy holds the card, the other diver gets an 'unknown' exercise, but he knows it is an exercise, and knows that he has the opportunity to think about it, even discuss with the buddy. It adds a layer of security to prevent panic, but offers a good learning opportunity. The next time he may not need to think as long, and after a few times it becomes muscle memory.

Actually DSMB and navigation are the two things we practice almost every dive. with the Dutch visibility of 0-4 meters on average, navigation skills are a must have, and usually at the end of every dive one of the 2 buddy's shoots and DSMB.

Please note that these exercises are IN ADDITION to the certification. Our CMAS courses are actually quite rigorous, expecially compared to 'exotic' PADI courses. We typically take a season for each certification, always pairing a student to a (much) more experienced diver or instructor. Every dive is already a skills practice dive to them. there is no lack of training either. Half of our divers are (and have been for years) trimix-trained technical divers. The other half is somewhere on the CMAS ladder.

Still, the required skills and drills as dictated by the certifiaction do not properly represent emergency situation in our opinion, and for many divers their last certification is a decade ago already. That is why we want to introduce this system to keep the skills and responses current. The 5 emergency ascent practices from 5 years ago will not do me much good if I haven't practiced any of it recently.

We started brainstorming about this after 3 fatal diving incidents involving Dutch and Belgian divers in a month time, one of which was an technical diving instructor that died during a training dive in a quarry due to (presumably) a stress situation. This highlights that just the drills are apparently not enough if S hits the fan. If we want to be safe divers, we need to practice more than that, take it one step furter, and even after certification apply the drills to (as close as possible) real world emergency sitiuation to train our divers to quickly react in the best way possible.

 

[iliketopetsharks]

Such cards exist for CCR training i think.
Just print and laminate them?

 

[jadairiii]

One drill you should do as often as possible, sometime during the dive just take off your mask and swim a bit.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

For all shutdowns you can use a bubble gun. Costs almost nothing and you can attach it to any inflator hose. Otherwise just point a finger and indicate what’s broken. Out of gas - just take the reg out of your mouth, signal out of gas and wait for your buddy to react ;-)

CCR is a bit trickier.

 

[Boarderguy]

All the above points. No need for a card imo. Since it's club diving you could institute a training log that records when these drills are performed and at what level of proficiency. Maybe a board or just a binder with each member having their own section.

 

[34109411]

Thanks both.

Agreeing upfront which exercises to do together is what we do NOT want. We want to simulate a situation that was NOT discussed beforehand. It has to be a surprise to the diver what happens, so that we can exercise the thinking and responding underwater, instead of preparing for it before the dive. We want to make that destinction: skills are trained during the courses by preparing above water, and once a student has passed the certifiaction, simulations that 'use' the skills should be a surprise.

Hand signals would be an option of course, but we also want to introduce all exercises structurally, so we don't forget some of them. THe problem with a large club is that you dive with someone else every time. They don't know what you practiced last time, and you don't know what they practiced last time. So some sort of record keeping is a must, but at the same time it needs to remain unknown for the diver what the 'emergency' will be.

The idea of cards for us seemed perfect, especially for training. If the buddy holds the card, the other diver gets an 'unknown' exercise, but he knows it is an exercise, and knows that he has the opportunity to think about it, even discuss with the buddy. It adds a layer of security to prevent panic, but offers a good learning opportunity. The next time he may not need to think as long, and after a few times it becomes muscle memory.

Actually DSMB and navigation are the two things we practice almost every dive. with the Dutch visibility of 0-4 meters on average, navigation skills are a must have, and usually at the end of every dive one of the 2 buddy's shoots and DSMB.

Please note that these exercises are IN ADDITION to the certification. Our CMAS courses are actually quite rigorous, expecially compared to 'exotic' PADI courses. We typically take a season for each certification, always pairing a student to a (much) more experienced diver or instructor. Every dive is already a skills practice dive to them. there is no lack of training either. Half of our divers are (and have been for years) trimix-trained technical divers. The other half is somewhere on the CMAS ladder.

Still, the required skills and drills as dictated by the certifiaction do not properly represent emergency situation in our opinion, and for many divers their last certification is a decade ago already. That is why we want to introduce this system to keep the skills and responses current. The 5 emergency ascent practices from 5 years ago will not do me much good if I haven't practiced any of it recently.

We started brainstorming about this after 3 fatal diving incidents involving Dutch and Belgian divers in a month time, one of which was an technical diving instructor that died during a training dive in a quarry due to (presumably) a stress situation. This highlights that just the drills are apparently not enough if S hits the fan. If we want to be safe divers, we need to practice more than that, take it one step furter, and even after certification apply the drills to (as close as possible) real world emergency sitiuation to train our divers to quickly react in the best way possible.

well you all figure it out than ! Don't worry about the element of surprise even if you discuss about it before you will still have to perform the exercise. If you wrote on a card "use your knife" or you tell me before hand and both case i am not gonna be in shock, same apply for all other exercises.

If you will like to surprise someone some how do like in the rescue course shut down the valve to simulate out of air situation i guarantee they will remember .

It need to become second nature and doesn't really matter if it s on a card on not it will not change much the outcome of the exercise. It need to be well performed and executed.

Be safe

 

[TrimixToo]

One of my tech instructors had a deck of cards with an emergency printed on each side of every one. He'd show you a card. While you were coping with that "emergency" he'd show you another, and cascade them so you were forced to prioritize, or fail. I don't think he ever stopped with one or made me cope with more than three at a time. After some number of these drills, you got pretty good at handling whatever was next.