Not necessary at all.
Video: SCUBA Failure at 80 Feet, Yesterday
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OP
dumpsterDiver
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So WHAT do you do when diving? Assuming you always dive with a buddy, what do you do? Do you spearfish, take videos, still pictures, site see, catch lobsters, root around in the mud for fossils? What are your objectives when diving and what gear is ok to take and what is not?
I think that might be more interesting than making generalizations about complacency and "task loading"
I made generalizations because I didn’t want to come across as trying to start an argument, I figured people could take what they wanted from it, but I will try and be more direct this time.
DD you’re a very accomplished diver and have my respect, every diver at some time has been guilty of trying to do too much on a single dive. I'm shocked at how you have handled people's idea that you were task loaded. Instead of looking for what they consider task loading, or explaining why you had all that stuff you have jumped to insults and childish “go aways” this is odd to me because after all the time I’ve spent in the past reading your posts I haven’t seen you act this way.
But to answer your question:
In the past I have shot video, searched for fossils, and many of the things you have listed, the difference is I don’t try and do it all in ONE dive....if I’m fossil hunting Ill have a catch bag, a screwdriver, and possibly a light if needed but I don’t take stuff I don’t absolutely need to complete my goal for that dive. If you wanted to test cameras, great, go for it but why try and spearfish at the same time? Why carry two cameras? I can also see by your badge that your n instructor, do you not cover task loading when teaching? Better yet what do you consider task loading? And at what point do you think someone should reduce the amount of extra stuff they carry, or objectives for a dive? And you still haven’t answered my question about checking the pony while on the boat.
DD you’re a very accomplished diver and have my respect, every diver at some time has been guilty of trying to do too much on a single dive. I'm shocked at how you have handled people's idea that you were task loaded. Instead of looking for what they consider task loading, or explaining why you had all that stuff you have jumped to insults and childish “go aways” this is odd to me because after all the time I’ve spent in the past reading your posts I haven’t seen you act this way.
But to answer your question:
In the past I have shot video, searched for fossils, and many of the things you have listed, the difference is I don’t try and do it all in ONE dive....if I’m fossil hunting Ill have a catch bag, a screwdriver, and possibly a light if needed but I don’t take stuff I don’t absolutely need to complete my goal for that dive. If you wanted to test cameras, great, go for it but why try and spearfish at the same time? Why carry two cameras? I can also see by your badge that your n instructor, do you not cover task loading when teaching? Better yet what do you consider task loading? And at what point do you think someone should reduce the amount of extra stuff they carry, or objectives for a dive? And you still haven’t answered my question about checking the pony while on the boat.
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dumpsterDiver
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Q: Why carry two cameras? A: So I can compare the videos.
A gopro camera tucked under the hood requires essentially zero task loading, especially if you want to just let the camera run. It allows me to spearfish and have both hands completely free.
I don't think people should take gear they don't think they might need on a dive. I carry a lot of safety equipment that I don't plan on using.. pony bottle, SMB's, marine radio, dive alert, snorkel, second knife...
Although I have never had cause to use the back up knife, there have been times when I've used all of the other equipment, much of it, all one one dive!
Of course I checked the pony when I set it up and I think my kid would have told me if it was leaking during the dive....although since I've only seen something like that happen a few times, it was most almost certainly a failure of some sort on my part. Complacency maybe, but not task loading.
What do I consider task loading?
Some people are "fully tasked" by simply working the BC, swimming and watching their computer and their air. These are people who barely have enough band width to watch a buddy and probably should not be using a camera or other "toy".
I think that determining what constitutes excessive task loading is HIGHLY dependent on the environment and the diver. For dives past recreational limits in strong currents, when solo, I hardly ever take both a pole spear and a gun. I also ususally prefer to swim rather than scooter, especially if the depth is past the rated depth for the scooter. These are accomodations I make for those conditions.
I think someone is excessively task loaded when they can't work the gear, get distracted by it, start dropping stuff and loosing it etc. Probably like Porn, you know it when you see it. BTW, I no longer teach diving, the students scared me too much... talk about task loading..one goes left, one breaks right, one goes up ... my god!
Scuba spearfishing may sound simple, but it can become an extremely "busy" activity .... it is the nature of the beast.
I don't see myself as excessively task loaded on that dive at all. Now if the current was 4 kts, my kid wasn't staying with me, the vis was 10 feet, sharks were buzzing me.... well then yeah that would have used up a lot of my band width and I might abort or reduce my activities.
That video shows a very easy, although (thank goodness) unusual dive.
I dive with a very similar configuration for most all dives. The only major change I sometimes make is to carry a stage bottle, when needed.
A gopro camera tucked under the hood requires essentially zero task loading, especially if you want to just let the camera run. It allows me to spearfish and have both hands completely free.
I don't think people should take gear they don't think they might need on a dive. I carry a lot of safety equipment that I don't plan on using.. pony bottle, SMB's, marine radio, dive alert, snorkel, second knife...
Although I have never had cause to use the back up knife, there have been times when I've used all of the other equipment, much of it, all one one dive!
Of course I checked the pony when I set it up and I think my kid would have told me if it was leaking during the dive....although since I've only seen something like that happen a few times, it was most almost certainly a failure of some sort on my part. Complacency maybe, but not task loading.
What do I consider task loading?
Some people are "fully tasked" by simply working the BC, swimming and watching their computer and their air. These are people who barely have enough band width to watch a buddy and probably should not be using a camera or other "toy".
I think that determining what constitutes excessive task loading is HIGHLY dependent on the environment and the diver. For dives past recreational limits in strong currents, when solo, I hardly ever take both a pole spear and a gun. I also ususally prefer to swim rather than scooter, especially if the depth is past the rated depth for the scooter. These are accomodations I make for those conditions.
I think someone is excessively task loaded when they can't work the gear, get distracted by it, start dropping stuff and loosing it etc. Probably like Porn, you know it when you see it. BTW, I no longer teach diving, the students scared me too much... talk about task loading..one goes left, one breaks right, one goes up ... my god!
Scuba spearfishing may sound simple, but it can become an extremely "busy" activity .... it is the nature of the beast.
I don't see myself as excessively task loaded on that dive at all. Now if the current was 4 kts, my kid wasn't staying with me, the vis was 10 feet, sharks were buzzing me.... well then yeah that would have used up a lot of my band width and I might abort or reduce my activities.
That video shows a very easy, although (thank goodness) unusual dive.
I dive with a very similar configuration for most all dives. The only major change I sometimes make is to carry a stage bottle, when needed.
lol DD, i know where your comming from....when i Dm for our shop its the same way..... as soon as the skills are complete they disperse all over the place.... i saw a sig somewhere on SB that went something like "I'm the Instructor...where did they go?" couldnt stop laughing for hours
but let me clarify something......when i talk about stuff i dont need, its usually stuff that would make my life easier while looking for fossils, or cleaning a boat, but in the end is more of a headace then possitive....
I do have a GoPro (partially because of your reviews on it) and even if its tucked under my hood it sill takes some attention away from my objective... even if that distraction is just on the boat, or back home caring for my gear. the fact of the matter is that with each toy you add to your gear the more attention it takes away from you looking after your life support systems. it gets more complicated when you include a float, pole spear, a different camera, and video lights. ...from what you said it seems like you dont consider someone task loaded untill it causes an emergency, i on the other hand consier task loading to be simply taking on too much in a single dive, or trying to carry too much crap (safety devices aside). maybe thats why we seem to be miles away from eachother on this topic, the reason i say you were task loaded was simply because you hat too many goals for the dive
"My son (13 yrs old) and I are planning on doing a typical dive, drift along in 80 feet or so in a slight to moderate current and hope to shoot a little video, test out some video lights and maybe my son will shoot a fish and I brought a pole spear. "
my only suggestion would be to take it slower, break it down to a couple of dives...whats the worst that can happen a little more father and son time?
but let me clarify something......when i talk about stuff i dont need, its usually stuff that would make my life easier while looking for fossils, or cleaning a boat, but in the end is more of a headace then possitive....
I do have a GoPro (partially because of your reviews on it) and even if its tucked under my hood it sill takes some attention away from my objective... even if that distraction is just on the boat, or back home caring for my gear. the fact of the matter is that with each toy you add to your gear the more attention it takes away from you looking after your life support systems. it gets more complicated when you include a float, pole spear, a different camera, and video lights. ...from what you said it seems like you dont consider someone task loaded untill it causes an emergency, i on the other hand consier task loading to be simply taking on too much in a single dive, or trying to carry too much crap (safety devices aside). maybe thats why we seem to be miles away from eachother on this topic, the reason i say you were task loaded was simply because you hat too many goals for the dive
"My son (13 yrs old) and I are planning on doing a typical dive, drift along in 80 feet or so in a slight to moderate current and hope to shoot a little video, test out some video lights and maybe my son will shoot a fish and I brought a pole spear. "
my only suggestion would be to take it slower, break it down to a couple of dives...whats the worst that can happen a little more father and son time?
Great point. I could relate with enjoyment the multi-purpose nature of the dive in the video. Were you overly task-loaded? I don't think so, especially since I've read many of your self-effacing dive reports before.
I agree that "task loading" should be qualified and discussed with specifics. Realistically, the concern should be about excessive task loading such as might significantly reduce a particular diver's ability to cope with emergent situations. Whether it's excessive will largely depend on the individual diver, IMHO. An experienced diver who knows his limitations can often manage a lot more tasks with minimal increased risk.
Frankly, I love doing dives with multiple goals and often dive with lots of gear for various activities that might arise. If I find my task loading becoming excessive or distracting, I'll reduce it during the dive to match the situation and to stay well within my limitations. It's not hard to keep it manageable.
That's not complacency, just competence. That's what dumpsterDiver was demonstrating in the video, in his unique self-effacing way.
Dave C
AbyssalPlains
Contributor
Thank you for sharing. Glad everything turned out ok. For me, this incident underscores my practice of slinging the pony. That way, I will immediately be able to tell if anything goes wrong with it.
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