What Are Your "Pro-Tips" for Safety, Redundancy, and Accident Handling

[SlugLife]

What are your "pro tips" (or amateur tips) for improving one's safety when diving? This can be equipment, redundancy, skills, training, mindset, pretty much anything! This can also be relevant to accident-prevention, incident-handling, self-rescue, other-rescue, etc.

Disclaimer: Per usual, treat everything in this thread with a grain-of-salt. Perhaps seek professional scuba-training such as a rescue-course or self-reliant course. Lets also try to keep "debate" to a minimum, and instead offer suggestions and alternatives.

 

[SlugLife]

Proper Weighting

Improper weighting can be a significant safety hazard. Either resulting in an uncontrolled ascent, increasing air-consumption, making rescue difficult, very dangerous in case of a BCD failure or drysuit flood, or dangerous if jumping in the water with a tank off.

As a vague general rule properly-weighted diver will be approximately neutral or slightly positive with a FULL lung, and empty BCD at the beginning of a dive on the surface. Similarly, at the end of a dive, one should be able to hold their safety-stop at 15-20ft with a 500psi tank and empty-or-near-empty BCD. There are many articles or videos on the subject (and I'm not an instructor), so I would suggest looking up those, reading replies below (someone will explain it better below, I'm sure), or taking a "perfect buoyancy" course.

Proper weighting can be a form of redundancy. For example, if you jump in the water from a boat with tank-off and BCD empty, you should be able to surface fairly easy with light finning, and orally-inflate your BCD. Similarly, in case of a complete BCD failure, you should still be able to surface with between light-moderate finning. (I've done this sidemount, 2 full tanks, and empty BCD)

There is a misconception out there that being a little over-weighted makes buoyancy management easier. In practice, the more you over-weight, the more you're managing an air-bubble that changes in volume and buoyancy as you go up and down. In contract, a much smaller bubble will result in smaller buoyancy changes as you ascend and descend.

 

[Cthippo]

Redundant air source.

Almost any problem you face underwater is going to be easier to solve if you know you have more air.

 

[SlugLife]

Shore Practice

Any time I make equipment changes, adjust weights/trim, would like to practice or try a skill, or haven't dove in several months, I always start out with what I call "shore practice." For shore-practice you'll ideally want a location with the following features:

• A gradual sloping shore - It's often useful to practice in standing-height water (chest, waist, etc) or shallow depths where you can surface quickly and easily if you have a problem.
• No stairs, ladders, or paths .... or anything where you might be in the way of other divers, which will make you feel rushed and perhaps make mistakes.
• Limited currents or waves - Being pushed around while trying to practice is not ideal .... unless you're actually practicing currents and waves.
• Good visibility, if available.

Speaking from experience, one of the first times I did this kind of practice, I did it at a dive-park, which was a MISTAKE. The dive-park had stairs and only 3-4 paths. People ended up stuck behind me while I was donning gear, felt rushed. I was trying to manage bouyancy, waves, a rocky shore, etc while trying to do surface practice. In some ways it was a little dangerous.

Usually, the last place you want to be doing this kind of practice or equipment adjustment is when divers are waiting, or the clock is ticking, or there are pretty fish and corals waiting.

 

[inquis]

Position the tank so you can reach the valve. Jumping in without air on becomes an irritation, not an emergency. Google for the technique (mainly pointing the elbow forward).

 

[Boarderguy]

SLOW DOWN! Nothing happens fast underwater. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Take the time to think your way through your problem before it becomes an emergency because you over reacted.
Go over procedures in your head before the dive.

 

[SlugLife]

Redundant Air

Perhaps the #1 hazard to divers, is that we aren't fish and can't breathe water. If we have a problem of any kind, the clock is ticking.

OOA is obviously the main issue. Yes, one can monitor air, but what if there's some kind of regulator-issue, such as a hose comes unscrewed or blows? A purely redundant air-source that is adequately sized to get you to the surface turns this PTSD-inducing scenario into a mere annoyance. Furthermore, redundant-air can save you from other hazards, by giving you extra time to deal with an emergency like and entanglement. Simply having it there, may also reduce panic. Redundant-air may come in useful in rescues as well.

Insurance: Yes, a pony bottle and regs costs $$$, but think of it like a form of life-insurance or PTSD insurance. It's also a (mostly) one-time expense. Think of it like a more affordable version of health-insurance. (some tips on saving $ below)

Sizes: Someone may give the run-down about how to calculate your redundant gas. I'm going to over-simplify to get people started, and I do have experience with most of these sizes. This advice is for recreational-only, not mandatory-deco-diving.

• 1.7 cu or 3 cu - This size may be a safety-hazard due to giving a false sense of security. It runs out of air at such an insanely fast rate, I really consider them somewhat dangerous. "Spare Air"s probably belong in the garbage.
• 6 cu - Minimum recommended size. Perhaps avoid depths above 75ft. Perhaps be ready to skip a safety stop. In my experience, I use about 100psi per breath at 8ft deep on a 6cu.
• 13 cu - This is a common travel size. It should handle most scenarios at recreational depths, but you should also be ready to surface without delay. You may need to skip safety stop if starting from deeper depths (120ft)
• 19 cu - This is my generally recommended size. I find a 19cu is no more annoying to carry, deal with, etc, than my 6cu. By the time you have a pony bottle, you might as well go 19cu. This should technically handle 130ft, with safety stop and increased air-consumption for many divers. (although maybe actually calculate this, if you're pushing limits)
• 30cu or 40cu - More air is always good. However "the 13cu on your person, is better than the 40cu you left at home." The problem I've noticed with larger sizes, is that divers get lazy. Most divers seem to leave their 30/40cu tanks at home or on the boat. Some divers claim they don't mind that size, but I'm just reporting what I observe.
• 80 cu - Ok, we're now in SideMount or Doubles territory, which is absolutely cool if you're willing to go down that path. There are manifolds, h-valves, y-valves, and more but that's beyond the scope of this comment.

Regulators: It's better to have cheap regulators for your pony, if you're on a budget, than no pony at all.

It just has to breathe, work, and get you to the surface. De-tune the regulators to prevent free-flow, there's usually a "screw" inside 2nd stage, where the hose attaches. It's okay to save money here, because the only purpose of this regulator is to get you to the surface. If your maintenance schedule runs behind a little ... again ... the important point is mostly that it works.

Practice: Take a few breaths from your pony every dive. Practice switching regulators on the shore if you haven't done it in a while (I was guilty of this), and remember to purge or exhale when switching. Switch regulators underwater too, at least once per dive. Also ensure the pony reg can be found, by feel (no looking!) almost instantly. Stuff the hose under some bungies, use a retainer, or whatever you need to do, to ensure the pony-reg is always in the same place.

Transfill: If you want to save money on fills and avoid VIP costs, just get a transfill-whip. It'll save you money in the long-run. (I'll probably post my $40 transfill whip advice in another comment)

Popularity: "I don't see divers with pony bottles!" This isn't a popularity contest. Maybe they can't afford one, or havent thought of buying one yet. Leave your ego at the door, safety is what matters.

NOT a Dive Extender: The pony should be there for emergencies, not to extend dives. Not to mention, it can be a hazard if you forget to top-off the pony. If you want extended dives, look into SideMount or Doubles.

Octo or No-Octo: (Possibly Controversial Warning) In most SideMount, you have two first-stages, and 2 second-stages (Each 1st stage has one 2nd stage). No octo. Assuming your pony-bottle is adequately-sized, you may consider ditching your octo. More hoses, means more clutter/entanglement/mess, and possible confusion (i.e. grabbing wrong regulator). You could even re-purpose your "octo" as a 2nd-stage for your pony-bottle, meaning you only really need another 1st-stage and SPG (or button-SPG).

 

[SlugLife]

Slow Down & Consistent Pace!

(Stolen from Boarder Guy) Slowing down has a MASSIVE number of advantages! I'd also add a consistent pace.

• More to see - You'll see more on your dive, if you're not speeding everywhere. this is true whether I'm looking at fish, or looking for treasure.
• Significant air-consumption reduction - It's FAR more significant than I ever expected. It allows you to focus on breathing and maintain a steady pace.
• CO2 Hit - If you get a significant enough CO2 hit, it can be almost impossible to slow your breathing for quite some time.
• Cramps - The faster you go, the more likely you are to have cramps. Finning slower is also FAR more energy efficient.
• Emergencies- By slowing down, and not being out-of-breath, you'll have a LOT more time to handle an emergency. For example, finding your other regulator, getting air from your buddy, or doing a CESA. By also going slow, you're less likely to panic, which panic is a massive hazard.
• Good buddy - Your buddy will often be happier with you. It's easier to stick together, and your buddy won't be as irritated about chasing your everywhere.
• Entanglements - I often dive in inches of visibility, often with anchor-ropes or trees. By going slow, I'm significantly less likely to be entangled in ropes, trees, or nets. Even if I run into such things, the severity of the entanglement is not likely to be that bad.

 

[SlugLife]

Cutting Devices and Entanglements

The best way to deal with an entanglement, is to not be entangled in the first place, avoid places with significant entanglement hazards, bad visiblity, etc and/or go very slowly. But sh!t happens, and it's best to be prepared.

• 2+ cutting devices - Ideally have at least 2 cutting devices. If you get entangled and drop one, or there's an obstruction, you have a backup.
• Accessible with either hand - If one arm gets entangled, you want to be able to reach one-or-more device with your other arm. The ideal spot I've found is near your shoulders, where I can reach both with either hand. Put on your BCD, and check if you can reach the cutting device with either hand easily. Some people also like using their waist, or under their dive-watch-band.
• Compact - Very compact cutting devices like line-cutters have so little bulk, they're practically "free" and take up almost no space. Bigger cutting-devices start to add bulk and clutter.
• Line cutters - Line cutters are amazing for fishing-line, and can cut webbing easily. Some line cutters also open up with a serrated edge, and can be used on rope (although it will take some sawing and effort). It's much harder to accidentally cut or stab yourself with a line-cutter.
• Trauma Shears - Trauma shears are often very inexpensive, and relatively compact. Some can even handle line-leader (thin steel fishing-line).
• Knives - Knives often start to get more bulky. Ideally, have a knife with a serated edge, for cutting thorugh rope. Also you'll want a blunt-tip, because...
• Beware knife-points, and get knives without points if possible. Stowing a cutting-device in a sheath underwater in bad-vis means some risk of stabbing yourself.
• Utility Shears - If you want some serious heavy-duty option, look into utility shears like these. They're bulky, and way over-kill for most divers, but great for ropes and nets.

 

[SlugLife]

Redundant Buoyancy & DSMB

If your BCD fails for any reason, a large tear, stuck dump-valve, ripped/pulled hose, etc it may be useful to have redundant buoyancy in some form.

A DSMB is useful by safety-device by itself (multi-use is always good), is fairly compact, and can be used for Redundant Buoyancy. (I'll only focus on buoyancy in this comment).

• On the surface, a DSMB makes a great "pool noodle." This is great for a "stuck at sea" scenario, especially if your BCD is trying to face-plant you into the waves.
• Elevator - Pulling Yourself Up. After shooting the DSMB from depth, you can pull yourself up the line. (Ideally you followed the other advice about proper-weighting).
• Hacky BCD - You can technically tuck it under your arms or front-to-back and use it like a BCD, dumping air as you ascend. This is awkward, you'll have to deal with air-trapping, and take it slow. However, this can be useful if your line won't reach the surface or dealing with overhead. I'd probably switch to elevator, once it becomes practical.

I highly recommend a DSMB (or Lift-Bag), and not a "SMB." DSMBs have an over-pressure valve which lets you shoot them from depth, whereas your SMB is likely to fail if shot up from depth. There's a great DSMB thread here, if you want more info or discussion, tips, advice, etc.