What basic safety procedures have you let slide?

[gcbryan]

I have my own system but I'm sure I'm not doing most of what was taught in my OW class. Sometimes I get bitten but mostly not. With regular buddies the dive plan and checks that are done wouldn't be that obvious to a bystander.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Mask skills.

I'm lazy about them, and I can't remember the last time I practiced swimming underwater (during a dive) without my mask. Years?

I practice completely flooding my mask when just hanging out on safety stops.... but have not removed it in ages....

Dang it. This thread is gonna make me do it this weekend.

Best wishes.

 

[Deefstes]

Buddy checks before a dive and buddy awareness during the dive. The latter is a particular concern to me as I know I "forget" about my buddy from time to time and still, I don't seem to sort it out.

My buddy is my wife and we know each other well. She's a fantastic buddy and always keep an eye on me. I'm a photographer and a horrendous buddy as I can easily get sidetracked and forget to check on her. I know, it's a reason, not an excuse. I'll have to work on it.

 

[CamG]

Greetings Lynn and I would have to admit that the light rec dives in doubles or S/M are a little more relaxed than they should be.
It is easy to impart a assumed you know your own rig and should have done your basic checks before ever sliding into your harness. But this not the case!
I am slightly OCD and can not even get into my harness without going over hoses for the second time, checking air for the second time, etc.
I dive with the usual buddies who do much the same. So we have discussed the dive plan pre-dive then get in the water do a bubble check and final hose route check then we begin the dive.

Now for the funny part, three of these fellows including myself have had D/S floods because we did not get our zippers fully pulled down! HMM......... Does mother need to dress us? I must have to admit it was very humbling and considering the water temps in April were a bit chilly.
It just goes to show that even the simplest things can and will bite you!
Even with triple checks you will inevitably miss something and your buddy is your last line of defense.
If you are flying SOLO you had better be wired correctly and be ready for anything.
This is a pursuit that I will be training for in the near future and try to employ its practices now.

My greatest flaw of the moment would have to be bouncing between S/M and B/M on any given dive day. I roll with both to prevent gas fill time constraints.
I have not had any issues dealing with normal dive practices but have been keenly aware to not have any hose traps, etc. I am sensing a growing concern among others though to this practice. As you know DIR has pretty clear thoughts on this matter.
My buddies are briefed and adept at either configuration and the different methods for each. So at the moment I will roll on.

Let the fireworks fly.

CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

 

[BDSC]

For the most part my wife and I never do buddy checks but I don't really see this as a safety issue even though some people do.

 

[meagicano]

I'm not as stringent with buddy checks - but it also depends who I'm diving with. I like to know where the releases are, if necessary - and I dive a bp/w so whenever I'm with someone I haven't dove with before I show them everything (including where my knife is, on my harness) and tell them to just cut it in a worst case scenario. The group I've been diving with haven't had a lot of exposure to the bp/w because they can be a bit "cult like" in their diving mantra (all listen to exactly what the dive shop owner says - it's a bit strange) so I need to make sure people are familiar with it.

My instructor did a lot of tech diving so he really pushed self reliance and the kind of stuff I could do on myself to get out of trouble so I don't just rely on a buddy. He also encouraged routine so when I get to a dive site I do the exact same thing every time - if people are there, I'm friendly and chat briefly, but once I start setting up my gear I focus on that completely and check over everything as I'm doing it.

 

[marinediva]

Reading this thread I don't feel so bad about turning air on anymore.
Its interesting about the mask skills. I really enjoy the feeling of the water on my face.
It reminds me of the feeling of not wearing a helmet when riding a motor-bike.
I often find myself trying to see how long I can last with my eyes open.

 

[Dyno Bill]

As far as buddy checks are concerned I believe if you work within a class where you have students with you then you are always being a role model and highlight the steps taken. When diving solo or with another experienced diver the check becomes a lot more informal. I'm sure there isn't anyone here that hasn't blown something during a prep to dive and mostly it goes unnoticed . The basics are developed like muscle memory, the drill becomes engrained like brushing your teeth. At least that's my nickels worth

 

[kaerius]

Nothing much springs to mind, though staff dives tend to be lax on the planning(a few basic guidelines, but no really planned time limits for multilevel depths or anything, we're all instructors with computers). One time I forgot the computer, but I used my timepiece, depthgauge and basically knowing most of the RDP by heart, didn't get near any limits though our maxdepth was 23m according to my SPG(from the top of my head the profile was 23(25)m 10 min, 14m 20 min, 10m 10 min, conservatively measured).

Oh and I often "buddycheck" myself... comes with being an instructor and doing a lot of DSDs.

 

[tracydr]

My husband and I usually do complete buddy checks. But, one of my shore dives recently I walked into the water, started swimming and realized I didn't know where my reg was, it wasn't in my mouth. The funny thing is my husband got the whole thing, including the shrugged shoulders, on video!
He always seems to get my most graceful moments on camera!