What does "Dive Planning" mean to you?

[DCBC]

Does dive planning include tide / altitude tables, emergency rescue / evacuation proceedures, the identification of rip currents and other hazards before you get into the water, etc., etc. What is deemed to be adequate dive planning from your perspective? I'm not so much interested in the certification standards or party line, rather a personal understanding of how you dive and what you see is required. For some it may mean checking personal equipment and leaving much of the planning process to the DM or Instructor, for others it will include a more inclusive process. I suspect that the answers may be different, which may vary from one location to the other...

I'm also interested in what you think of the dive logging process? Some "don't log dives," while others (like me) log everything and routinely calculate SAC as a ongoing reference for the next dive planning process.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Planning for local quarry dives generally revolves around depth, temp and gas management (turn pressure, minimum end-of-dive PSI)

Planning for shore dives in the Caymans includes current, wind, surface conditions, depth, gas management (turn PSI and multi-level run.)

Not so detailed that it must be written on a slate, but enough that everyone knows the safety parameters.

 

[Peter Guy]

Does dive planning include

tide / altitude tables

Yes, if I'm diving where there are tides, No if not -- never have done a dive at an altitude higher than 800 feet

emergency rescue / evacuation proceedures

Yes -- although typically it is just "dial 911 on the cell phone" or, in the case of diving off our small boat, "Don't get hurt and if you do, I'll probably have to drag you somewhere cause I won't be able to get you into the boat!"

the identification of rip currents

I hope so but then currents have a way of not being entirely predictable around here

and other hazards before you get into the water,

Who knows?

Do I go through any sort of a formal dive planning exercise for most of my dives? No -- the closest being a "GUE EDGE" type of review before splashing. Some dives have more formal planning than others (i.e., tide/current sensitive sites, deco dives or new sites).

 

[Edward3c]

This is one of these " How long is a peice of String " questions.

At one of my standard sites its a simple at ensureing I've got enought gas, confirm with my dive buddy the planned profile (say, 10 @ 30m then 20 @ 20m and 30 @ 10m - or until we either get cold or low on gas), and off we go.

A new and unknown site is quite different, I even check the charts to see if there are over-falls etc in the area.

On holiday (sorry vacation), that's what I pay the guide to do.

Regards

 

[TSandM]

Some of our sites require planning weeks in advance and consultation with tide and current charts and reference books. There is nothing like getting your butt handed to you by a current you mistimed, to teach respectful dive planning. I have never dived at altitude, so that's been irrelevant. When I am diving off a resort or vacation boat, I do want to know if there will be current, and if so, what direction it is likely to be going, how strong it is likely to be, and what the procedures for diver pickup are.

If I am diving with new buddies, I make sure to tell them where my car keys are and that I have an ICE number in my cell phone. If we are on our boat, I make sure everyone knows there is an O2 kit on the boat, and how to use the radio and emergency frequency. If we have the O2 kit at a shore diving site (sadly, we don't always) I let people know about that, too. (Or if I have a deco bottle.)

Otherwise, dive planning includes who is going, what role each diver will play and what responsibilities are assigned, what formation we will use, and if strangers, going over signals and the use of lights. The parameters for the dive -- depth, time, rough profile -- are discussed, as well as how the ascent will be managed (swimming upslope, direct ascent with stops, etc.). Gas supplies are compared and how gas will be managed is discussed. Finally, any special environmental concerns for the site -- current, silt, visibility, thermocline/halocline, etc -- are reviewed.

As far as logging goes, I log all my dives with computer dowload. To that, I add a narrative. When I remember, I log the weight I carried (wish I'd done that on our prior Red Sea trip!) From time to time, I calculate my SAC rate, either just for interest or because the particular dive had characteristics that made me think it might be different from usual.

 

[LouieLouie]

Planning? Well, we decide where to park the car/moor the boat before we jump in...

 

[redacted]

It is a matter of deciding what variables are important for a given dive and addressing them in the plan. For simple dives, it is often no more than determining entry/exit, activity, and notable pressures. The more complex the dive (more variables), the more planning may be appropriate. Dives that may approach NDLs or gas capacity limits require that be addressed in planning. Variables that have little or no effect probably do not need to be addressed. Some might even consider it mindless to address a variable that does no matter.

I only log minimal data: Date, site, SI, dive time, depth, gas, and end of dive gas loading. Weight is logged separately for a new dive configuration.

As a kid, I spent summers on the Jersey shore. Life revolved around the tide table (fishing, surfing, snorkeling). Now I occasionally dive on the TX gulf coast and tide only matters as it might effect clarity when you dive one of the passes.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

For me dive planning begins early. For example my GF and I are taking the SDI Solo course next weekend. I started planning officially for it yesterday when I started going over our regs, deciding which tanks to take and need to load up today to get filled after work tomorrow, and selecting the gear we will take. Including exposure protection, which reels, bags, lights, etc. Then I will make a call tomorrow to confirm water temps and possible vis to expect. This is an inland quarry so no tides or currents but there are thermoclines and parts of the site with heavy vegetation. I'm also planning on time to leave, fuel, lunch, etc.

Dive planning for me begins when the decision is made to dive and may include mentally doing the dive numerous times. This coming weekend I'm not doing that in order to be ready to follow the instructors directions. When real travel is involved I will research the area, get background on the local customs, and gather whatever info I can find on the dive sites. I plan on getting a thorough briefing but never allow the DM to plan my dives or for them to take any responsibility for my safety. Those are my jobs.

 

[TMHeimer]

My preparations are simple. 1.Get all equipment ready to go the day before.
Local shore sites I know well: Make sure all equipment works. Take compass heading. Cell phone to call wife when each shallow solo dive is done.
Vacation Charter: Make sure all equipment works. Pay close attention to dive briefing & size up an assigned buddy. Keep track of where anchor line is. Use compass if appropriate and not a metal wreck.
Local Charter: Hope to be giving the dive briefing whenever the opportunity arises, but that's a whole different set of dive planning.
Logging: I log all dives. I don't specifically figure out gas consumption/SAC rate regularly. I seem to know how long my gas will last at whatever depth. Though I do keep all records in case I want to review this.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Thanks for starting this thread, DCBC, as it presents a discussion in an area I believe far too many divers are deficient. I join you in logging all my dives and include all the relevant data I can record, including date, time, depth, water temperature, gear used, weight used, length of dive, air consumed, topographic features and stuff seen and done on the dive, together with the names of others on the dive with me.
As for dive planning, I dive at altitude here in Colorado and altitude tables are a must. My wife and I dive independently at most ocean locations we visit, and dive planning for us includes learning all we can about local conditions, weather reports, , local ems facilities and contact information, and having one or more people not diving with us know where we are going, and when we anticipate returning. We check our gear for proper operation before leaving home on a trip to a dive destination and again when we arrive at the destination. By making reference to log book histories if we have dove in the area and conditions before, we note proper weight and exposure gear (and we will tune up the weighting when we do our first dive). At the dive sight ( whether on a boat or from shore), we do what we can by on site observation to confirm information on conditions and local topography, plan time and depth and activity, and briefly review emergency procedures between us, something that remains important despite having hundreds of dives together. Before entry we do a buddy check, including safety and signaling devices, and then, knowing we are prepared, have a great time diving. All of this procedure can be followed without a huge amount of time or effort lost. It is routine and should be engaged by everyone for every dive that is not led by a local dive master. Quite frankly, everyone should plan this way, or else limit themselves to diving on guided tours with local guides. That kind of diving is just fine, and there is nothing wrong with it, but it does not compare to being where you want to be , when you want to be there, without a crowd chasing around you.
DivemasterDennis scubasnobs.com