What is a dive plan on a shallow wreck?

[crofrog]

Whilst a very interesting and informative post, that style of planning requires a fair amount of training, certainly beyond that of the OP's current training and experience.

Just sharing a way of doing it. It might inspire some questions about what those things are and lead to additional training and learning.

All of those items are taught in fundies or GUE rec1

 

[crofrog]

I think if you strip it of the dogma it's actually a useful tool. If you account for all those things, or can explain why they are N/A, you have a pretty good start on a dive plan, regardless of skill level.

I just posted the one I’m the most familiar with UTD has GLADDDD and I’m sure other orgs have their own thing

 

[DogDiver]

Great insight for a novice diver. You certainly won’t go wrong with the advice given here. Now here’s a little food for thought when you become more experienced.
I live in North Florida cave country and cave dive multiple times a week. Dive planning is paramount in this kind of high risk diving.
For every hour I spend underwater in a cave, there is 3-4 hours of per dive planning. Good luck and safe diving.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Just sharing a way of doing it. It might inspire some questions about what those things are and lead to additional training and learning.

All of those items are taught in fundies or GUE rec1

I've also stolen a fair bit from it for my open water courses. I really hate mnemonics: BWRAF, ABCDE, whatever. Top to bottom, right to left, nothing gets missed.

 

[jlcnuke]

Okay, go easy on me, OW cert here + nitrox with 12 dives outside of the class. My dive buddy is my 15-year-old son.

I hear "plan your dive," but what does that mean? So help me understand dive planning with a scenario that is real...we're on a dive boat, pulled up to a wreck, it's a tug boat, the depth is 75', the top of the tug is 55', water temp is 81 at depth, viz is 15', no current.

What do we plan as dive buddies before we get into the water?

What brought this up was a recent dive where we got turned around on a wreck; the boat was anchored outside the wreck about 20'. The viz was super low, probably 12', and we have passed by the anchor line. I knew we were close to the anchor line but couldn't find it. We looked around but still couldn't see it. Got a little worried and locked arms...then slowly ascended to 35' watching our dive computers for accent rate. As we ascended, we kept looking around and finally spotted the anchor line. I told myself at 20' I was going to deploy my smb. This little "hmmm" moment has made me want to ensure we're following best practices in these situations. Being ignorant is tough.

Appreciate the wisdom.

What do you plan as dive buddies before you get in the water?

Here are my thoughts for basic recreational dive planning:
1. What do we expect conditions to be (this is usually communicated to you by the boat on a boat dive)? In this case, you should have been told that the boat was anchored off the wreck, and the visibility wasn't great. As such, I would expect you and your dive buddy to discuss how to get to the wreck (compass use, who would navigate, line running if that was planned, etc.). I'd expect a reminder of what to do if you get separated (always an important reminder in lower vis situations).
2. What are we trying to do/see? Just generally explore the wreck's outside? Penetration? A particular part of the wreck (if a larger wreck) planned to visit and how to navigate there? What path are we planning to take, and does it involve different depths we should be aware of?
3. Gas planning? What are the NDLs? What is turn pressure to start heading back or ascending? What is our minimum expected return to surface pressure and is that adequate? Do you have the right gas for the depths involved?
4. Who is leading the dive? How are we diving "together"? (one in front, next to each other always, sometimes in front, sometimes following, etc.)
5. Communication? How are we communicating under water (lights, hand signals, writing on slates, etc?).
6. Is there any special equipment need for the dive, and who will carry/use it if so?

 

[jlcnuke]

Great insight for a novice diver. You certainly won’t go wrong with the advice given here. Now here’s a little food for thought when you become more experienced.
I live in North Florida cave country and cave dive multiple times a week. Dive planning is paramount in this kind of high risk diving.
For every hour I spend underwater in a cave, there is 3-4 hours of per dive planning. Good luck and safe diving.

Wait... 3 hours of diving planning for a 1 hour cave dive?? Are you counting all the hours of training as dive planning or something?

 

[Wibble]

Then there’s over dependence on planning.

if diving teaches us anything it’s that stuff happen; things we thought we knew or expected to happen don’t happen in the way we planned.

As the Scouts motto puts it: Be Prepared.

Diving always throws up the unexpected. The wreck's not as they described; it's deeper (diving on high tide, the scour, it's collapsed); equipment fails; rubbish visibility; other divers causing grief (kicking up the silt, getting in the way...); a DiveMaster wanting to do a high-speed Kessel run in six parsecs and calling the dive when the gas hog runs out 10 minutes in; you see mermaids/whatever...

That's the fun of diving!

 

[lermontov]

Wait... 3 hours of diving planning for a 1 hour cave dive?? Are you counting all the hours of training as dive planning or something?

surely this is hyperbole- what happens if he does a four hour dive 12 hours planning ?

 

[crofrog]

Then there’s over dependence on planning.

Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. -Eisenhower

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. -Eisenhower

"Your plan goes out the window as soon as you get punched in the face."

(Or something like that)

Michael Reginald Tyson