kimbalabala
Contributor
Every time I read the Accidents/Incidents forum I'm frustrated by how many posts are spent on discussing a member's qualifications for their opinion or their reason for posting the incident. On a recent post someone posited the question 'what are we learning from this forum?' (paraphrased). So I started reflecting on what I have learned from reading these reports. Honestly, most of the stuff I've read about are things I was taught in my OW classes. I come here to see if there are new or unexpected events that I can learn from - and maybe to remind myself how to protect myself and my buddy from tragedy. We love our sport and sometimes feel invincible - so maybe this is one way to maintain respect for the very real risks we are taking and insure that we use the appropriate amount of caution. So here are some things I've learned - feel free to add to it - I'm sure I missed something obvious.
1. Dont dive solo (obviously this is MY decision so dont flame me for saying this please)
2. Keep an eye on your air
3. Dive within your limits dont push them - i.e., dive a less aggressive profile if you're tired from travelling.
4. Check your gear and then recheck it again
5. Keep your buddy close - close enough that if you are experiencing an emergency you can reach out and touch them to indicate you're in trouble. (ok, maybe that's just staying in MY personal comfort zone)
6. Stay hydrated
7. Understand the limits of diving in exotic places i.e., there may not be a chamber or competent medical care
as close as youd like.
8. Be honest about your medical conditions and let DAN or a doctor who is trained regarding scuba diving medical issues tell you if diving is a good idea for you - and then follow their advice.
9. Sometimes things happen that are outside of our control - medical and equipment issues for example (my Cobra died on a quarry dive - I never got an explanation about what happened to it, though I got a replacement - and now we travel with a backup SPG and use our Gekko's as backup).
10. If you have any question that you are experiencing symptoms of DCS tell your buddy or the captain of your boat. Don't ignore it.
11. Practice those skills that might be precursors to an incident - clearing your mask, CESA, what to do if you are OOA - it's one thing to know what to do, it's another to have the muscle memory and be clear headed in a genuine emergency situation and carry out the necessary action. (I don't do this enough)
1. Dont dive solo (obviously this is MY decision so dont flame me for saying this please)
2. Keep an eye on your air
3. Dive within your limits dont push them - i.e., dive a less aggressive profile if you're tired from travelling.
4. Check your gear and then recheck it again
5. Keep your buddy close - close enough that if you are experiencing an emergency you can reach out and touch them to indicate you're in trouble. (ok, maybe that's just staying in MY personal comfort zone)
6. Stay hydrated
7. Understand the limits of diving in exotic places i.e., there may not be a chamber or competent medical care
as close as youd like.
8. Be honest about your medical conditions and let DAN or a doctor who is trained regarding scuba diving medical issues tell you if diving is a good idea for you - and then follow their advice.
9. Sometimes things happen that are outside of our control - medical and equipment issues for example (my Cobra died on a quarry dive - I never got an explanation about what happened to it, though I got a replacement - and now we travel with a backup SPG and use our Gekko's as backup).
10. If you have any question that you are experiencing symptoms of DCS tell your buddy or the captain of your boat. Don't ignore it.
11. Practice those skills that might be precursors to an incident - clearing your mask, CESA, what to do if you are OOA - it's one thing to know what to do, it's another to have the muscle memory and be clear headed in a genuine emergency situation and carry out the necessary action. (I don't do this enough)