Diving Safety

Safety, while extremely important underwater, is just as important to a diver above water. Many of the accidents with which divers come in contact occur either before or after the actual dive. Let's categorize the prevention of these accidents as either mechanical or behavioral, and deal with each in turn.

Mechanical Maintenance

a. Cylinders

1. Have all diving tanks tested every five years in accordance with ICC regulations. The cylinders are hydrostatically tested, with the date of the last testing stamped into their surface.

2. Never fill cylinders beyond their rated pressure. This pressure is also stamped into the surface of the tank.

3. Transport, handle, and store diving tanks with extreme care. These tanks, when charged, are a potential bomb, if mishandled.

4. Keep tank valves closed when tanks are empty, so as to avoid moisture inside tanks.

5. Keep a piece of tape over valve orifice when not actually in use, to act as a retainer for the o-ring.

b. Regulators

1. Rinse regulator in fresh water after every use. Particularly after use in salt or chlorinated water.

2. Carry a spare o-ring on yoke screw.

3. Hang regulator to dry with hoses downward after use.

4. Never immerse regulator in water without first being sure dust cap is tightly in place.

5. Regularly inspect hoses for tears or punctures.
6. Treat regulator gently. It is a piece of precision equipment upon which your life depends.

c. Spearguns

1. Never bring a loaded speargun above water.

2. Shield points of all spears so that none will be impaled upon them.

d. Masks, fins, suits, inflatable devices.

1. Wash off with fresh water soon after using.

2. Never store in area of intense heat or in direct rays of sun.

3. Protect from contact with oil.

4. Visually check frequently for condition. With inflatable preservers, inflate frequently to verify safe condition.

5. Prior to storage, powder with a non-oil base powder.

Behavioral Safety

Due to the cumbersomeness of diving equipment in general, many divers tend to overload themselves on their treks to the diving site. Thus, nasty falls, or merely sheer exhaustion contribute to the accidents that frequently befall the careless diver. Rather than run this risk, make a second, or even a third trip from the car to the boat or dive site.

Once at the boat, ready to load, consider the weight and bulk of the equipment to be loaded, as well as the number of people. All too many boats have been swamped because they were overloaded. Once the load limitations have been decided, be sure all gear is either lashed down or safely secured so as to prevent loss overboard in rough weather. Divers should acquaint themselves with the preparation and handling of small boats, for from such they will most often be diving. Nothing can compare to an irate boat liveryman, (and understandably so), who finds that through a careless diver's handling of a tank he now has a major repair job ahead of him.

Once the diving site is reached, the diver should enter the water with a minimum of penetration, particularly if the waters are unknown. Above all, the DIVERS FLAG should be flown prominently. The divers should dive using the "buddy system", with a safety man in a boat overhead rowing over their bubbles. This will enable the divers to ascend near their boat while minimizing the possibility of their being run down by unobservant boaters.

Over-exertion should be guarded against before, during and after dive. Know your own limitation and stay within them. Remember, while diving you use the buddy system. Your life is in your buddies hands, as is his in yours. The buddy system carries with it a sacred obligation, the obligation to act as your "brother's keeper", and to go to his assistance if necessary. Don't treat this responsibility lightly.

Minimum Penetration Entries

1. Front-In-Step-Entry

This entry is merely a variation of the "life-saving" entry, adapted to divers use. The diver holds his mask in place with one hand, to prevent its being carried away when he enters the water, and steps off into the water with considerable forward momentum. He is bent forward from the waist. As his fins hit the water he executes a scissors kick, and as his free hand approaches the water the diver strikes the surface to break his momentum.

When scuba is worn the entry is the same except that the hand that was formerly free is now used to grasp the harness at the point of attachment to the tank, in order to prevent the tanks riding up and perhaps striking the diver in the back of the head.

2. "Slither" Entry

This is the most often used entry of all, and is used primarily in situations where the waters are unknown. The diver perches on the gunwale of the boat, or whatever he is entering from, grasps the gunwale with both hands to one side of his body, raises his body, pivots, and lowers his body, in one smooth, slow motion and so lets himself down into the water very gently.

Surface Dives

1. Horizontal Surface Dive

This surface dive is started with the diver in the prone position on the surface of the water. The diver bends sharply downward from the waist and raises his legs vertically, in a smooth motion, taking care to point his toes and keep his feet together. If the toes are pointed and the legs elevated to the vertical position the weight of the legs above water will drive the diver straight down beneath the surface with a minimum of surface noise. Care should be taken to assure that the diver does not execute any kick until the fins are completely submerged.

2. Vertical Surface Dive

This surface dive is started from the vertical position. The diver executes a scissors kick, at the same time pushing downward in the water with his hands. The feet are then brought together, the arms raised, and the divers body sinks from the weight of his torso above the surface. Once completely submerged, the diver turns and goes in the desired direction.

MOUTHPIECE SHUTTLE

FREE ASCENT

Buddy Breathing

Ocassionally one reads of a diver's equipment malfunctioning, or a diver, through negligence, running out of air beneath the surface. In situations such as this, those divers who have had training in survival techniques will handle the situation with aplomb, whereas those with little or no training may or may not survive. There are essentially two techniques which could be employed in a situation such as has been described.

Mouthpiece Shuttle

In this type of "Buddy Breathing", the divers face each other in the water, each holding a strap of the others harness. As they ascend slowly they pass the functioning mouthpiece back and forth, each diver exhaling into the mouthpiece as soon as he receives it, then inhaling once and passing the mouthpiece back to his boddy. While awaiting his turn to use the mouthpiece, the waiting diver must EXHALE, IN ORDER TO AVOID AN AIR EMBOLISM. Constant practice of this in the pool might well be the difference between life or death for some diver, and so the technique should be mastered thoroughly.

Severed Hose Method

In this type of "Buddy Breathing", the diver in trouble severs his buddies EXHAUST hose near the regulator, and places it in his mouth. Both divers can then inhale at will, but both must exhale from their nostrils. Both divers should maintain the same level in the water to facilitate breathing. Extreme care should be taken to breathe normally and not hold the breath on ascent so as to avoid an AIR EMBOLISM.

Free Ascent

If, for some reason, neither of the above survival techniques are feasible, then, and only then is a FREE ASCENT called for.

A free ascent is an ascent from depth without the use of a breathing device. In a free ascent the diver EXHALES CONTINUOUSLY. If done properly, a free ascent can be made from any depth. The diver tilts his head back in order to prevent any blockage of the airway, and begins to exhale gently, as he ascends. The faster the ascent, the harder the exhalation. It is suggested that divers practice free ascents while wearing scuba with the mouthpiece in their mouths, so that until they are familiar with the technique they are assured of an air supply. CONTINUOUS EXHALATION is essential in this technique, and practice in it should be at graduating depths, beginning at shallow depths.

Pre-Dive Check List

1. Check narness, bands, and position of reserve valve.

2. Visually check regulator hoses.

3. Remove tape from valve and bleed small jet of air from tank to "clear" orifice.

4. Position regulator on tank and tighten yoke screw.

5. Attempt to inhale from mouthpiece of regulator. If able to do so it indicates that either a hose leaks or the diaphram is ruptured. DO NOT DIVE WITH THIS REGULATOR UNTIL TROUBLE IS CORRECTED.

6. Turn on air.

7. Inhale from regulator and check operation.

8. Don scuba, using quick release hitches on all straps.

9. Put on weight belt. Weight belt should be last item of equipment put on so that it can be jettisoned if necessary.

10. Check again position of reserve valve and breathe through mouthpiece to ascertain that air is "on-".

Post-Dive Check List

1 . Turn valve "off" .

2. Take last breath from regulator. (Suck down). This is to relieve pressure trapped between valve and regulator. Failure to remove this pressure will result in rupture of rubber o-ring seal.

3. Remove regulator from tank.

4. Replace dust cap.

5. Tie harness and straps so that none are trailing.

6. Wash all gear in fresh water, being sure dust cap is in place first.

7. Shake water from regulator hoses, then exhale through regulator.

8. Stow all equipment safely, taking care not to store any rubber equipment where it will be exposed to excessive heat or direct rays of the sun.

PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR

SPINY SEA URCHIN

GREAT BARRACUDA

MORAY EEL

SHARK

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