Safety Tips

[Angus]

Erik posted this in the photos thread in Hunting.

Ok guys, time for some safety....I have noticed in some of the pictures posted that there are snorkels in mouths underwater. This is a big no-no. I realise that it's comfortable, holds the snorkel in place, etc, and that most of us were taught that way (ie: OW Scuba Course), but it's a big problem if you black out. The snorkel makes a clear route for water to enter your throat, whereas if your mouth is closed without a snorkel then the likelihood of water getting past your throat is greatly lessened.

After reading this I recalled that there is a lot of good safety information spread throughout this forum and it can be in pretty obscure places and hard to find. So I thought that it would be nice to have a specific thread for safety tips that makes them easy to find and increases the likelihood that people will read them. To make it usable this thread is just for posting safety tips. Please refrain from using this as a discussion thread unless absolutely necessary. Erik's post is a great example of a precise and clear safety tip. Thanks again for the heads up on this one Erik.

Warmly, Angus

 

[Pekka]

thanks

I am all for this thread! great idea...it is me in one of those pictures with snorkel in my mouth, thank you for this tip...I would have not even thought of that myself...:head thanks

 

[ickledevil]

Safety tip two and three

2) The obvious really, dive with a buddy... if you dont whos gonna drag your cold shivering butt out the water should you have a blackout? or just get plain tired?! and who better to confirm your story of the huge lobster that got away!

3) Dive with a watch with an alarm set, I know when Im underwater especially at depth doing somthing, like getting that lobster I loose track of time, my watch beeps after 1:30 under that way I know I should be thinking of making a move but have the time and air left to do it without worries. (p.s. This time is not gospel, you need to realisticly assess your own limits, it may be 30secs or 5mins but dont take a risk setting it too long just to look macho.)

 

[icarus pacific]

some more basics

Here are some more basics that we tend to blow off:

1. Before you head up from the bottom, LOOK UP and see what's in your way.

2a. Hook your thumb or a hand behind your release buckle on your weight belt. If you even start to feel woozy or see that tunnel-thing tightening up, PULL!

2b. As the day goes along and you're getting tired and ripe for an exercise in shallow water blackout, release the buckle at the start of your ascent and hold the belt in place or next to your body to facillitate a clean release away from you.

3. Hold your arm up as you break the surface of the water. This one's so you rap your knuckles insted of the drifting boat hull and can be the first/last thing the boat driver see's before he swerves to avoid you.

4. For chrissakes, hold your gun pointing down on your way up! You'd be amazed at the number of punctured Zodiacs, tubes and matts there are because of this.

sven

 

[laminar]

More safety tips:

#34 Have a dive plan.

Up north we dive in poor visibility top down, so spotting each other on recreational dives is a matter of waiting for the person to come up in the vicinity of where they went down. Better to let your buddy know what you plan to do: "I'm gonna wrestel that shark down there" or "I'm eloping with that pretty mermaid."

#35 Be honest about your physical/mental condition and tell your buddy.

Feeling a bit seasick, lightheaded on the last dive, legs cramping, scared of what your buddy just did, cold, tired, anything bothering you? Tell your buddy and make a decision to cut the day or the depth or the activity short.

#36 Don't stick your hand into the mouth of a large sea creature (dolphin, shark, sea lion (thanks efattah), seal, etc)

 

[Pekka]

Tip...DON'T PANIC!!!!!!! in amy occation what ever happens DON'T Panic!!!
You might want to do some mental image stuff to visualize some rescue presedures and train them with your buddy just in case of them..
Know your limits, when diving and there is nothing but great blue under you it is sometimes hard to judge wether or not you should go any deeper...

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

Communication

Hi,
when you come up from your apnea, make eye contact with your buddy and signal OK. Do this every time you come up after breaking the surface, this way, a samba or paniqued person is easilly recognize.

Erik tell about getting that snorkel out for security reason, but any hunter will tell you to do that. The snorkel out of your mouth fill itself with water silently, but if you have it in your mouth, the fish will ear it fills and you wont be able to throw a surprise party on them at the bottom

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

The experience of others

Hi,
http://www.freediver.net/freedivelist/photogallery/memorial/index.html

Those who had not the luck to have friend to tell them about security. Also check the link for SA divers. We can deduct that SWB is more Dangerous than GWS.