Vol.3 No.1
Medical
Hints for Safer Diving
By: Stan Bugg
All diving involves a degree of risk, because, after all, we are air-breathing mammals who have no sensible reason to be underwater. If we accept this premise, and admit to ourselves that we are voluntarily entering an alien environment, we are more likely to approach our diving with a sensible degree of caution. We must also acknowledge that we rely totally on our equipment while diving.
The following safety hints apply to ALL divers, and should be read in addition to those hints for specific types of diving.
Be trained by a recognised agency. Such training will make you aware of the more common problems you will face underwater, and how to reduce the likelihood of these problems occurring.
Be medically assessed by a doctor who has appropriate training in diving medicine. Some medical conditions are not compatible with safe diving, while other conditions may allow you to dive safely with caution.
Thoroughly prepare and check your gear prior to diving. You rely totally on your equipment while underwater.
Choose dives that match your training, experience and confidence. Dive within your comfort zone on all dives.
Listen to your inner voice. If you do not feel right while underwater, or you feel that you have exceeded your comfort level, abort the dive.
When you first reach the prearranged depth, establish neutral buoyancy, ensure your ears are OK, check your air status and your depth, tighten your weightbelt, then signal your buddy that you are OK. Make these actions a standard part of ALL divers.
Watch your ascent rate on all dives. You should never exceed an ascent rate of 10m/minute when diving shallower than about 30m. An ascent rate of 5-6 metres per minute is recommended in the last 10m of ascent.
Complete safety stops on all dives that exceed 10m depth. The rule of thumb is 3-5 minutes at 5-6 metres. Safety stops assist with reducing excess nitrogen, which reduces the risk of decompression illness. They also slow your ascent rate, by forcing you to stop for a period of time.
For dives deeper than about 24m, add an additional safety stop of at least one-minute at half of your maximum depth, before doing the usual 5-6m safety stop.
Always dive with a buddy. Your safety and your enjoyment will be enhanced by being with a companion while underwater.
Plan your dive. You and your buddy should agree on depth, time, air cut-off, safety stops.
Plan your dive so you surface with a minimum of 50bar. Don’t look at it as wasted air, but as insurance against the possibility of some emergency that causes your air consumption to increase.
If you have had a layoff from diving, or you have been unwell, do some easier dives to regain your confidence and skill.
Revise your skills regularly. Practise such survival skills as mask-clearing, regulator removal, air-sharing regularly.
Log your dives. A record of your diving history may come in very handy should you ever seek higher levels of training.
About the author
Stan started diving in 1965. He began teaching diving in 1969, and is still an active instructor.
In 1996 he was presented with the prestigious SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Diver award, after having logged in excess of 5000 dives.
He is an instructor with NASDS, SSI, IANTD and CDAA, and a first aid and oxygen provider instructor with DAN. His special underwater interests include cave and deep wreck diving. He is a co-author of the DAN Emergency Handbook and Shipwrecks at Port Phillip Heads. |
