Jenna Budke (UHH MOP student, right) thinking about the dive and trying to use her camera while Keelee Martin (UHH MOP student, left) keeps close buddy contact. Photo by Tyler Phelps, UHH MOP Student dive time in relation to your dive planning. Do you have enough time to get your objective done? It might be time to wrap up what you are doing so you have adequate time and gas to turn the dive around. (Stay tuned for my article next month, “Are you ending your dive with enough gas?”). Be conscious of your buoyancy and changes in depth. If you had budgeted for a max depth of 60ft in your dive plan, make sure you are not exceeding that depth.
Sphere 3: The Equipment
should be second nature. If your buddy ran out of air the last thing The equipment sphere ties back to you want is to be thinking about team and environmental aware- “where is my alternate air source?” ness. Visibly check your gas pres- Those kinds of things should be sure, dive time and depth. Think of a tactile muscle memory. Touch your gas consumption proactively. your kit periodically while diving to This takes a little practice but after a make sure everything is where it is while you can get a feel of how much supposed to be. gas you use “on the fly.” Let’s say you’re at 12m/40ft with a pressure Also think about the other equipof 190bar/2800psi. After three min- ment you and your team has. If you utes at that depth you notice you’re are laying a line, is it behaving or is now at 180bar/2600psi. Given that it becoming entangled? If you have your depth hasn’t really changed tools such as quadrats or rugosity and gas consumption hasn’t either, chains, where are they and how are quiz yourself what pressure should they being secured? Then you can you be at. Another three minutes tie that back into team awareness, goes by, before you look at your who is using the tool next and where submersible pressure gauge (SPG) are they? say to yourself “hmm, I should be As Rene Descartes said, “I think, at 170bar/2400psi.” Look down. You therefore I am.” By following the were right! If you check periodical- Three Spheres of Awareness, staying ly and think proactively about gas situationally conscious, and being a consumption, you pretty much can thinking diver you will make your never run out of air. time underwater, safer! n
Visibility and current can change very quickly. All it takes is some overhead cloud cover or a change in swell direction to impede your ability to maintain buddy contact. If visibility is decreasing so should the distance between you and your buddy. If you ever catch yourself in a sudden strong current, drop down to the bottom and become slightly negatively buoyant. Use your gloved hands to grip onto sturdy dead or barren rock (not live coral!) to help Everyone’s gear and configuration pull yourself in.
APRIL 2016 |15