Author Topic: Dive Rituals  (Read 23 times)

JJHACK

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Dive Rituals
« on: December 11, 2020, 10:46:21 am »
Dive Rituals

For many of us as recreational divers we wait agonizing days and weeks in anticipation of getting into the water to see and explore all the amazing seascapes and wildlife.

Our time in the water is the ultimate goal and where divers find their happy place. However there is a process that we all require that can seem like work, or simply hurdles to get over to get into the water. Some of these are travel plans, packing luggage, staying within that 50lb limit, what to pack for wear out of the water, all the TSA checked bag regulations as well as the more complicated carry on bag regulations.

For those who have never packed for an international dive trip this can be quite daunting and seemingly impossible to achieve with all the gear needed. For me its a ritual of sorts to gather the items I “need” and those I “want” Then while looking this over determining how do I get it packed with the contents protected from damage as much as possible. Fifty pound bags are not always handled gently, they tend to be swung and chucked by the baggage handlers using momentum in the movement to launch them into the carts or onto the belts.

Even the shore dives we almost all do when using our vehicles to transport gear can be hard on equipment. Scuba tanks nearly always win the battle of what can damage or break the most stuff. They are heavy and round. They roll over anything in their path and usually smash into anything they roll up against.

Often at the end of several days of diving in a row, living out of a hotel the gear in your vehicle is soaking wet, salty, smells funny, and stacked like a jumble of pickup sticks all over the place. This situation is just begging for trouble. We are tired, wet, cold, starving, and thirsty! The object many times is just get the stuff jammed into the vehicle and go get some food, or get into the warm heated car!

This situation has a lot of common characteristics to the arrival to start your first dive. Even though the gear is perfectly organized and clean, dry, and ready to go. Here is where I arrive at my Ritual of diving. No matter how anxious we are to get into the water we all need to observe proper dive protocol and safety checks. Not just for ourselves but for the dive partner you are with. Without that dive buddy perfectly and safely ready your dive ends short too!

Consider this, a commercial pilot or a fighter pilot will walk around his aircraft and do a visual check to see what things look like. They add an additional critical eye to the over all checkout of the plan. Then into the cockpit for gage checks and adjustments. They do not just slap together a few things and take off. They have a very disciplined ritual. That is your roll for your dive buddy. He has set up everything, checked every thing, and feels 100% confident that it’s time to launch, or dive! You walk over and look at his gear. Maybe he forgot something optional like a dive knife or backup light. Or as I have seen his dry suit inflator hose is dangling in back. Maybe his computer is not on, or possibly his tank valve not turned on.

Imagine the pilot taking off with a problem that was not identified by the overview checkout. The saying I would rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air, that in the air wishing I was on the ground comes to mind here. The same comment can be made by swapping air for water where diving is the topic!

We become complacent with our diving and our best dive buddies skills and capabilities. Over the years there becomes an expected process without deviation for the buddy teams. Yet who among us has done this 30-45 second check out of a dive buddy 100% of the time? Remember your dive buddies gear is as important to you, as your gear is to you. Your dive ends when his dive ends!

The absolute best way to manage this without a doubt is to never be in a hurry to catch up and make the dive on time. Be early, layout the gear, visually identify the items you need to have. Get the last things you need to have in your hands set up on top of something so you do not have to bend over with 80 plus pounds on your back to pick them up.

Spray your mask, set your fins up high to grab them, have the last important items within reach to snap onto your D rings. Test your inflator, Octo, Reg, Make sure your pony is turned on. check that gage too! I can’t make a list of every possible thing here. Have this discussion with your dive buddy. Do not let this ritual turn into a competition of who prepares better, or who is a better diver because they remember everything. Nobody remembers everything, every time, forever! I sure don’t. Be grateful somebody saw the problem before you get into the water. Don’t be offended, they are not ridiculing you, they are helping you.

I’ve stopped myself on a 9 day tropical dive about day 3 and said to my dive buddy “ we need a once over before we go in”  I told her that we were becoming complacent, and depending upon the boat crew far too much.  This just happens, the confidence begins creeping in and before you know, you giant stride off the boat and sink with an inflator hose not connected! Of course that is an example it’s never actually happened to anyone! Nor has anyone ever stepped off the boat with sunglasses on instead of their mask.

I dive frequently with an amazing skilled diver that I trust completely. Yet even between us stupid things have been forgotten or not assembled properly. We have had to step back several times and say timeout, we need to do buddy checks, this hurry to the water is not a good idea.

This preparation should become a careful period of time where you’re very focused on your gear, the process and the care needed to keep you safe and enjoy the dive. The fastest way to a problem is when you are in a hurry. Arrive early before anyone else, concentrate on the things you need and the order in which they will connect to you. Then carefully watch the progress of the other divers and your dive buddy. You don’t want to be geared up sealed into your wet or dry suit overheating when the others are still visiting and unpacking gear.

Make this a ritual with steps for progressing through the process that become familiar to you and comfortable. This process should be part of the dive “pregame” that is fun and recreational just like the dive itself. You spent a lot of money on this gear. You have taken care of it like a newborn. Enjoy it out of the water too, take your time to appreciate the quality, construction, and confidence it gives you. Or possibly how threadbare and hideous it may be. Thats the moment you consider an upgrade. Not the wait til it completely fails at 80 feet deep inside the hull of a ship! I would have no problem telling my dive buddies that part of their gear is beat and what we often refer to as “getting your moneys worth.”

Remember for the most part people pointing out an equipment assembly issue or other gear condition is not ridicule it’s helpful. Be grateful not offended!

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Kelley

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Re: Dive Rituals
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2020, 12:24:04 pm »
Great article!  I learn my lesson on my Red Sea trip. It doesn’t take long to figure out that your tank is not on once you jump in the water! Yikes!

Dorothy

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Re: Dive Rituals
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2020, 07:34:53 pm »
Glad to read through this and realize there still some items I need for my trip... runs back to store... you always stress safety and I appreciate it.