Dan Orr delivered the keynote speech , looking at diver errors and how to prevent them with tried and tested precautions
Mistakes divers make
Dan Orr delivered the keynote speech , looking at diver errors and how to prevent them with tried and tested precautions
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Scuba diving is inherently safe ,” says Dan Orr , “ but it can be very unforgiving of mistakes .” A diver , educator , 23 years at the Divers Alert Network , and now a consultant to the global diving community , Dan shared his advice on avoiding mistakes in the morning ’ s keynote talk .
Research from DAN reveals interesting incident rates for decompression injuries in different types of diving , linked to preparedness . On a liveaboard , with a professional dive guide in charge giving detailed dive briefs and supervising preparations , you only see one for every 10,000 dives . The rate increases for shore dives ( 3.2 ./ 10,000 ), cold , deep dives ( 29.2 / 10,000 ) and for dive professionals ( 10 / 10,000 ).
There are plenty more dangerous sports out there . DAN recorded one fatality per 211,864 dives , comparing favorably with other sports , putting us between horse riding and table tennis . But there ’ s a link to experience here too : 39 % of fatalities were in divers with less than a year ’ s experience ; more unexpected , 35 % were in those with more than 10 years . Could this be complacency ?
Why do divers make mistakes ? Usually , it ’ s a result of task loading from time pressure , peer pressure or complexity . An emerging theme was to dive your recent experience , not your certification card . Too many firsts – first time or first in a long time – have you sliding towards that incident pit .
Rule of Three
Dan has a personal rule of three : if he makes three mistakes during dive preparation , he rethinks his readiness for that dive .” Mitigations can be put in place ; it ’ s all about risk management . So , what are the risks ?
Many incidents arise from kit , more than 50 % in some research , and not practising critical diving and emergency skills is the first risk identified . Being able to respond to a triggering event by putting your training into action prevents that slide into an incident . This point was also made by Claire
Dan Orr plays it safe
Peddie in her talk on the 2023 Incident Report . Dan advocates regular static ( theory ) and dynamic ( practical ) refreshers .
Pre-dive planning and checks catch many potential problems . Not using a pre-dive checklist , or a consistent pre-dive ritual , is risk number two . Prepare yourself in the same detailed way for each and every dive and avoid the normalization of deviance , that ’ s the acceptance of shortcuts over time . “ Every shortcut has a price ,” Dan says , “ usually greater than any reward .”
Mistake three is not communicating effectively with your buddy . You need to be situationally aware during the dive , monitor anything that could compromise safety : gas , time , depth , workload .
Not taking care of your health is number four . Underlying health issues are now seen as the number one cause of diving fatalities , again echoed in the BSAC incidents data . Acute cardiac events can be precipitated by immersion , cold , increased work of breathing or emotional pressure , and in 25 % of cases there are no signs or symptoms . Your only recourse is to first aid and the emergency medical services .
After the age of 45 , Dan recommends an annual physical , with a diving doctor who understands your life priorities , alongside a periodic cardiac stress test . Always seek advice if there is any change to your health .
To sum up the safety recommendations : dive conservatively ; practise slow ascents and safety stops ; use ‘ geezer gas ’, aka nitrox , on air tables ; practice situational awareness on dives ; carry safety equipment such as EPIRBs ; and take a break after multiple dives or days of diving . Don ’ t be afraid to ask for help with heavy kit and reconsider your options to make use of side-mount systems or lighter kit to alleviate cardiac stress . Just remember , anyone can call a dive at any time .
Respecting the four Ps – plan , prepare , practice , perform – Dan concluded , means , “ Your scuba diving safety is no accident .”
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