Diving Safety

August 2020 Safety Message: Captain Dave's 5 Favorite Diving Safety Devices

Knife and/or Scissor:
Cut lines when you become entangled. Cut the drift diving line if float fails. Remove spines from lionfish. Trim your fingernails.

Flashlight:
See into holes and under reef ledges. Signal your dive buddy. Night rescue signal. Learn SOS signal (3 short – 3 long – 3 short). Some lights have a built-in SOS strobe pattern.

Safety Sausage with line attached:
Visual device for daytime rescue. Can be deployed to the surface while diver is at safety stop 10 or 15 feet down. These brightly colored safety sausages are very conspicuous on the surface.

Whistle:
A loud whistle can be heard from a greater distance then a yell. Easy to carry and use if attached to the upper part of your BC.

And, Drumroll….Dave’s ultimate dive safety device:

Nautilus Lifeline Satellite-Based Electronic Rescue:
This is a very small waterproof VHF radio with DSC function. After surfacing, you can open this case and call the boat using the tiny VHF radio. Make sure you know what channel(s) the boat will be monitoring and preset the unit before diving. You can also push a button and send an emergency alert to the USCG with your location data.

A few years ago while at the helm following some drift diving flags I received the following VHF radio message, “Boat Name, Boat Name, this is your dive group on the surface 250 yards to your northwest. Can you come pick us up?” It turned out they had become detached from the dive flag much earlier in the dive. I had continued to monitor the flag on the surface, and the divers had surfaced 300 yards away from the drift dive flag in an area I was not monitoring. The little radio worked exactly as it was designed to!

Be prepared and be safe!

Dave Wills

June 2020 Safety Message: Accuracy of Tank Pressure Gauges

John Edmonds recently recalled a story about a brand new, but inaccurate high pressure gauge (tank gauge). The gauge displayed 300 psi more than the pressure that was actually in the tank. This condition is not very significant at full tank pressure, when the gauge would read 3300 psi on a tank that actually contains 3000 psi (a 10% error).

Unfortunately, things are much different as the tank nears the lower end of the pressure range (where accurate pressure information is most critical). When the gauge displays 500 psi the tank would have only 200 psi, and the tank would be empty when the gauge displayed 300 psi…not a good scene.

If you suspect one of your tank pressure-sensing components is inaccurate, the best way to check it is to work with your dive buddy. If you each check a tank’s pressure and your equipment agrees, both units are probably accurate. If, on the other hand, the two units don’t agree, it’s time to find a third pressure gauge, which will almost certainly agree with one of the first two and confirm a problem with the suspect device.

If you suspect there is a problem with any piece of your dive gear, discuss the issue with a dive buddy or dive shop technician. Reach a resolution before you next go diving with that gear.

Dive Safe!
Dave Wills

March 2020 Safety Message: Comfort and Safety May Go Hand In Hand

This concept is important for many items that you use while scuba diving.  Your buoyancy compensator needs to fit well.  Your swim shorts must be comfortable. Your bikini top needs to be secure.  Your weight belt or weight system should be fine-tuned for your buoyancy needs.  And the list goes on…

However, I think the most important piece of diving equipment that needs to be comfortable and fit your body is your dive mask.  It’s a key item that enables you to see underwater. Without it diving is very blurry indeed!

Most people have a favorite diving mask that they’d hate to part with.  Is it high-volume or low-volume?  Is it clear silicone or black? Does it have clear or tinted eyepieces? Does it have side windows that allow more peripheral vision?  Is it fog resistant?  Is the mask strap adjusted properly?  Does the nose pocket fit your nose?  Is a snorkel attached to the mask strap? 

Treat your favorite dive mask with a lot of respect.  And, if you do a lot of diving, consider keeping an identical duplicate in you gear bag.  Your dive buddie’s spare mask may not meet all your preferences.

Dive Safe and Comfortable!

Dave Wills

February 2020 Safety Message: High Pressure Air Leak

Have you ever witnessed a high pressure air leak while underwater?

There is nothing that will end your dive more rapidly than a high pressure air leak. High-pressure air leaks can occur at:

1. The tank O-ring (most likely source of a high pressure leak)
2. The high pressure hose
3. The tank burst disk (in the valve body)
4. The 1st stage regulator body
5. The high pressure (tank) gauge

A high pressure leak can vent the entire contents of the scuba cylinder in just a minute or 2. During that minute or 2 you will likely be able to breathe normally from your gear despite the rapid air loss.

The event can be very disorienting underwater because of the noise and the huge amount of bubbles that are generated.

There is no underwater fix for this issue. You must ascend (hopefully with the assistance of your dive buddy and his or her air supply). You may be able to reduce the rate of air loss and prolong your ability to breathe from your own gear by partially closing your air valve during the leak event.

The likelihood of an high pressure leak can be reduced by carefully inspecting your tank O-ring before connecting your regulator, and by replacing your high-pressure hose as recommended by the manufacturer.

Safe Diving!
Dave Wills

January 2020 Safety Message: 9 Lies Divers May Tell Themselves

9 Lies Divers May Tell Themselves:
Don’t Get Hurt By One of These

  1. I’m fit enough to dive.

  2. I can have that 3rd beer or cocktail the evening before diving.

  3. I can enter that wreck, cavern or cave.

  4. I’m properly weighted.

  5. I’m streamlined.

  6. Kneeling on or touching the coral is acceptable.

  7. I don’t need to take my gear on a trip… I can rent it when I arrive at the destination.

  8. It’s okay to touch or harass wildlife if you don’t harm them.

  9. I don’t need to practice skills learned during dive certification.

Safe Diving in 2020!

Dave Wills

December 2019 Safety Message: Hand Signals

When was the last time you studied or practiced your diving hand signals????

Please search the web for video(s) that teach diving hand signals. Brush up on your skills, come to the meeting and share! Try these videos or search for others.

Be Safe, Dive Safe, and Communicate!
Dave Wills