I recently overheard a diver say,
I had a free-flow – and I didn’t know how to share air…
There could be several reasons why this happened…
- Their dive buddy may have had a different regulator configuration, for example a combination Octo/Inflator like the AIR2 system by Scubapro.
- Their buddy has a different style BCD (e.g. side-mount, DIR style Back Plate and Wing (BPW) with a long hose and bungied backup, or traditional doubles configuration – again with a long hose and a redundant bungied backup regulator)
- Their buddy has placed their alternate air in a non-standard (inappropriate) location (e.g. in a pocket) or it has become un-clipped and is dangling out of sight.
The ideal time to sort out these differences in configuration is BEFORE the dive – during a pre-dive safety check. It is a basic skill that is often skipped as one becomes more complacent about their diving. But – much like it’s technical cousin the S-Drill – doing your predive safety check before each dive could make the difference between an unfavorable ending – and a minor inconvenience.
PADI introduces the Pre-Dive Safety Check in Open Water class with the acronym BWRAF.
B-ruce W-illis, Ruins, A-ll, F-ilms
W-hite, B-unny, R-abbits, A-re, F-luffy.
Breaking this down. B stands for Buoyancy Control Dive (BCD). Do I understand how my Buddy’s BCD operates. Is the power-inflator attached to the left shoulder – or is it in an odd location (my Hollis SMS 100 has the power inflator mounted at the bottom of the left side.) Do I know where the dumps are (my Hollis is on my left shoulder.) If I need to assist my buddy – perhaps during an emergency – I don’t want to be fumbling around with a BCD I don’t understand. Some open water divers may have never seen anything other than a Jacket style BCD. Don’t assume understanding. If we are going to safely dive together – we should have an understanding of each other’s gear. Take the time during a Pre-Dive Safety Check to explain anything interesting or unusual about your gear. You might spark an interest in that style of diving when you do!
R is for releases. Does my buddy’s BCD have quick releases? Are any releases, the cam strap for instance, properly closed. This is a great time to check – before you are in the water.
W is for weights. Are there integrated weights? Do I understand how the releases work? Did we remember to add our proper weight? Better to know now.
Air is represented by A. I want to make sure that a breathing gas will be available for the entire dive – for both the diver and his buddy. Start by making sure the air is ALL THE WAY ON. No quarter turn back needed. Then breath the regulator a bit while watching the SPG. The SPG needle should not move. Do I have sufficient gas for the dive we are planning? Check the pressure on the SPG to be sure. This is also a great time to talk about alternate air sharing procedures for a diver with a long hose and bungied backup – as many sidemount, technical and DIR practitioners may utilize. In those cases, the out of air (OOA) diver must signal his situation with a slash across the throat – and the donating diver will provide the appropriate regulator for the OOA diver. This may involve the donating diver switching to a backup regulator or breathing on their Air2. Let’s have this understanding before we are OOA – OK?
F is the final check. How many times have we seen divers enter the water without fins, mask, computer, drysuit zipped up, etc. Let’s take moment to go ever everything and make sure we are all buttoned down and ready to dive!
The Pre-Dive Safety Check is not a difficult skill. As an instructor, I require my students to do it with their buddies. I also do it with them to ensure that they are comfortable and safe diving with me when I am in one of several configurations that they may not be familiar with: side-mount, back-mounted doubles, etc.
Scuba is awesome in that it allows for so much individual expression in gear configuration and styles of diving. But with that liberty comes the responsibility to be familiar with our dive buddy’s configuration – or at least the elements of it that will impact our safety. Let’s not get complacent and forget to do our Pre-Dive Safety Check!
Bjorn Loftis Diving 