A couple of years ago I was on my AOWD course in Dahab, Egypt and was surfacing from the navigation dive. It was Ramadan so the dive site was deserted and I didnt see anyone near the shoreline and was feeling quite relaxed. When I broke the surface i remebered to extend my arms with the inflator hose in my hand and boy am I glad I did. Just after my eyes got above the waterline a kite surfer came into view about 2 seconds out from my head with more than a bit of speed on him. He managed to avoid my noggen but just barely and boy was I glad I would have at least had my hands inbetween me and the tip of his board. Since then I never forget to keep my hands up when surfacing.
in my experience dive masters and boat crew are inclined to hurry their group into the water, and that's when slip ups occur. Ok they do it because some people tend to be disorganised and hesitant, but the risks of sending an unprepared diver over the side surely outweigh any extra time taken. Number one requirement for dive group leaders is Patience (that and situational awareness), in my humble opinion. Great video thanks James - pearls of wisdom!
Hold fast and do your procedures. I've found that doing the exact same pre-dive gear up sequence means I am less likely to forget anything. It may take me an hour to go from arrival to in the water with tanks on, but I have everything on and I know that it works.
I sometimes had the same feeling on some dive boats. But if you say "we didn't complete our buddy check yet" they will probably go to the next one and help them to go into the water so you have some extra time. :)
By and large my experience is that dive operations do focus on safety. They must handle the fact there are those ‘That’ Divers” on board. (See Divers Ready Don’t be ‘That’ Diver video.). Also, they are running a business that balances their reputation, safety, diver experience with operational costs without sacrificing safety. Once I did dive with an operation that began to (can you believe it) rush surface intervals (20-30 minutes short)! This was under pressure from the resort they were owned by, to get the group back for lunch so they could serve the group and close the kitchen! Wow! We let the captain know this was a significant safety issue and our group was not getting back in the water until our surface interval obligation was complete. That settled the matter and was the last time I would visit that operation!
As a retired Airline Captain, a licensed boat Captain, and a Master Diver, I'd agree that situational and personal awareness is always great advice and the mark of a responsible diver. Being on the surface in areas like congested Caribbean waters or anywhere for that matter scares the shit out of me too for all the reasons you elucidated! Well done! Thank you for helping to educate divers so competently.
This rabbit hole of scuba diving instructional videos has sucked me in and I've got no idea where it came from but I'm loving it! So today I learned ALL the things to be more safe on the surface on a hypothetical dive some day, and appreciate having this knowledge. ✌️😁🍍
OMG! The description of the boaters on Florida was absolutely correct. Sadly though I can’t say the behavior is limited to just Florida. Great video, I will readily admit that I have been the “one out of ten” very early on in my diving. Thankfully I have learned from my mistakes.
I did some power line work on the port of Miami earlier this year for a couple months, the boaters there scare the hell outta me. I'm looking at all the 50ft+ boats and it looks like it's being driven basically by a bunch of children that have no clue how to operate that vessel, loud engines, loud music, and girls screaming. And you know it's some trust fund baby that won't get in trouble at all if he hits someone.
Was diving with SFDHQ out of Pompano this May during a fishing competition. Me and my two buddies were on the surface with SMBs and flags up and spotted a fishing boat headed our way off in the distance. The dive boat captain, Jade, came out like an angry mother bear and intercepted the fishing boat like a true boss!! We were whooping and hollering when they came to pick us up. 10/10 for Jade and South Florida Diving Headquarters!!
Definitely excellent advice! I had to yank my buddy out from under a ladder once. He did not stay clear of it, and the boat drifted him under and behind it. Another dive buddy didn’t,t lock his arms upon stepping on the ladder, and as the boat’s stern jigged up, he caught it in the ribs, and cracked two of them. I once surfaced and reached for the tag line, only to hive the diver ahead of me not notice it wrapped around her leg. As she pulled herself toward the boat, she took the line with her, forcing me to fin like hell to get back to the boat! Another buddy took his reg out returning to the boat, kept getting hit by waves. I had to yell at him to put his reg back in his mouth. Snorkels also don’t work in wavy seas. Water washes over them. Just a few true experiences of mine 😩
Thank you! I especially appreciated the suggestion of blowing up both safety sausages. Usually when my boyfriend and I Dive we only use one. I never thought of the extra visibility. I had a dangerous situation on the surface due to forgetting to check if my BCD would hold air during my set up. My boyfriend cleaned our gear and loosened the valve on the back of my BCD where the inflator hose goes in. After our drift dive was over we were waiting at the surface for pick up. I kept trying to put air in my BCD and was having a very hard time staying positively buoyant. I did not understand what the problem was and assumed that it was in my head. Swells were a little bit big that day and it could have been a bad situation. Honestly, I don’t know why I did not think about dropping my weights. Fortunately nothing happened except for a learning experience! We were with a dive operation that we use frequently and trust and never leaves us in the water long. I did communicate the problem with my boyfriend/buddy obviously and he extra inflated and we stayed up together. Now I only clean my own gear, or we clean it together, and I always check my BCD before getting in the water and I remembered the importance of having the option of dropping weights. I did sit out the second dive just because of the issue, stress and the confusion of what could possibly be wrong with my BCD. We did not discover the loose valve until we got home.
Yaaaaaaaah ... been the one who dived with snorkel instead of reg ... I HEAR YOU and agree 10000000% 2m down with a snorkel is an awakening experience!
Great video thanks James! Good idea with the second DSMB. I've seen language is a factor. Diving in Sharm (Red Sea), we had a Russian guy who only spoke Russian (noone else on the boat could speak it) . He could not understand the dive brief and was buddy with the dive guide. His idea of a buddy check was "everything OK? Let's go". The Russian was clearly very inexperienced. He kitted up and jumped with a used cylinder! He was saved by a free flow (he jumped in holding his reg in his hand?!), he didn't know how to stop the free flow and the dive guide had to swim over to him. He checked his SPG to see how much gas he'd lost and saw it clearly in the red on 40 bar! We ended up hanging around on the surface while the crew/guide changed his cylinder. I've never felt more vulnerable in my life.
As a Divemaster with a FL Keys dive operation, I really value these videos you produce. They are an excellent review/reminder. For all the other dive professionals out there, even as you monitor the clients doing their buddy checks, don’t forget to do your own. Although rare because we get so many repetitions, occasionally a DM will check everyone else’s air being fully on, then not check his/her own… speaking for a friend… 🙄. Keep up the great content James (and come on down to Islamorada for a change of pace!).
Having responsibility for someone else very readily diverts your attention, I have noticed this myself that while looking out for my dive buddy (wife) I sometimes will forget something on myself, and I have to ask for a buddy check after I checked her over. It's also evident with non diving scenarios like trying to get the kids ready for a road trip I'll leave myself until last to worry about and always forget something.
James, great advice. Another reason to keep mask and second stage in place at dives end: Diesel fumes from a boat that may have the engines running, especially if your drift diving.
Great video James. I had a boat speed past me while I was surfaced in Fort Lauderdale. It came within 25 feet of me. I had a surface bouey, but I don't think many boaters know what a dive flag is. That was 30 years ago and I never forgot. I miss Yoda.
Just this past Friday, I was diving off Pompano Beach FL on a boat dive. Seas were a little heavier than forecast, by the end of the second dive we were getting 5+ foot waves. My buddy and I were waiting for the boat to pick up another group, when a center console fishing boat decided to come blasting down between the second and third reefs, apparently too fast to see the dive flag, DSMB or a dive boat less than 100 yard away, picking up divers. He never slowed down even after the dive boat captain blasted the horn 3 times to warn the idiot. Luckily we were paying attention and were readying to dive back down if he came any closer. This seems like another reason to make sure you surface with a good air reserve.
I picked up a permanent Spinal injury from another Diver "Diving" on top of me and landing tank first on my neck, the Crew on the boat thought I was clowning around when I said I couldn't move(but in fairness only for about 30 seconds)... It very nearly put an end to me Diving.(and breathing, living in general!) Took me a long time to be both physically and mentally ready to get in the Water again...the surface sucks!
This is the first time I heard you say you have done a body recovery. If you are comfortable doing it, could you please tell us something about how you did it and how the accident happend?
Oh, I would like to hear that too. It's one of my dream jobs to become a diver at the fire brigade :) (they are doing the search and recovery stuff here)
@@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708: as much as I can understand you that you want to become a FD diver, nobody looks forward to recover bodies. Not even to most indifferent person. It sticks to you for the rest of your days. 😉
@@amazingtazz9779 I see it as helping people to find peace which is easier for many people if they know that the corpse has been recovered. But first I'm gonna become a medical first responder :) (Hopefully next year)
I’m loving this series, too many of us don’t have these conversations beyond certification classes, thank you! Just last month I was with a group at the surface and a (drunk? or just ignorant?) boat raced directly at us to “check out what was happening” with no awareness that he was literally about to run us over. He veered at the last minute but it was a very close call. I doubt he heard our colorful language over the roar of his engines…
When I started diving, I figured out pretty quickly that there are two places a diver should be. On the boat, or submerged! The surface can be brutal. I had a dive buddy who liked to get in the water, then take a minute or two to "get comfortable". I always told him, drop 40 feet or so, THEN get comfortable! I ended up towing him in twice because he never was able to get comfortable. Stopped diving with him...
Had a jet ski zoom past my dive group during our safety stop that I was guiding... Yes DSMBs were up (2 in fact). The damn jet ski decided to use the 2 DSMBs as gol post and zoom in between them....
That is with any activity, whether diving, being deployed or simple as driving down the road or going bushwalking. The first and last bit is always the highest level of risk.
We dive from the shore in south Florida. We swim out pretty far to 40’. One time while on a rock pile we had a boat actually tie up to our dive flag. I went up to see why was going on and this guy really thought our flag was a moored dive site.
I'd add being ready to use your dump valves to get down fast. Also if pickup is going to be by RHIB and if I have enough gas then I'll stay at around 4 to 5 metres under until they arrive. Its easier to hear boats under water than on the surface.
Even from a recreational standpoint single tank diving being able to reach your tank valve is something that I think is important. In the event you screw up your air check before entering the water you can turn it on yourself. You could also prevent buoyancy issues if your first stage fails, air share, and thumb the dive. Florida boaters or your local lakes… I keep off the water on holidays. It’s not worth the risk for me. Don’t forget, when your on the surface to wave your sausage around. 🤘🏻
We were at KP Hole Park, and a motorized kayaker was about 10 ft from my head, and the diver flag was relatively close too. One time at Blue Heron Bridge, we weren't in the channel, in the no boat zone, and a boat passed by us about 50 ft away from our flag. Water was only 7 ft deep where we were too.
Best video EVAH!!! Surface scares the bajeezus out of me too!! For all the reasons you shared! Quick to drop, up & and out. Definitely no dilly dallying. Good stuff! I ❤️ your content videos.
I will never pair up with a diver that gets offended at having their set-up checked before entering the water. I cant risk diving with such a large ego. Thanks for the post!
Great video. Ditchable weight is only useful at the surface. Ditching underwater is probably weight you should have ditched in the boat and had a balanced rig to begin with. Also, no matter how strong you are, the ocean is stronger.
James. Great stuff. I would add that part of being a good diver and continuing our education as divers is to observe and discuss gear set up while setting up gear before leaving the dock and while traveling to the dive site or between or after the dives ( conditions permitting). We all have different experiences and teachers but should be open to learning new things. I am always interested to see how someone else configures their gear. I would also encourage more experienced divers to be receptive to questions about gear, boat procedures, dive conditions, etc…. My $0.02 worth.
Not many in the industry I agree with, but we could talk shit for hours! It's nice that divers trust my skills as a skipper, but i'd rather they looked at the boat when i came in to pick them up. Mask and reg on / in until on the boat is a big peeve of mine. I call it "gear rejection" and it scares the hell out of me. Always say to my students that the most uncomfortable place to be in SCUBA is on the surface. I don't like buddy checks in the normal way though, as they allow complacency within known buddies as there will often be a dominant one and a submissive one - as in the story. I believe that every diver is wholly responsible for themselves and the a good buddy / crew will help as a secondary. We do a lot of solo diving too, so it gets people ready for that. Cheers!
Agree about positive buoyancy at the surface, except, if you have a fair distance swim back to the boat, and you have plenty of gas, if it is much easier to swim without a fully inflated BC.
It does not require full inflation to be positive buoyant. I took swimming lessons to explore stroke that would work better with a BCD vs normal swimming. Probably a dumb idea but strokes thar vary depth like the butterfly fail compared o the lazy backstroke. It is so chill but it requires a horizontal position. Tilting the head towards the shoreline is key.
Do you ever switch to the snorkel on the surface/do you bring it along for the dive? I'm curious since you said you keep the reg in during the whole dive.
Great video as always James! I’m wondering how would you know that. Is it all your experience of accidents at the surface, or just somebody told you that? Thanks
We had a experience whereby the dive master was first and as soon as he took one stride and went in the water his O-ring blew. We had pull him in and get him sorted and do a buddy check on him. He is someone we have known for 25. Years. But seeing an O-ring blow concerned me what if this happens deep under water during a drift dive in Cozumel. Some of those drifts are roller coasters.
The surface is exceptionally dangerous for divers. One of my high school teachers was killed in Key Largo after he was run over by a boat while he was at the surface. Just last week, a recreational boater got uncomfortably close to our dive boat. He had no reason to get so close to our boat. Luckily, we were all on the boat. But he ran over our mooring line at almost idle speed. This is where the dumbness gets worse...with our mooring line slightly wrapped around his prop, he brings the lower unit out of the water. With engine still running, his wife reaches towards the prop to get the line out of the prop. It wasn't until a bunch of us yelled from the dive boat to shut his engine off that he thought to even shut it off.
if anyone thinks James is exaggerating, he is not. I work as a skipper and rent speedboats that have 300hp, every time I rented a speedboat to someone this season I asked them if they knew what a diving flag looked like. Not a single person knew what the diver's flag looked like, even one person told me "in our country the diver's flag is different" (he was from Germany...) I had pictures of dive flag, DSMB and buoy on my phone, just so I can show people
I live in Germany and can tell you that is a big load of bull$xxx! The correct divers flag is the white/blue Alpha or the red flag with diagonal white line. Both are known and used in Germany.
@@nigelw.9043 I know that, and I told him that every country in the world uses flags that you said, I just show red with stripe becouse nobady uses alpha flag
on surface with a group and everyone on the tag line make sure everyone is ok. there maybe someone who has issues who needs to go first great video. do you mean you don't get a refund for the gas left in your tank. ie keep your reg in
i don't think a lot of people are taught of what to look for when a tank is turned on and then off. while the boat is docked you are asked to set up your gear. however because sometimes there's leaks the crew turn off the tanks or you might have and then forgot for the boat trip so just because you set it up when you got on the boat don't assume its still on. after sniffing the air for quality take 3 breaths, if the needle on your pressure gage moves, your tanks off, just taking one breath doesn't help. test it out next time to see what it looks like. just curious does air integrated show the same reaction on pressure drop. if you're running out of air on the surface you can manually inflate your bcd without using gas.
@S M you should find a video on how regulators work. try "scuba tech tips" it's an excellent series by alec pierce on the technical side of diving equipment. i could give you my 2 cents and don't want to step on anyones toes but this tech videos are amazing
If I understand your question right, I think you have forgotten that the valve is on the cylinder so if it is turned off no air gets into the first stage at all. When that cylinder valve is opened it allows air to enter the first stage where there is a narrow bypass route direct to the high pressure port so you get a tank pressure reading whereas most of the air passes through the first stage mechanism, pressure reduction takes place and out to your second stage. I have seen people open their cylinder valve sufficient enough to give a pressure reading, it only takes a quarter turn of the valve, but not enough to allow the flow required or breathing, or take a pressure reading and shut the valve again. Initially that high pressure/medium pressure air now trapped in your first stage will allow you to take a couple of breaths, but if you're watching your pressure gauge while you do so, the pressure reading will drop like a stone. And so to the 3 good breaths of a pre dive buddy check that will alert you to that problem as you will struggle to breath by the 2nd or 3rd inhalation.
I do enjoy your videos. I am going to Roatan. Have any advice on a per location dive. Example walk out dives… you said mask on reg in. I’m working on my breathing techniques and saw your other video on sipping. Count to 4 then when a habit has become entrained and I’m breathing while conserving air to goto 5 and so on. But my question is what number is too high for counting on pauses. Is it 8 or 7?
I've been out of diving for probably 10 years now, but want to get back in. New England diving is a bit more stressful than say, the Carribean. Asside from refreshing my dive training and probably some of my equipmemt, I'm thinking cardiovascular training is very important. What say you?
on a identyfication dive (to see if the sonar contact was a life mine or not) in the mouth of a big river there was only a one hour dive window between the tides ,i gues there was made a mistake wen checking the tides tables ,wile the 2 divers were coming up the curent cicked in with a bang and one diver was ripped of the safety line and was out of siting in no time luckely we had radio contact with the ship so they could guide our pursuit of the diver as the had hin visibol from on top of the bridge ,we had to push the zodiac full trottle to catch up with him but we did ,i can assure ya he was not happy and wen back on board he let the officer in charge now it loud and clear (he also got us drunk later that evening in the dive store to show his aprecciation for our allertnes hehehe),but it just shows ,accidents can and do happen wen details are not checked and checked again just to make sure he ,greets Dirk (retayerd Belgian navy) dirk
Thanks for the reminders, even for an experienced diver, these tips are often neglected. On the eve of a 27 dive week in Cozumel, it’s always good to go back and practice the basics. BTW, same experience on the Speigel Grove, except the current was ripping and several people did not slip in on line, instead giant stride and promptly whisked away. The Captain called the Coast Guard to pick them up. The cattle boat we were on would not have made the rescue. Also, roughly 70% of the 40 divers ignored the briefing.
If you have to inflate your BCD or drop your weights to stay on the surface, YOUR OVER WEIGHTED. In the event of equipment malfunction such as a BCD failure your only option is to drop your weights. If you black out, with a First stage leak, your going to the bottom. Start teaching balanced rigs. Neutral buoyancy at 2-3 meters stops all these problems and give you a margin of safety.
In a drysuit, especially a membrane with thick undersuit, the diver needs to be heavier as they cannot rely on compression of the wetsuit to be less buoyant at depth. Not really sure what a first stage leak has to do with anything?
@@diveguernsey6521 not talking about dry suits. First stage leak. How do you or your buddy inflate in an emergency situation. Problems, problems, problems
@@diveguernsey6521 I regularly dive drysuits. Never have to fully inflate the BCD to be positively buoyant. Just a little. At the end of the dive, with empty tanks, you should be able to stay near the surface and then ascent with just your lungs.
Try a fresh water lake in Minnesota they boat right over the top of you and next to your diaphragm because they want to know what they're looking at daha
The one time I nearly drown - 14 yrs old on 3 dive of the morning. Had not eaten since night before. Climbed back aboard dive boat for a fill, sitting on a bench in the blistering sun, boiling in my 1/4" suit. When the tank was finally ready, I felt sick from over heating. Grabbed my fins in one hand, the mask in the other, giant stride off the side into the drink. In seconds, I realized I hadn't blown air into BC and was sinking. I didn't want to lose my gear by letting weights and stuff go. Started thrashing, broke surface, facing the exhaust port of the diesel generator. Took a big breath of smoke and blew what I could into the BC. Thrashed up and gulped another load of exhaust gas three time, blowing it into the BC until I could float enough the get mask and fins on. I would have puked except the cool water really saved me from it. Too stupid. Too close. Could have ended really badly.
Pretty good video as usual James, thank you for that. Question: what's the difference between a fins-on and fins-off ladder? It is up to the operator to decide how to use the ladder or there is a structural difference? Greetings.
Taucher (Diver) - Tarierung (buoyancy control) - Check if your bcd is inflating and deflating and works properly? brauchen (need) - Blei (lead) tell your body how much weight you're carrying and where it is stored saubere (clean) - Schnallen (buckles) check all the straps and buckles are closed and secure what they are supposed to secure Luft, (air) - Check if you can breath through your two second stages and if the air tastes or smells normal Ok (ok) - Check if your fins, mask, torch, dsmb, spool, etc. is there or if you forgot anything. My father and I do this for each other because it is easier to control the straps for example and you know for sure that both of your equipment is good. We learned this sentence to memorize the basic buddy check in open water course btw
James, I’m thinking about coming down from Wisconsin to dive the Spiegel Grove. Maybe in February or March. Is it appropriate for me to ask you what dive center you would recommend for booking a charter?
I saw people who won't wait for their turn to get back in the boat and just passing people on the tag line is that okay or shall we wait go up in turn coz he was 4th or 5th and he just jump ahead of us to get on board through the second ladder that they haven't prepared yet and throw a tag line that was only managed by them and wasn't tied to anything
A couple of years ago I was on my AOWD course in Dahab, Egypt and was surfacing from the navigation dive. It was Ramadan so the dive site was deserted and I didnt see anyone near the shoreline and was feeling quite relaxed. When I broke the surface i remebered to extend my arms with the inflator hose in my hand and boy am I glad I did. Just after my eyes got above the waterline a kite surfer came into view about 2 seconds out from my head with more than a bit of speed on him. He managed to avoid my noggen but just barely and boy was I glad I would have at least had my hands inbetween me and the tip of his board. Since then I never forget to keep my hands up when surfacing.
I was in hurghada and was about to get hit by a zodiac too
If that wasn't reason enough to always deploy a DSMB, i don't know what will be! ;-)
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
in my experience dive masters and boat crew are inclined to hurry their group into the water, and that's when slip ups occur. Ok they do it because some people tend to be disorganised and hesitant, but the risks of sending an unprepared diver over the side surely outweigh any extra time taken. Number one requirement for dive group leaders is Patience (that and situational awareness), in my humble opinion. Great video thanks James - pearls of wisdom!
Absolutely this.
If you are so disorganized and hesitant , maybe you don't belong there yet. You need more training.
Hold fast and do your procedures. I've found that doing the exact same pre-dive gear up sequence means I am less likely to forget anything. It may take me an hour to go from arrival to in the water with tanks on, but I have everything on and I know that it works.
I sometimes had the same feeling on some dive boats. But if you say "we didn't complete our buddy check yet" they will probably go to the next one and help them to go into the water so you have some extra time. :)
By and large my experience is that dive operations do focus on safety. They must handle the fact there are those ‘That’ Divers” on board. (See Divers Ready Don’t be ‘That’ Diver video.).
Also, they are running a business that balances their reputation, safety, diver experience with operational costs without sacrificing safety.
Once I did dive with an operation that began to (can you believe it) rush surface intervals (20-30 minutes short)! This was under pressure from the resort they were owned by, to get the group back for lunch so they could serve the group and close the kitchen! Wow!
We let the captain know this was a significant safety issue and our group was not getting back in the water until our surface interval obligation was complete. That settled the matter and was the last time I would visit that operation!
As a retired Airline Captain, a licensed boat Captain, and a Master Diver, I'd agree that situational and personal awareness is always great advice and the mark of a responsible diver. Being on the surface in areas like congested Caribbean waters or anywhere for that matter scares the shit out of me too for all the reasons you elucidated! Well done! Thank you for helping to educate divers so competently.
This rabbit hole of scuba diving instructional videos has sucked me in and I've got no idea where it came from but I'm loving it! So today I learned ALL the things to be more safe on the surface on a hypothetical dive some day, and appreciate having this knowledge. ✌️😁🍍
You did a deep dive on surface stuff? 😂
OMG! The description of the boaters on Florida was absolutely correct. Sadly though I can’t say the behavior is limited to just Florida. Great video, I will readily admit that I have been the “one out of ten” very early on in my diving. Thankfully I have learned from my mistakes.
I did some power line work on the port of Miami earlier this year for a couple months, the boaters there scare the hell outta me. I'm looking at all the 50ft+ boats and it looks like it's being driven basically by a bunch of children that have no clue how to operate that vessel, loud engines, loud music, and girls screaming. And you know it's some trust fund baby that won't get in trouble at all if he hits someone.
Was diving with SFDHQ out of Pompano this May during a fishing competition. Me and my two buddies were on the surface with SMBs and flags up and spotted a fishing boat headed our way off in the distance. The dive boat captain, Jade, came out like an angry mother bear and intercepted the fishing boat like a true boss!! We were whooping and hollering when they came to pick us up. 10/10 for Jade and South Florida Diving Headquarters!!
Definitely excellent advice! I had to yank my buddy out from under a ladder once. He did not stay clear of it, and the boat drifted him under and behind it.
Another dive buddy didn’t,t lock his arms upon stepping on the ladder, and as the boat’s stern jigged up, he caught it in the ribs, and cracked two of them.
I once surfaced and reached for the tag line, only to hive the diver ahead of me not notice it wrapped around her leg. As she pulled herself toward the boat, she took the line with her, forcing me to fin like hell to get back to the boat! Another buddy took his reg out returning to the boat, kept getting hit by waves. I had to yell at him to put his reg back in his mouth. Snorkels also don’t work in wavy seas. Water washes over them. Just a few true experiences of mine 😩
Thank you! I especially appreciated the suggestion of blowing up both safety sausages. Usually when my boyfriend and I Dive we only use one. I never thought of the extra visibility.
I had a dangerous situation on the surface due to forgetting to check if my BCD would hold air during my set up. My boyfriend cleaned our gear and loosened the valve on the back of my BCD where the inflator hose goes in. After our drift dive was over we were waiting at the surface for pick up. I kept trying to put air in my BCD and was having a very hard time staying positively buoyant. I did not understand what the problem was and assumed that it was in my head. Swells were a little bit big that day and it could have been a bad situation. Honestly, I don’t know why I did not think about dropping my weights. Fortunately nothing happened except for a learning experience! We were with a dive operation that we use frequently and trust and never leaves us in the water long. I did communicate the problem with my boyfriend/buddy obviously and he extra inflated and we stayed up together. Now I only clean my own gear, or we clean it together, and I always check my BCD before getting in the water and I remembered the importance of having the option of dropping weights.
I did sit out the second dive just because of the issue, stress and the confusion of what could possibly be wrong with my BCD. We did not discover the loose valve until we got home.
I’ll give one away, don’t forget unclipping the bungee is holding your tank before you put your regulator or stand up to get in the water.
If you dive on charter boats you will eventually do it. Good advise
I took your advice of keeping the reg and mask on on surface it saved me a lot of discomfort when it was a moving surface last Friday
"Hopefully, hopefully a wayward boater may hear you... Does that only happen in Florida?" LOL!!!!! That was great.
Yaaaaaaaah ... been the one who dived with snorkel instead of reg ... I HEAR YOU and agree 10000000% 2m down with a snorkel is an awakening experience!
Unvaluable list of advices. It is always good to remember those simple habits to make an amzing sport extremely safe. Great job James as usual.
“Blow your bag, show your sausage.” Classic James Blackman right there!
Great video thanks James! Good idea with the second DSMB.
I've seen language is a factor. Diving in Sharm (Red Sea), we had a Russian guy who only spoke Russian (noone else on the boat could speak it) . He could not understand the dive brief and was buddy with the dive guide. His idea of a buddy check was "everything OK? Let's go".
The Russian was clearly very inexperienced. He kitted up and jumped with a used cylinder! He was saved by a free flow (he jumped in holding his reg in his hand?!), he didn't know how to stop the free flow and the dive guide had to swim over to him. He checked his SPG to see how much gas he'd lost and saw it clearly in the red on 40 bar! We ended up hanging around on the surface while the crew/guide changed his cylinder. I've never felt more vulnerable in my life.
Thanks for sharing Paul. There are safety lessons to be learned everywhere. Hopefully the guy learned a few things too.
Thanks you!!! I try to stress with students all the time that THE most dangerous time is on the surface!!!!!
Excellent advice. Going to play this to all trainees that I teach. 💯
Agreed!
All true! Listen to James! Mostly he's right!
Agree, I mostly agree with what he says, there are many ways to do most things. Not right or wrong just different personal preferences.
Good advice safety first and foremost . Plan your dive and dive your plan. Simples.
My buddy once fired not one but both fins into the sea trying to put them on, like two arrows fired from a bow ... good old rubber straps !!
I've learned that you actually have been to Florida and have the stories to prove it.
As a Divemaster with a FL Keys dive operation, I really value these videos you produce. They are an excellent review/reminder. For all the other dive professionals out there, even as you monitor the clients doing their buddy checks, don’t forget to do your own. Although rare because we get so many repetitions, occasionally a DM will check everyone else’s air being fully on, then not check his/her own… speaking for a friend… 🙄. Keep up the great content James (and come on down to Islamorada for a change of pace!).
Having responsibility for someone else very readily diverts your attention, I have noticed this myself that while looking out for my dive buddy (wife) I sometimes will forget something on myself, and I have to ask for a buddy check after I checked her over. It's also evident with non diving scenarios like trying to get the kids ready for a road trip I'll leave myself until last to worry about and always forget something.
I got my OW at Islamorada!!
Good tip for all divers regardless of experience.
Glad you think so! Dive safe.
James, great advice.
Another reason to keep mask and second stage in place at dives end:
Diesel fumes from a boat that may have the engines running, especially if your drift diving.
I have little to no issues with sea sickness until I get blasted with fumes
I love all your content James but as a newish diver this series on conditions as been the best so far.
Great video James.
I had a boat speed past me while I was surfaced in Fort Lauderdale. It came within 25 feet of me. I had a surface bouey, but I don't think many boaters know what a dive flag is. That was 30 years ago and I never forgot.
I miss Yoda.
Just this past Friday, I was diving off Pompano Beach FL on a boat dive. Seas were a little heavier than forecast, by the end of the second dive we were getting 5+ foot waves. My buddy and I were waiting for the boat to pick up another group, when a center console fishing boat decided to come blasting down between the second and third reefs, apparently too fast to see the dive flag, DSMB or a dive boat less than 100 yard away, picking up divers. He never slowed down even after the dive boat captain blasted the horn 3 times to warn the idiot. Luckily we were paying attention and were readying to dive back down if he came any closer. This seems like another reason to make sure you surface with a good air reserve.
thank you more divers or recrenationals need these reminders
I picked up a permanent Spinal injury from another Diver "Diving" on top of me and landing tank first on my neck, the Crew on the boat thought I was clowning around when I said I couldn't move(but in fairness only for about 30 seconds)...
It very nearly put an end to me Diving.(and breathing, living in general!)
Took me a long time to be both physically and mentally ready to get in the Water again...the surface sucks!
This is the first time I heard you say you have done a body recovery. If you are comfortable doing it, could you please tell us something about how you did it and how the accident happend?
Oh, I would like to hear that too.
It's one of my dream jobs to become a diver at the fire brigade :)
(they are doing the search and recovery stuff here)
@@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708: as much as I can understand you that you want to become a FD diver, nobody looks forward to recover bodies. Not even to most indifferent person. It sticks to you for the rest of your days. 😉
@@amazingtazz9779 I see it as helping people to find peace which is easier for many people if they know that the corpse has been recovered.
But first I'm gonna become a medical first responder :)
(Hopefully next year)
REALLY, finding a body is not something you want to experience.
Great content and info as always. Thanks for sharing.
Very good advice, a topic rarely discussed on the dive channels. Thank-you!
Im currently managing a dive centre On Koh Tao inThailand, I could give you soooooo many stories, good and bad.
Thanks for the advice James.
Thank you for the solid tips! You are right a lot of people forget the buddy checks!
Excellent excellent advice!!! Great video, thank you for sharing!
I’m loving this series, too many of us don’t have these conversations beyond certification classes, thank you!
Just last month I was with a group at the surface and a (drunk? or just ignorant?) boat raced directly at us to “check out what was happening” with no awareness that he was literally about to run us over. He veered at the last minute but it was a very close call. I doubt he heard our colorful language over the roar of his engines…
Excellent reminders
Thanks for the video. As a new diver I am trying to learn everything I can to constantly improve my skills to be the best diver I can be.
Great video! Really some good points. Think we all forget these things sometimes when we’re diving alot.
Great video. Thanks. And Hello from Munich.
When I started diving, I figured out pretty quickly that there are two places a diver should be. On the boat, or submerged! The surface can be brutal. I had a dive buddy who liked to get in the water, then take a minute or two to "get comfortable". I always told him, drop 40 feet or so, THEN get comfortable! I ended up towing him in twice because he never was able to get comfortable. Stopped diving with him...
Had a jet ski zoom past my dive group during our safety stop that I was guiding... Yes DSMBs were up (2 in fact). The damn jet ski decided to use the 2 DSMBs as gol post and zoom in between them....
That is with any activity, whether diving, being deployed or simple as driving down the road or going bushwalking. The first and last bit is always the highest level of risk.
We dive from the shore in south Florida. We swim out pretty far to 40’. One time while on a rock pile we had a boat actually tie up to our dive flag. I went up to see why was going on and this guy really thought our flag was a moored dive site.
I just love watching this channel! It's fun & informative. Greetings from Germany!
Great video that many more divers should watch. The shit shows that I've seen at the surface are amazing to me.
Thanks for sharing! Dive safe.
That was truly helpful tips especially the ladder ones ❤
Great tips for sure, thanks James!
I'd add being ready to use your dump valves to get down fast. Also if pickup is going to be by RHIB and if I have enough gas then I'll stay at around 4 to 5 metres under until they arrive. Its easier to hear boats under water than on the surface.
Great video with a lot of practical tips and safety requirements!
Glad it was helpful! Dive safe.
Pure gold - told the proper way!
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge
Totally agree. Like you, I do not like being on the surface
Thanks for watching! Dive Safe.
Great vid as always James
Even from a recreational standpoint single tank diving being able to reach your tank valve is something that I think is important. In the event you screw up your air check before entering the water you can turn it on yourself. You could also prevent buoyancy issues if your first stage fails, air share, and thumb the dive. Florida boaters or your local lakes… I keep off the water on holidays. It’s not worth the risk for me. Don’t forget, when your on the surface to wave your sausage around. 🤘🏻
I saw a boat drive right over an smb and never stopped
Simply, EXCELLENT advise !
We were at KP Hole Park, and a motorized kayaker was about 10 ft from my head, and the diver flag was relatively close too.
One time at Blue Heron Bridge, we weren't in the channel, in the no boat zone, and a boat passed by us about 50 ft away from our flag. Water was only 7 ft deep where we were too.
Hope you never dive in the channel. The boat traffic there is incredible.
@@jeffconley6366 we never venture in the channel since its not allowed really.
That guy was in 6-7 ft of water, way out of the channel.
Excellent video. Many things on this that are ignored or only paid lip service to. Keep it up James.
Best video EVAH!!! Surface scares the bajeezus out of me too!! For all the reasons you shared! Quick to drop, up & and out. Definitely no dilly dallying. Good stuff! I ❤️ your content videos.
Thanks Dawn!
always great content James
Thanks for the support! : )
What a great video!! I am working on getting certified and will try to watch all of your videos.
Thanks for your support! Dive safe.
Thank you for these Tipps! It was a really appreciated reminder!
Well done. Excellent. Im a DM in the Boston area and just discovered your channel. Very well packaged info. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I will never pair up with a diver that gets offended at having their set-up checked before entering the water. I cant risk diving with such a large ego. Thanks for the post!
Excellent advice - as always. Thank you James!
DILLY DALLY....Absolute legend
Another great video on the basics of surface safety! Thanks for all the important reminders!
I wasnt there but a member of our club jumped in with his dry suit zipped up. Caused a bit of panic as you can imagine. Buddy checks people.
Great video. Ditchable weight is only useful at the surface. Ditching underwater is probably weight you should have ditched in the boat and had a balanced rig to begin with. Also, no matter how strong you are, the ocean is stronger.
James. Great stuff. I would add that part of being a good diver and continuing our education as divers is to observe and discuss gear set up while setting up gear before leaving the dock and while traveling to the dive site or between or after the dives ( conditions permitting). We all have different experiences and teachers but should be open to learning new things. I am always interested to see how someone else configures their gear. I would also encourage more experienced divers to be receptive to questions about gear, boat procedures, dive conditions, etc…. My $0.02 worth.
Not many in the industry I agree with, but we could talk shit for hours!
It's nice that divers trust my skills as a skipper, but i'd rather they looked at the boat when i came in to pick them up.
Mask and reg on / in until on the boat is a big peeve of mine. I call it "gear rejection" and it scares the hell out of me. Always say to my students that the most uncomfortable place to be in SCUBA is on the surface.
I don't like buddy checks in the normal way though, as they allow complacency within known buddies as there will often be a dominant one and a submissive one - as in the story. I believe that every diver is wholly responsible for themselves and the a good buddy / crew will help as a secondary. We do a lot of solo diving too, so it gets people ready for that. Cheers!
Great info mate.
Got in water without fins??? Very good lesson for him!
New diver James. Love your vids 👌
Agree about positive buoyancy at the surface, except, if you have a fair distance swim back to the boat, and you have plenty of gas, if it is much easier to swim without a fully inflated BC.
It does not require full inflation to be positive buoyant. I took swimming lessons to explore stroke that would work better with a BCD vs normal swimming. Probably a dumb idea but strokes thar vary depth like the butterfly fail compared o the lazy backstroke. It is so chill but it requires a horizontal position. Tilting the head towards the shoreline is key.
Do you ever switch to the snorkel on the surface/do you bring it along for the dive? I'm curious since you said you keep the reg in during the whole dive.
This channel should be required viewing for all new divers!
Great video as always James!
I’m wondering how would you know that. Is it all your experience of accidents at the surface, or just somebody told you that?
Thanks
We had a experience whereby the dive master was first and as soon as he took one stride and went in the water his O-ring blew. We had pull him in and get him sorted and do a buddy check on him. He is someone we have known for 25. Years. But seeing an O-ring blow concerned me what if this happens deep under water during a drift dive in Cozumel. Some of those drifts are roller coasters.
Very helpful Info...👌
The surface is exceptionally dangerous for divers. One of my high school teachers was killed in Key Largo after he was run over by a boat while he was at the surface. Just last week, a recreational boater got uncomfortably close to our dive boat. He had no reason to get so close to our boat. Luckily, we were all on the boat. But he ran over our mooring line at almost idle speed. This is where the dumbness gets worse...with our mooring line slightly wrapped around his prop, he brings the lower unit out of the water. With engine still running, his wife reaches towards the prop to get the line out of the prop. It wasn't until a bunch of us yelled from the dive boat to shut his engine off that he thought to even shut it off.
Yeah, lots of danger out there. Stay safe!
if anyone thinks James is exaggerating, he is not.
I work as a skipper and rent speedboats that have 300hp, every time I rented a speedboat to someone this season I asked them if they knew what a diving flag looked like. Not a single person knew what the diver's flag looked like, even one person told me "in our country the diver's flag is different" (he was from Germany...) I had pictures of dive flag, DSMB and buoy on my phone, just so I can show people
I live in Germany and can tell you that is a big load of bull$xxx! The correct divers flag is the white/blue Alpha or the red flag with diagonal white line. Both are known and used in Germany.
@@nigelw.9043 I know that, and I told him that every country in the world uses flags that you said, I just show red with stripe becouse nobady uses alpha flag
on surface with a group and everyone on the tag line make sure everyone is ok. there maybe someone who has issues who needs to go first
great video.
do you mean you don't get a refund for the gas left in your tank. ie keep your reg in
All the time you get, "It's got 90 bar left in it" as if it's less charge being 1/3 left as if it will be cheaper - never happens in reverse though!
i don't think a lot of people are taught of what to look for when a tank is turned on and then off.
while the boat is docked you are asked to set up your gear. however because sometimes there's leaks the crew turn off the tanks or you might have and then forgot for the boat trip so just because you set it up when you got on the boat don't assume its still on.
after sniffing the air for quality take 3 breaths, if the needle on your pressure gage moves, your tanks off, just taking one breath doesn't help. test it out next time to see what it looks like.
just curious does air integrated show the same reaction on pressure drop.
if you're running out of air on the surface you can manually inflate your bcd without using gas.
Integrated will but with a delay. Sample rates are a couple of seconds usually, maybe more with wireless if the trans misses the send cycle.
@S M you should find a video on how regulators work. try "scuba tech tips" it's an excellent series by alec pierce on the technical side of diving equipment. i could give you my 2 cents and don't want to step on anyones toes but this tech videos are amazing
If I understand your question right, I think you have forgotten that the valve is on the cylinder so if it is turned off no air gets into the first stage at all. When that cylinder valve is opened it allows air to enter the first stage where there is a narrow bypass route direct to the high pressure port so you get a tank pressure reading whereas most of the air passes through the first stage mechanism, pressure reduction takes place and out to your second stage. I have seen people open their cylinder valve sufficient enough to give a pressure reading, it only takes a quarter turn of the valve, but not enough to allow the flow required or breathing, or take a pressure reading and shut the valve again. Initially that high pressure/medium pressure air now trapped in your first stage will allow you to take a couple of breaths, but if you're watching your pressure gauge while you do so, the pressure reading will drop like a stone. And so to the 3 good breaths of a pre dive buddy check that will alert you to that problem as you will struggle to breath by the 2nd or 3rd inhalation.
I do enjoy your videos. I am going to Roatan. Have any advice on a per location dive. Example walk out dives… you said mask on reg in. I’m working on my breathing techniques and saw your other video on sipping. Count to 4 then when a habit has become entrained and I’m breathing while conserving air to goto 5 and so on. But my question is what number is too high for counting on pauses. Is it 8 or 7?
I've been out of diving for probably 10 years now, but want to get back in. New England diving is a bit more stressful than say, the Carribean. Asside from refreshing my dive training and probably some of my equipmemt, I'm thinking cardiovascular training is very important. What say you?
Good vid man!
Not a good look for you.
Love this quote.
on a identyfication dive (to see if the sonar contact was a life mine or not) in the mouth of a big river there was only a one hour dive window between the tides ,i gues there was made a mistake wen checking the tides tables ,wile the 2 divers were coming up the curent cicked in with a bang and one diver was ripped of the safety line and was out of siting in no time luckely we had radio contact with the ship so they could guide our pursuit of the diver as the had hin visibol from on top of the bridge ,we had to push the zodiac full trottle to catch up with him but we did ,i can assure ya he was not happy and wen back on board he let the officer in charge now it loud and clear (he also got us drunk later that evening in the dive store to show his aprecciation for our allertnes hehehe),but it just shows ,accidents can and do happen wen details are not checked and checked again just to make sure he ,greets Dirk (retayerd Belgian navy)
dirk
Thanks for the reminders, even for an experienced diver, these tips are often neglected.
On the eve of a 27 dive week in Cozumel, it’s always good to go back and practice the basics.
BTW, same experience on the Speigel Grove, except the current was ripping and several people did not slip in on line, instead giant stride and promptly whisked away. The Captain called the Coast Guard to pick them up. The cattle boat we were on would not have made the rescue. Also, roughly 70% of the 40 divers ignored the briefing.
If you have to inflate your BCD or drop your weights to stay on the surface, YOUR OVER WEIGHTED.
In the event of equipment malfunction such as a BCD failure your only option is to drop your weights. If you black out, with a First stage leak, your going to the bottom.
Start teaching balanced rigs. Neutral buoyancy at 2-3 meters stops all these problems and give you a margin of safety.
In a drysuit, especially a membrane with thick undersuit, the diver needs to be heavier as they cannot rely on compression of the wetsuit to be less buoyant at depth. Not really sure what a first stage leak has to do with anything?
@@diveguernsey6521 not talking about dry suits. First stage leak. How do you or your buddy inflate in an emergency situation. Problems, problems, problems
@@diveguernsey6521 I regularly dive drysuits. Never have to fully inflate the BCD to be positively buoyant. Just a little.
At the end of the dive, with empty tanks, you should be able to stay near the surface and then ascent with just your lungs.
Try a fresh water lake in Minnesota they boat right over the top of you and next to your diaphragm because they want to know what they're looking at daha
The one time I nearly drown - 14 yrs old on 3 dive of the morning. Had not eaten since night before. Climbed back aboard dive boat for a fill, sitting on a bench in the blistering sun, boiling in my 1/4" suit. When the tank was finally ready, I felt sick from over heating. Grabbed my fins in one hand, the mask in the other, giant stride off the side into the drink. In seconds, I realized I hadn't blown air into BC and was sinking. I didn't want to lose my gear by letting weights and stuff go. Started thrashing, broke surface, facing the exhaust port of the diesel generator. Took a big breath of smoke and blew what I could into the BC. Thrashed up and gulped another load of exhaust gas three time, blowing it into the BC until I could float enough the get mask and fins on. I would have puked except the cool water really saved me from it. Too stupid. Too close. Could have ended really badly.
Pretty good video as usual James, thank you for that.
Question: what's the difference between a fins-on and fins-off ladder? It is up to the operator to decide how to use the ladder or there is a structural difference?
Greetings.
There’s a structural difference. Fins off ladders have closed in rungs, whereas fins on ladders have open ended rungs
@@DiversReady All clear now. Thanks!
Taucher (Diver) - Tarierung (buoyancy control) - Check if your bcd is inflating and deflating and works properly?
brauchen (need) - Blei (lead) tell your body how much weight you're carrying and where it is stored
saubere (clean) - Schnallen (buckles) check all the straps and buckles are closed and secure what they are supposed to secure
Luft, (air) - Check if you can breath through your two second stages and if the air tastes or smells normal
Ok (ok) - Check if your fins, mask, torch, dsmb, spool, etc. is there or if you forgot anything.
My father and I do this for each other because it is easier to control the straps for example and you know for sure that both of your equipment is good.
We learned this sentence to memorize the basic buddy check in open water course btw
Thanks 👌🏼
James, I’m thinking about coming down from Wisconsin to dive the Spiegel Grove. Maybe in February or March. Is it appropriate for me to ask you what dive center you would recommend for booking a charter?
Sure Dave! Shoot me an email please: james@diversready.com
I saw people who won't wait for their turn to get back in the boat and just passing people on the tag line is that okay or shall we wait go up in turn coz he was 4th or 5th and he just jump ahead of us to get on board through the second ladder that they haven't prepared yet and throw a tag line that was only managed by them and wasn't tied to anything