Big White Rabbits Are Fluffy

Okay, so we all know that Bruce Willis Releases Awful Films =

BCD
Weights
Releases
Air
Final Okay

but what exactly is included under each heading, and who checks what?

I ask because it sometimes seems like every diver I've dived with, including several instructors, does their buddy check a slightly different way. Some check the location of the releases at the same time as checking the BCD at the start. Some have their buddy hold the SPG whilst they breathe through the octo, others have their buddy breathe through the octo whilst they check the SPG, etc. etc.

So, how do you do yours? Exactly what should be included? Any advice on ensuring that absolutely everything that should get checked gets checked?

Another question: for a shore dive, if you're kitting up where the van is parked with a walk down to the shore for the, would you leave the air valve turned on, then don your BCD to walk down to the shore, or turn it off before you don it and walk down? Or doesn't it matter?

Your help and advice appreciated, as always.

Which ever way is easier for you to remember and appropriate for the diving conditions. The point is that you do things as close to the same way every time to minimize forgetting a step.

Ideally, everyone checks everything. It is preferable that your buddy conducts the checks on your equipment and vice versa - this has the added benefit of increasing their familiarity with your gear for emergency/rescue situations.

In an ideal world (and open water classes), this is what I feel /teach should be included in the check...

Bouyancy
1. Confirm function of LPI by inflating BCD to full.
2. Confirm function of BCD by ensure it remains fully inflated for the duration of the buddy check.
3. Check and compare function of each diver's oral inflate mechanism/procedure.

Weights
1. Confirm weight belt / integrated system is in place and secure.
2. Confirm weighting is sufficient (the correct weight belt was picked up etc)
3. Confirm right-hand release (weight belt only).
4. Confirm weights are unimpeded and quick release.
5. Review with buddy the process for ditching their weights.

Releases
1. Confirm number, type and operation of harness releases.
2. Test function of releases by stressing them (tug on them).
3. Confirm procedure for de-kitting your buddy.
4. Test function and security of cylinder cam-band.

Air
1. Confirm cylinder is fully open.
2. Confirm sufficient gas is contained in the cylinder (SPG).
3. Review procedure for AAS breathing.
4. Simultaneous test breathe regulators (min 4 breaths) - primary (you) and AAS (buddy), whilst watching SPG needle for movement. Each diver test breathes any regulator they may use - their own primary and their buddies AAS.
5. Review procedures and configuration of redundant air sources.
6. Test breathe redundant air source.
7. All test breathing should include an awareness of possible gas contamination.
8. General check for air leaks.
9. Check Nitrox % and verbally confirm MOD (if used).

Final OK
1. Check function and setttings of dive computers (if used).
2. Check function of dive torch/es (if used).
3. Check function of underwater camera, especially housing seal (if used).
4. Check function and placement of any other equipment used (reels, lift bags etc)
5. Final review of dive plan.
6. Final review of diving conditions (pre-entry risk assessment).
7. Final review of psychological preparedness ('everyone happy and ready'?)
8. Final, pre-entry, 'go or abort' decision.

I also conduct/teach a brief check to be conducted at the start of the dive descent. Commonly known as a 'bubble check' it serves as a last confirmation that everything is performing correctly. This includes (obviously) looking for bubble/leaks, tangled gear/hoses, lose fin straps, octo/spgs dangling etc etc. I do this with all my students/customers, even if they aren't aware of it. It also serves an additional purpose in ensuring that buddies/teams start (and continue) the descent/dive together...and it encourages good buddy skills as a whole.

Yellowmask:

Another question: for a shore dive, if you're kitting up where the van is parked with a walk down to the shore for the, would you leave the air valve turned on, then don your BCD to walk down to the shore, or turn it off before you don it and walk down? Or doesn't it matter?

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It's generally easier to gear up where the van is parked, do a complete buddy check, then walk down to the shore in all your gear (except mask and fins, natch). Since your cylinder was open when you did the buddy check, just leave it open so you don't accidentally forget to turn it back on when you hit the water. Doing a buddy check then turning your air off kind of defeats the purpose of both the B and the A in the buddy check

One exception to this is if you have a leaky inflator hose or regulator, in which case you might want to turn the air off just to save a bit of air, but generally you leave everything as is after your "final OK"

joolz:

One exception to this is if you have a leaky inflator hose or regulator, in which case you might want to turn the air off just to save a bit of air, but generally you leave everything as is after your "final OK"

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Unless the buddy check is done an hour before the dive, if a leak is big enough to warrant turning off the valve to conserve gas during the walk to the water, I won't do the dive

Generally, my buddies and I do a buddy check that starts from the head down to the fins (hood, mask, regulators, inflation, etc.). We do a mock air-share to make sure hose routing is correct and gas is turned on, and upon entering the water we breathe the regs submerged, double-check that valves are open, and do a bubble check. We really try to keep the order the same on each dive so we don't forget anything.

Gombessa:

Unless the buddy check is done an hour before the dive, if a leak is big enough to warrant turning off the valve to conserve gas during the walk to the water, I won't do the dive

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When I was doing my last day of OW, I figured out that my octo had a small leak in it. When we were out of the water, it would just hiss out air. When I was underwater, I only had to make sure that the octo was pointed down and it was perfectly fine.

My instructor just had me (for that set of dives of the day) check that everything was tightened and turn everything off until we were in the water. The octo was able to be used whenever necessary, it just had to be submerged to stop the leak.

I have since made sure that I never get loaned out that set of regulators (and the instructor knew before and after the dive that the reg had to be serviced)

Yellowmask:

Okay, so we all know that Bruce Willis Releases Awful Films

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I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I enjoyed Die Hard.

chesch:

When I was doing my last day of OW, I figured out that my octo had a small leak in it. When we were out of the water, it would just hiss out air. When I was underwater, I only had to make sure that the octo was pointed down and it was perfectly fine.

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I think that's the sign of a maladjusted reg, and not something to be modifying your pre-dive checks to accommodate! I'd recommend getting the reg checked out.

Gombessa:

I think that's the sign of a maladjusted reg, and not something to be modifying your pre-dive checks to accommodate! I'd recommend getting the reg checked out.

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Thank you, but it wasn't my reg ... it was a rental from the instructor. I made sure that he knew which reg was in need of adjustment, and I haven't used it since then.

He didn't have a spare reg for me to dive with, and I understood that I needed to adjust only for that dive so I am not worried in the slightest.

chesch:

He didn't have a spare reg for me to dive with, and I understood that I needed to adjust only for that dive so I am not worried in the slightest.

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Well, I'm glad everything turned out OK and you encountered no problems. Your risk tolerance is certainly higher than mine; if that had happened to me, I personally would have stood by what I said earlier:

Gombessa:

Unless the buddy check is done an hour before the dive, if a leak is big enough to warrant turning off the valve to conserve gas during the walk to the water, I won't do the dive

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