Dive Planning Mnemonics

[Trace Malinowski]

Over the past 30 plus years as a sport and technical diver I have encountered many mnemonics (memory aids) that were created to help with dive planning. Some were simple to remember while others required a little more effort. What most of these mnemonics had in common was that they were agency neutral and allowed divers trained through various agencies to employ a planning aid that didn't throw marketing in the face of others. Fortunately, most of the instructors I had were totally fine with using any mnemonic that allowed for thorough and safe dive planning and not just one recommended by their training agency. However, I recently registered for a course in which it is a standard to use an agency-specific mnemonic which seems to be more marketing than memory aid.

Knowing the diving industry, I'm sure the future will see more and more training agencies employing marketing strategy in their dive planning mnemonics. I really dislike the trend because the diving industry has become divided enough without even more branding and agency politics assaulting those who at one time just wanted to make their underwater exploration dreams come true. I believe that part of the diver drop-out rate is due to the fact that agency politics grabs a hold of prospective students the moment they walk into a shop and never seems to end until a diver runs off to join a sport with a greater emphasis on community and unity among enthusiasts.

In looking ahead to the possibility of agency marketing rearing its ugly head every time divers prepare to enter the water, I wanted to employ a more subtle twist for my agency. As training director for PSAI Americas, I wanted to create a dive planning mnemonic that would:

1. Be useful and user friendly.
2. Be a tool that would allow divers trained by our organization to lead dives with divers trained by other agencies without "in your face" marketing.
3. Take advantage of the future marketing trend by supporting the organization within the mnemonic, but do so in a subtle way that might only be understood by our students.

With the above considerations in mind, I created the dive planning mnemonic, "PLANS SAVE," and I have recently refined it to make it easy to remember and allow the tool to encompass all the important elements of a dive.

With 2012 being the 50th anniversary of PSAI, I thought that paying homage to Hal Watts, the agency's founder, would be best done by acknowledging that Hal is credited with coining the phrase, "Plan your dive and dive your plan." Hence, the "PLANS" part. This part of the dive, the planning phase, may be done well in advance or at the water's edge. The second part, SAVE, is an in-water safety check. Together both parts remind us of the importance of planning a dive - to save your life.

PLANS stands for:

People
Logistics
Air Rule
Navigation
Signals

SAVE stands for:

Safety Drill or S-Drill
Air and Leak Check ("Bubble" Check) and Analysis
Valve Drill
Equipment

In the PLANS phase we start with PEOPLE and answer the questions:
Who leads? Who follows? In what order? What are the responsibilities of each member of the team? What positions do we take when equipment fails, if we are out of air or gas, or in an emergency?

LOGISTICS are "ADDED."
What Air or gas will we be using? What is the maximum and average Depths of the dive? What is the Duration or planned bottom time? What is our plan for Emergencies? What is our planned Decompression strategy and contingencies?

What AIR RULE will we use?
All air or gas usable? Half? Thirds? Sixths? Rock bottom? Other?

"ADD NAVIGATION."
What Azimuth or compass heading or headings will we be using? What Direction will we travel or what directional changes will we be making on the compass, visually, or on the guidelines in a cave? What Distance(s) will we travel such as how far from shore, from the boat, or in the wreck or cave, etc?

What SIGNALS will we use?
Hand signals? Light signals? Touch contact? Written communication? Diver recall systems? Communication with surface?

In the water or on the boat we perform the part that may just SAVE us if our plans fail.

The SAFETY DRILL or "S-DRILL" makes sure that our regulators are working and that hoses are able to be deployed without being caught on any parts of our equipment. This drill may be underwater to allow the team to practice sharing air or gas, may be done with a fully deployed hose and regulator, or may be modified as the needs of the team and the environment dictate.

Next, the divers should check AIR. Check for leaks or bubbles coming from problematic places such as valves, regulators, BC's, camera housings, scooters, etc. The team should also check to make sure that the contents analysis labels show the correct air/gas for the dive and the team should verify turn pressures. In some situations such as boat diving leaks may be checked during the descent.

VALVE DRILLS should be performed to verify that all knobs are open. This drill may be performed in its entirety underwater or modified as the team sees fit.

Finally, all EQUIPMENT should be accounted for and verified. This may be done formally such as a head to toe equipment matching exercise or individually with each person checking to make sure that he or she has all personal and team equipment and that everything is working.

I wanted to share this with the board to provide an example of the constructs of a good dive planning memory tool and to remind everyone to take the time to thoroughly and properly plan their dives.

Dive planning reduces confusion and stress and serves to unite divers prior to the dive when communication is greatly enhanced through speech.

I invite members to share their planning mnemonics, thoughts, feedback, and stories in this thread.

 

[Kevrumbo]

This mnemonic only works if and only if you're comfortable with the Metric System using double 11L Tanks for 22 litres total (double AL80's), and have a reference Surface Consumption Rate of 22 litres/min (0.75 cf/min).

Parameters:
Surface Consumption Rate (SCR): 22 litres/min*ATA
Twin 11 litre tanks (double AL80's): 22 litres/bar total tank rating.

Now divide SCR by total tank rating (22 divided by 22).

You get: 1 bar/min*ATA (and there's the secret math trick discovered). . .
This is how you use the value 1 bar/min * ATA:

(Note: depth in ATA = depth in meters/10 + 1)

18m depth, same as 2.8 ATA -->translates directly to 2.8 bar/min
21m depth, same as 3.1 ATA -->translates directly to 3.1 bar/min
24m depth, same as 3.4 ATA -->translates directly to 3.4 bar/min
27m depth, same as 3.7 ATA -->translates directly to 3.7 bar/min
30m depth, same as 4.0 ATA -->translates directly to 4.0 bar/min

So for an arbitrary & convenient time period of 10 minutes, at each particular depth of the range of depths listed above, you would expect to consume:

2.8 bar/min(10min) = 28 bar
3.1 bar/min(10min) = 31 bar
3.4 bar/min(10min) = 34 bar
3.7 bar/min(10min) = 37 bar
4.0 bar/min(10min) = 40 bar

Essentially then, all you need to know is your depth in ATA and your time at that depth, and you'll know instantly how much gas you've consumed in bar --even before looking at your SPG!

_________
A Quick Rock Bottom Calculation and Gas Plan Estimate for Open Water. . .

For double 11 litre tanks (double AL80's) for a total of 22 litres/bar metric tank rating and
a volume Surface Consumption Rate (SCR) of 22 litres/min -same as a pressure SCR of 1 bar/min*ATA-
using an example NDL air dive to 30m (4 ATA) depth in Open Water.

Rock Bottom pressure calculation with one minute stops every 3 meters to the surface,
-->Just "tally the ATA's":
4.0
3.7
3.4
3.1
2.8
2.5
2.2
1.9
1.6
1.3

Sum Total: 26.5 --this also happens to be the pressure in bar needed for one person
to reach the surface.

For two divers: 26.5 multiplied by 2 equals 53 bar Rock Bottom absolute reading remaining on your SPG.

For two experienced divers stressed: 53 bar plus 30% of 53 bar equals 69 bar Rock Bottom SPG reading.

For two novice divers stressed: 53 bar plus 100% of 53 bar equals 106 bar Rock Bottom SPG reading.

If only a single 11L tank instead of double 11L tanks was shared, then multiply the above again by two:

For two divers: 53 bar times 2 equals 106 bar;
For two experienced divers stressed: 69 times 2 equals 138 bar;
For two novice divers stressed: 106 bar times 2 equals 212 bar (!!!)
--->obviously then, two novice divers on single 11L tanks should not be diving to 30m for any significant length of time. . .

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Kevin, that seems so ... SADDDDDDD!

 

[TSandM]

I like mnemonics, and think whatever works, works. I started out with BWRAF, which can only be remembered with some kind of saying. I went to SADDDDD, which I thought was very difficult, because I could never remember how many D's I needed, and so I always left out some piece of the plan.

The "marketing" mnemonic you don't like works for me. I can remember it, it follows a logical sequence that makes sense to me, and the letters are different enough that I don't forget any of them.

I'm sure, if I used yours for a while, I would eventually remember it, too. But why bother? I use the one I have now, and funny -- nobody I ever dive with, no matter who trained them, has ever objected to it as cant.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Kevin, that seems so ... SADDDDDDD!

I like mnemonics, and think whatever works, works. I started out with BWRAF, which can only be remembered with some kind of saying. I went to SADDDDD, which I thought was very difficult, because I could never remember how many D's I needed, and so I always left out some piece of the plan.

The "marketing" mnemonic you don't like works for me. I can remember it, it follows a logical sequence that makes sense to me, and the letters are different enough that I don't forget any of them.

I'm sure, if I used yours for a while, I would eventually remember it, too. But why bother? I use the one I have now, and funny -- nobody I ever dive with, no matter who trained them, has ever objected to it as cant.

It's the "5-D's", like in AG's old LLC Dive Agency, 5th-Dx. And Delia came up with a better simpler mnemonic of "Ready to Go Diving": R -responsibilities of the team; G -Gas Planning (halves, thirds, Rock Bottom etc), and then D -the five D's of 5th-Dx: Depth, Direction, Distance, Duration and Deco. . .

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I like that 5thD-X mnemonic.

We modified the SADDDDD we learned through GUE to have seven D's (instead of "the seven C's") for:

Sequence - Who leads? Who follows? In what order? Responsibilities?
Depth - Max and average?
Duration - Planned? Worst case? Bailout?
Deco - Planned? Over? Bailout?
Direction - Compass headings? Visual cues? Guideline?
Distance - How far from shore, boat, or into an overhead?
Diet - Are we properly hydrated and nutritionally good for the rigors of the dive?
Distress - What are the emergency plans?

Those of us here who learned to use SADDDDD just couldn't bear to use GUEPLAN and GUEEDGE unless in class. Otherwise, we wanted something that all DIR divers (pre-EDGE) could relate to no matter what side of the fence they were on after the parting of ways between Andrew Georgitsis and GUE.

I had been using that form of SADDDDDDD until creating PLANS SAVE.

The original SADDDD was taken from NSS-CDS's planning mnemonic SEABAG from the Activities section:

On Land:
Signals - Hand, Light, Touch, Slate Abbreviations
Emergency Procedures - (CALLL) Chain of Command, Accident Management, Location of Phone/Radio, Location of First Aid/O2/EMS Transport, Location of Doctor/Hospital/Chamber
Activities - (ADDD) Air Volume, Depth, Duration, Distance

In-Water:
Buoyancy - Complete check of diver's buoyancy system to include all hoses, BC holding air, proper weight, neutrally buoyant, neutral trim angle, and all team members can operate each other's gear.
Air - Check of the air system including manifold knobs open, regulators breathing and operational, air pressures adequate for the dive and thirds properly determined.
Gear - Equipment including location, accessibility, and possession of mask with straps secured, regulators operational, second stage with long hose identified, depth gauge, watch, compass, slate and pencil, line markers including those for emergency use, primary reel, safety reels, primary light operational, back-up lights operational, knife and back-up cutting tool, dive tables, dive computer on, fins with straps secured, optional equipment, bubble check, start time recorded, S-Drill.

 

[TSandM]

There are several things that really aren't covered in any of the mnemonics I have learned or used, that you do list in yours, Trace -- things like signals and plans for problems. I sometimes forget, when diving with people who don't have tech or cave training, or other team-oriented experience, that I need to go over signals, how we do numbers, and what the plan is for, for example, buddy separation. One of the big advantages of having everyone trained the same way is that you DON'T have to cover those things every dive, because they are understood; one of the biggest weaknesses is that, when you step outside your system, you forget to do those things.

 

[boulderjohn]

The PADI Dive Planning Distinctive Specialty I created has several choices for dives (along the lines of this thread, actually). Interestingly enough, I was specifically told by a representative of UTD that I could not use SADDDDDD in the course because that mnemonic is owned by them. (I doubt if he is right, but I didn't include it.)

As that chapter states, one of the problems with these systems in general lies in the fact that they either tend to overemphasize equipment at the expense of plan, or they skimp on equipment while focusing on plan. Historically, what I have seen screwed up the most is in the area of equipment--specifically, that which is put on last before a dive is often overlooked. If people are donning a wet suit or dry suit in the last minutes before a dive, it is very easy to forget to put on something that goes over that, like a watch, bottom timer, or computer. I know many people have gotten in the water without the means of measuring their dives. I also know a case that appeared in a DAN report a number of years ago in which a man made a last minute decision to switch tanks, going from an EANx 32 to air, but he forgot to change his computer. That incident inspired me to write to PADI about what I just described here, and the response was an enthusiastic "You're right! We're going to change BWRAF right now!" Of course, that never happened. The point is, though, that the word "equipment" in the predive check is not going to help with that problem.

My own process has evolved, and a large portion of it is based on the mistakes I have made in the past. For example, when gearing up in tight and restricted corners, I have learned to run my finger across the inside of my harness belt, a result of having entered the water with that belt running through a loop in my light cord. That's not part of any mnemonic, but it is an important part of my predive safety check. I have picked up a number of habits like that.

The next problem I have with most mnemonics is that they are just too long. When they are perceived as being too long and involved, people will skip them. This thread was started in the Basic Scuba section, where the overwhelming majority of readers are using basic BCDs and reg sets and following very simple dive plans, usually without a compass. These people are notorious for not using the very simple BWRAF, probably because they see it as too much effort. I don't see them jumping onto the bandwagon for a system that takes a lot of time making sure they are ready for something they are not going to do. When was the last time you saw a vacation diver enter the water in Cozumel and do a valve drill?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Not to mention the fact that bwraf begin with review and friends sound so lame and I remember thinking during my ow training how it didn't relate to anything. Same as when I learned resistor color codes. Bad boys rape our young girls but violet gives willingly. Only violet is an actual color on them. Stupid.

It also, to me, encourages short cuts. Drill students on procedures and tell them not only how to do it but why, check your bc inflator-why? Because if it doesn't work and you go into an uncontrolled descent it will feel like ice picks are being driven into your ears. Makes an impression that no one seems to forget. Check your releases. Why? Cause if your buddy doesn't know how to work them you may slip under and drown when you run out of air because you did not plan your air supply. And mnemonics are mostly used on site. The worst place to plan a dive. It should have been done when the decision to dive was made and a final check before entering the water should be on the list with the rest of the plan. Right before who is supplying the after dive donuts and hot chocolate.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TSandM]

I was actually originally taught to separate the dive planning review from the equipment check. We did our SADDDDD (or however many D's) and then we did a head-to-toe equipment check at the end. Nowadays, some instructors apparently use the first "E" in the GUE EDGE as the equipment check, which I really don't like, because I think it interrupts the flow of information processing as you move through the dive parameters. I still like doing the equipment at the end.