How safe do you feel when you dive?

[CT-Rich]

Diving is like driving. Safe driving is super important. The level of safety preparedness depends what type of driving your are doing. Like driving, you internalize safety over time. If you scuba dive a lot, you will worry less. If you are doing typical recreational diving with no deco, it is very safe. If you are going deep/cave/tech the risks go up very quickly and safety needs to be a primary concern. Just like ATV driving, racing or motocross or any other sport driving the risk goes up.

Unlike driving in bad weather, dive conditions can be deceptive, so planning and knowledge of the area requires extra consideration. I don't believe diving should be ruled by fear, but by good judgement.

 

[BDSC]

Diving is like driving.

That is the exact analogy I was thinking about when I answered the question. I am 57 and have been driving for 41 years and in that time, I have never been involved in an accident that was my fault. I am always careful when I drive. So being safe when I drive is just instilled in me. However, when I go get in the car to run to the grocery store to pick up something, I don't even think about driving there safely. It's just how I drive.

It's the same when I dive. I have somewhere north of 1000 dives and in all those dives, I have never been OOA, had an equipment failure, never participated in a dive I was uncomfortable with, etc. etc. So when I am on a typical Caribbean dive, say in Little Cayman, I'm not thinking about the safety aspect of doing that dive. It never crosses my mind as how I could have done this or that dive safer. I just gear up and enjoy the show.

 

[george_austin]

I'm never concerned about my equipment or my skills for a particular dive - (safety) - its the marine life I'm more concerned about - if ever. Sometimes I'll just be cruising along a particular site and a very minor wave of anxiety will wash over me - like I know for a moment that I've been spotted and checked out by a big animal.
90% of my diving is in the Southern Channel Islands and we know there are 15 - 20 ft Great Whites out here. If the water is what we call "sharky" - a little green, a little quiet - you do get to thinking about it , , , it passes.
Or, you can drop into a deep site like Farnsworth Banks and find the bottom at 120 ft infested with medium size to very large size Electric Torpedo Rays - they'll potentially ruin your day too.

 

[emoreira]

1. Is safety a big concern to you when you go diving?
Safety is number one for me.

2. Do you take care of your own safety or do you rely on others to guide you?
Guiding a dive is one thing, safety is another, though they are related.
I could follow a dive guide that is guiding a dive, but my safety is my primary responsibility. I would not go where I feel unsafe.

3. Have you ever thought about how you could make yourself safer when going diving?
I'm always trying to improve my diving, better technique, improve my situational awareness, avoid unsafe practices, and so on.

4. If a new technology was available that could make you safer would you use it?
It depends on the technology. Some devices and gear are promoted to improve safety and could be potentially dangerous. There is no device nor technology for common sense and experience.

5. Can you think of a technology that could make you feel safer whilst diving?
I would welcome a device that tracks your absolute position underwater, with this making easier the way back to the entrance point. No device is available up to now. The technology is available but it has not been integrated for underwater use.

 

[Frosty]

. Is safety a big concern to you when you go diving?
Nope-but the reason is that when I "hit" the water I know Ive done everything reasonably possible to ensure Im safe in the water.
2. Do you take care of your own safety or do you rely on others to guide you?
The simplistic answer is that I take care of myself. But life isn't ever black and white. I don't have an overblown ego so Im wide open to advice from others. -What I do with that advice is up to me

3. Have you ever thought about how you could make yourself safer when going diving?
Sure have.

4. If a new technology was available that could make you safer would you use it?
Its a question of gain vs cost. and Im tot talking in terms of money either.

5. Can you think of a technology that could make you feel safer whilst diving?
A gps beeper that was compact.

 

[Nemrod]

Safety is obviously a big concern for all of us when we dive but how ho safe do you guys actually feel when you go diving?

1. Is safety a big concern to you when you go diving?

2. Do you take care of your own safety or do you rely on others to guide you?

3. Have you ever thought about how you could make yourself safer when going diving?

4. If a new technology was available that could make you safer would you use it?

5. Can you think of a technology that could make you feel safer whilst diving?

Safety is way over rated. Especially when it gets in the way of living.

1. No.
2. Me
3. How safe is safe enough?
4. Like what, sounds like a loaded question to me?
5. Yeah, physical fitness, knowledge, confidence, familiarity, common sense, skill.

I do not need to be rescued, I can do that myself, thanks anyway.

N

 

[Neilwood]

My thoughts:
1) Safety is always a concern although not always a big one. So long as I am happy with my mental checklist ( equipment, my buddies equipment, the skill levels and the dive plan), everything is good.
2) I always take care of my own safety - I will not let anyone else dictate to me on this one.
3) I am normally a self critical person so I consistently analyse my performance when doing a lot of thing including diving and safety is included in this process.
4) If I felt the technology was sound, proven and I understood the rationale for it, I might. For example I am quite happy to rely on a diving computer to guide me but would not be happy with an overly complicated buoyancy system as in some BCD's
5) No - my Mk1 brain and common sense is the thing I rely on to make me safer.

 

[phoenix31tt]

1. Is safety a big concern to you when you go diving?
Yes

2. Do you take care of your own safety or do you rely on others to guide you?
Rely on self

3. Have you ever thought about how you could make yourself safer when going diving?
Yes

4. If a new technology was available that could make you safer would you use it?
If it's feasible

5. Can you think of a technology that could make you feel safer whilst diving?
More portable air

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

As a new diver I still have a good amount of anxiety...that disappears when I sink below I used to avoid watching videos of scary stuff, and was not too interested in reading about accidents, as i feared they would cause me to stop diving. However the opposite is true, I am learning from others mistakes and near misses. In fact im a little obsessive about it. I've invested in purchasing and starting to use my safety equipment, not just carry it in my bag. Also it seemed as a new diver that dive plans were for more advanced divers. Not so! We will always have a solid dive plan even if its super simple.

1. Safety is a big concern for me. I'm a bit of a worrier.
2. I try to be as self reliant as I can be within my training and expertise. Saying that I also rely on others to help me learn. I am more than happy to get constructive advice.
3. I always think about what i can do to make myself safer, I think about what I did well and what I need to do better to
maximize my safety. For me at this point it's mastering the basics, and more immersion
4. Most likely if I felt it made a big huge difference. Cost is an issue.
5. Some way to counteract panic. It seems that in many situations if the person could regain control and remember their
training the outcomes would be better. Then again some situations are brought about by people making bad decisions
prior to panic.

 

[widget]

1. No
2. Me
3.No
4.Depends, safer only probably not, it would need to have other options / advantages as well.
5.No

I am old school, in my opinion theres no better preparation for diving than actually diving, training and experience is far more important than any technical gizmo you can wear.
Diving in essence can be simple, you need a few basic pieces of equipment to breathe and calculate depth and time, you can easily dive without a BC and in fact when I learnt to dive we did just that, and we dived like that for years.

In the modern world everyone is looking for the next great gadget to strap on, nice to have of course, do they make better, safer divers - I say NO.