Search & Recovery

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scuba_mike

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Ottawa, Canada
Hi there,

I just signed up for a PADI Search & Recovery specialty course and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be doing the dives in a couple of weeks. I'm very interested in hearing any tips, advice, do's and don't's that anyone would like to share with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mike
 
scuba_mike:
Hi there,

I just signed up for a PADI Search & Recovery specialty course and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be doing the dives in a couple of weeks. I'm very interested in hearing any tips, advice, do's and don't's that anyone would like to share with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Stop trying to cheat you impatient youth!!! Just wait for the course. I'll bet you are present prodder at Christmas! :)
 
scuba_mike:
Hi there,

I just signed up for a PADI Search & Recovery specialty course and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be doing the dives in a couple of weeks. I'm very interested in hearing any tips, advice, do's and don't's that anyone would like to share with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

Enjoy the class!
 
Say to yourself, Swimming is circles is fun. Repeat.
Oh and dont forget your mask defogger so you can see what you are searching for.

Good Hunting
 
scuba_mike:
Hi there,

I just signed up for a PADI Search & Recovery specialty course and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be doing the dives in a couple of weeks. I'm very interested in hearing any tips, advice, do's and don't's that anyone would like to share with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

As an instructor I think it very forward thinking to look for advice before a course. The number one thing I remind my students of when teaching this course is to be a diver first and then think about the search. Remember your air supply and deco limits in conjuction with your depth. If using a lift bag remember that your safety comes first, concentrate on bringing yourself to the service safely before you think about lifting an item.

Once you've done that concentrate on finding the right search pattern based upon the terrain and the number of people doing the search.

Lastly don't get frustrated if you don't find the item you are looking for right away.

Above all have fun and enjoy the class!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
scuba_mike:
Hi there,

I just signed up for a PADI Search & Recovery specialty course and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be doing the dives in a couple of weeks. I'm very interested in hearing any tips, advice, do's and don't's that anyone would like to share with me.

Thanks in advance,
Mike


Ask your instructor what kind of knots he wants you to learn and practice them before the course starts. It's much easier to learn them in your living room if you've never seen them before.

Also, try to learn to do them blindfolded.....trust me.... :)

R..
 
Diver0001:
Ask your instructor what kind of knots he wants you to learn and practice them before the course starts. It's much easier to learn them in your living room if you've never seen them before.

Also, try to learn to do them blindfolded.....trust me.... :)

R..


Blindfolded AND with gloves on
 
An update. I had a great day today for dives 1 and 2.

On the first dive, we used the circular search pattern to locate a weight belt stashed in the reeds. Viz was about 15 feet max. A DM anchored the rope and we used signals to indicate the start, ok, let out more rope, etc. We let out rope in 10-foot increments. I found the weight belt about 3/4 of the way through the third pass. If the viz had been poorer I would have needed one more pass to find it. I marked the belt with a float and then raised it directly to the surface using a lift bag. I had to release air from the lift bag as we ascended and then add a bit of air to it at the surface.

On the second dive, we used the U-search pattern to locate a discarded cement block that the instructor had seen on the preious dive. It weighed about 25 pounds. I practiced the compass work on land first during our surface interval. This time I had to improvise a lift bag by placing a garbage bag inside a mesh bag. The rope that I was given was too long so I cut it to a manageable length before rigging the block with the knots that I had practiced many times beforehand (even with my golves on and eyes closed). This time, I swam the block back to shore underwater. Not having the convenience of a lift bag dump valve made the task a bit more challenging.

On the dive, we also came across a grocery store cart that someone had dumped, so the DM and I went back to it, raised it with the lift bag and brought it back to shore, again underwater. Of course the DM made me do all of the work.

All in all it was a great day of searching and recovering.
 
Trust your compass! I see people all the time that don't trust what the compass is telling them and they go on instinct and get screwed up.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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