Simple Awareness Exercise

[b1gcountry]

I do this on every dive, and I just thought I would share it with the Solo Divers forum, although, it is something I do whether I'm diving alone, or with someone else...

Every time I start to look at my SPG I first estimate what I think it will read. I then look at the SPG and see what it actually reads. If I am paying close enough attention, I will be able to estimate the guage within 100 PSI.

This little drill has been really helpful to me in judging how well I am monitoring my air supply. I also try to estimate my buddy's supply whenever I am diving with the (soon-to-be) wife.

I had an OOA situation in my first ever OW Training dive in Hawaii 11 years ago. When we turned around, we started swimming into the surge, I started gulping air and became focused on keeping up with the instructor, and not on looking at my guages.

When you get distracted, like I did back then, you often loose track of you situational awareness. This exercise will not prevent you from becoming distracted, but you will realize that you are distracted, and is a good way of snapping yourself out of whatever is causing the distraction.

 

[cneal]

The routine I use as a photographer is to check my guages everytime I shoot. The camera will distract me. The routine keeps the situation from getting out of hand.

 

[Timeliner]

b1gcountry

Good Plan I like it !! It's a mind game !
Checking your buddy's guage? Now that is a Rubric's Cube !

This is a solo forum but I still dive with folks alot and you know you just have to look out for each other when you do . Especially Family !

I've cut it pretty close on air before but never have run out.

My Lovely Wife has had 2 Out of Air situations while we were diving.
Once she just ran out of air and bolted for the top. She had bumped into a tree branch and it shut her air off. I remember checking her valve before we went in but she just reversed the situation from all the way on and a 1/4 turn back to all the way off and a 1/4 turn on. :shakehead
What are you going to do man she actually is dyslexic for real ?
Well, she got that little drill figured out needless to say after that.

Another time she went form plenty ( 1800 lbs) of air to 400 lbs. in like 2 minutes while we were down on a wreck and then freaked on me. I still can't figure out what happen there. Usually she is a machine and is as reliable as a Rolex but I probablly pay more attention to her then to myself anymore.

Good reason to go solo I guess huh?

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I used to teach this same technique to my open water students and find that it is extremely useful. If you are surprised by what the gauge says then either you or your gear is screwing up. A useful method to self-check on narcosis level also.

I used to try to drive this point home by asking my students during a classroom session: "how much gas is in your car right now?" Most everyone knows within an 1/8of a tank. Once they realize that most experienced automobile operators pretty much ALWAYS know how much gasoline they have in their tank (even when inside a building) it is just a little easier to make them understand that in order for them to be good scuba divers, they MUST also know how much air is in their tank at all times (even without looking).

I also used to reinforce this in the pool by pointing to my gauge and their response was supposed to be to indicate with fingers the pressure in their tank, then show me the gauge before they look at it. I would "scold" them underwater with finger wagging if they were off by more than 200 lbs. Obviously this is a pool skill, but I trry to make them get in the habit early of knowing how much air they have; even in the pool.

 

[b1gcountry]

By checking my buddy's air, I don't mean I actually grab their guages and look. I just ask them how much air they have left by holding out my palm, and pointing at it. My future wife usually breathes about 50% faster than me, so I'll just remember the difference between her supply and mine. She's a lot smaller so she should start out-breathing me once she gets more comfortable in the water.

As far as training goes, yeah, I think this would be great. When I start helping out with my instructor as part of my DMC, I think I might try doing something like that.

Tom

 

[TomP]

b1gcountry

.....

Once she just ran out of air and bolted for the top. She had bumped into a tree branch and it shut her air off. I remember checking her valve before we went in but she just reversed the situation from all the way on and a 1/4 turn back to all the way off and a 1/4 turn on. :shakehead
....

That's why the 1/4 turn back is a bad idea. Valves should be open or closed all the way.

Don't be too hard on your lovely bride. Mine repeats lefty loosy righty tighty continuously whenever she touches her valves

 

[Timeliner]

'Hard on my Wife. Hmmmm... not usually , just when she scares the Crap out of me. lefty loosy righty tighty does not work if your are actually dyslexic does it? It's all good though.
She is a LVN, and quite the trooper too and on dry land has come to my rescue before.

She has a couple of friends one is a Insomniac the other is an Agnostic and she is a Dyslexic....
Once they stayed up all night wondering if there was a Dog !

On that all on and a 1/4 turn back thing.... where did that start anyway ? :huh:
Most gas bottles outside of Scuba ( welding for instance) have instuctions to always turn them on fully to back seat the valve.

 

[95yj]

I think the 1/4 turn back came about for instructors and DMs to be able to check that your air is on as you prepare to jump into the water. If the valve is cranked all the way open hard, it's difficult to give it a quick twist to see if it's open or closed. That said, most everyone these days recommends backing the valve off just a touch; more to make sure it isn't crammed open hard. This is because some valves will actually restrict flow if you back them off a full 1/4 turn.

 

[Timeliner]

Cool, Then it is full on for me