The importance of briefing your dive plan to a non-diving person

[2Tours N Iraq`]

I originally posted this in another forum and at the suggestion of Mike Edmonston, I am reposting it here, with appropriate edits denoted in [ ], so the wisdom of performing this skill may be passed on to my fellow divers.

I think it is important to note that a sometimes overlooked skill of many inexperienced open water divers is the importance of making sure someone else knows the dive plan in case of an emergency. Briefing a friend or family member not joining you on that dive about where you are diving, the conditions you are diving in, your actual dive plan, and your return time allows them to give rescue personnel a head-start, so to speak, that sometimes leads to a rescue with a happy ending while in less fortunate circumstances a quick recovery operation that provides closure to the friends and family of the victim. [A recent] recovery [at Ginnie Springs] would not have taken place so quickly had [the diver] not put this skill into practice by briefing someone else his dive plan in its entirety. May we at least learn to practice this skill more often from [this diver's] unfortunate incident.

Please share your briefing practices and experiences so that we may all increase our knowledge about being safe in this wonderful sport.

 

[wedivebc]

I originally posted this in another forum and at the suggestion of Mike Edmonston, I am reposting it here, with appropriate edits denoted in [ ], so the wisdom of performing this skill may be passed on to my fellow divers.



Please share your briefing practices and experiences so that we may all increase our knowledge about being safe in this wonderful sport.

Nice post.

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

My usual dive buddy was my brother and since he is married and I am not (yet) we usually briefed his wife up on our dive plan. We also made it a point that if we are out on a charter or when my girlfriend isn't around that I call her and my parents to let them know my brother and I are safe. However, since my brother has since moved to Raleigh and I am forced to find a new dive buddy I will be briefing my girlfriend up on my dive plan instead.

 

[TSandM]

Well, when I dive without my husband, he knows the site and approximate splash time. When we dive together, I have to admit, there is no shore person who knows our plan. I'll have to think about that.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

Actually its a good practice no matter the sport. When I lived in Washington State, we hiked, biked, camped etc. Many times we were very much out in the wilderness. We would leave a topo map with our friends and I would leave one at work. We also left a note in our vehicle on the dash for park rangers with the expected time of our return and where our destination was planned to be. This way if we did not show up at work or check in on our return, people knew to start looking and where. I do the same with my coworkers and family on dive trips. They know they should hear from me after my dives by the end of the day. If not, they have the proper numbers and those to contact if they do not get a call from me. It makes things easier on them, a reassurance that someone will be there to help me if I need it! Good dive planning should always start at home!

Dive safe and have fun!
Carolyn:sharks:

Ps...in this case its good to have a Momma that worries! (Thanks Mom!)

 

[Meng_Tze]

I normally dive caves in FL. When I go in, obviously my buddy knows where we will be, but someone topside (ranger or guard) knows the general area we/I will be. When I am done with the day, I do call home and a friend of mine so they know the dives all have been done safely. When I dive oceans, it is known at home which boat/operator is used. I am signed in to the charter so I can be 'found'

 

[Jill Heinerth]

Great thread THX 2T--
We knew Mark's dive plan. He was enthusiastic about the dives he was doing and wanted to share this with his diving friends.
Jill and I use the old US Navy terms of "feet wet" (the approximate time the dive commences) and "feet dry" (the cell phone call to the one of us who remains topside). It may seem corny-but if corny saves the life of one of us or our students-then corny it is.
It is also nice to know that your loved one is thinking of you--and its a good way to plan dinner.--Robert
www.RebreatherPro

 

[Mike Edmonston]

For those of you that dive solo, It's a really good idea to build a rapport with either the Guard on duty (Ginnie), or even with Cathy at Dive outpost if you're diving the areas around Telford etc... A Feet wet, feet dry note with your name, emergency numbers, and dive location could potentially save your life or help the IUCRR volunteers out if it gets to that. We certainly don't need to endanger any more divers by searching in remote areas that you were not diving in.

Safe diving all

PS: I am not condoning nor condeming solo diving, just making a point.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I always tell my students (yes, OW students as well) to make an emergency assistance plan that includes medical information as well as emergency contact information among other things.

A little off topic but still pertinent. Emergency contact planning and having contact information readily available to emergency personnel is a good idea in "real life" as well.
My mother died unexpectedly recently. She had just gotten home, felt short of breath and had chest pains and called 911. She collapsed while on the phone with the dispatcher. EMS response time was good but there was nothing they could do. Before transporting her to the hospital they grabbed her wallet and checkbook out of her purse hoping it would contain contact information. Why they did not grab the cell phone clipped in a prominent place on the outside of her purse I don't know. They easily discovered her identity with what was in her wallet but evidently the contact information on her medical forms was a guy one of us girls had dated many years ago so proved useless.

She had been dead for two hours before we were notified because there was no contact information in her wallet or checkbook. The hospital called the local Red Lobster because a waitresses name and number was on a business card, it was mom's regular waitress so when she got the call she could tell the hospital all our names but had no contact numbers for us. The EMT's went back to the house and this time grabbed her phone and called the last person she had called, a good friend. Her friend had our names and addresses but no contact numbers. I'm still confused about how they finally got my sister's number and she called my other sister and I but glad they finally got it sorted out.

I don't know if mom had ICE numbers programmed in her phone.

It's such a little thing to carry emergency numbers with you and to get your loved ones to do the same. Mom was already gone when the EMT's arrived so it didn't matter in our case but what if she had survived a short time, we might have been able to see her alive one last time if the contact information was readily available. The waitress and friend were upset by the calls because they could not be told what was going on since relatives had not been notified. The waitress told us at the viewing she got a call from someone who said they had mom's wallet and needed contact information, she said she wasn't sure if she should give out what she knew but did anyway and after hanging up hoped she hadn't put mom in any danger.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[wreckchick]

Excellent ideas. Obviously on the shop boat the shop knows where we are but if I take a private boat I always make sure someone knows when the boat is overdue back at the dock.

One thing that I notice people doing quite a bit is putting down an emergency contact that will be with them. If something terrible happens to the boat, there's no way to get in touch with anyone so my piece would be to have a short list of people that would need to be contacted just in case one of them is with you.

Rachel