I attended the unveiling of the PADI PSD program in Orlando last week and ask for your help.
PADI is introducing a “new” set of public safety diver line signals. Many public safety divers, including me, are concerned that these signals will not enhance safety and will only make things more confusing when, under extremely difficult circumstances, public safety divers and dive teams are trying to work together to mitigate an emergency.
Presently Dive Rescue International and four other dive training agencies (ERDI, IANTD, NAPD and PSDA) use a standardized set of line signals in their public safety diving curriculum. PADI has now introduced a “new” set of signals that is radically different from what a large majority of the public safety dive teams in North America use presently. As professionals, we know how important communication is when agencies are working together to resolve a problem.
Many believe that the citizens who rely on the services of a public safety dive team should have teams that can work seamlessly together. A component to both “public safety” and “diver safety” is the ability to communicate and a standardized set of line signals among the public safety divers responding to an incident is critical.
If you have any influence within the PADI organization, please consider writing and voicing your concern(s) because it is my hope that divers trained by PADI will be able to work in a unified manner with public safety dive teams trained by the five other agencies.
Thank you in advance for your concern and your assistance.
Regards,
Blades Robinson, Executive Director
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists
Post Office Box 877
Vero Beach, FL 32961-0877
U.S.A.
www.IADRS.org
800-IADRS-911
THE STANDARD PSD LINE SIGNALS PRESENTLY USED BY DIVE RESCUE INTERNATIONAL, IANTD, ERDI, NAPD, and PSDA
Tender to Diver
1 pull - Okay. Okay?
2 pulls - Stop, take out slack, reverse direction
3 pulls - Come to the surface
4 pulls - Stop, don't move
Diver to Tender
1 pull - Okay. Okay?
2 pulls - Advance line
3 pulls - Object found
4 pulls (or more) - Need assistance/back up diver (This may or may not be an emergency depending on how firmly the signal is sent. Four EASY pulls would not be interpreted as a diver in dire trouble yet four sharp pulls or continuous line pulls would obviously indicate a more urgent need for a safety diver.)
THE “NEW” PADI SIGNALS
Tender to Diver
1 = Stop
2 = Okay
3 = Take up slack
4 = To be determined by the team
5 or more pulls = Come to the surface
Diver to Tender
1 = Stop <--- I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK... WHY WOULD THE DIVER TELL THE TENDER TO "STOP?"
2 = Okay
3 = Give more line
4 = Target located
5 or more pulls = Something wrong or help
PADI is introducing a “new” set of public safety diver line signals. Many public safety divers, including me, are concerned that these signals will not enhance safety and will only make things more confusing when, under extremely difficult circumstances, public safety divers and dive teams are trying to work together to mitigate an emergency.
Presently Dive Rescue International and four other dive training agencies (ERDI, IANTD, NAPD and PSDA) use a standardized set of line signals in their public safety diving curriculum. PADI has now introduced a “new” set of signals that is radically different from what a large majority of the public safety dive teams in North America use presently. As professionals, we know how important communication is when agencies are working together to resolve a problem.
Many believe that the citizens who rely on the services of a public safety dive team should have teams that can work seamlessly together. A component to both “public safety” and “diver safety” is the ability to communicate and a standardized set of line signals among the public safety divers responding to an incident is critical.
If you have any influence within the PADI organization, please consider writing and voicing your concern(s) because it is my hope that divers trained by PADI will be able to work in a unified manner with public safety dive teams trained by the five other agencies.
Thank you in advance for your concern and your assistance.
Regards,
Blades Robinson, Executive Director
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists
Post Office Box 877
Vero Beach, FL 32961-0877
U.S.A.
www.IADRS.org
800-IADRS-911
THE STANDARD PSD LINE SIGNALS PRESENTLY USED BY DIVE RESCUE INTERNATIONAL, IANTD, ERDI, NAPD, and PSDA
Tender to Diver
1 pull - Okay. Okay?
2 pulls - Stop, take out slack, reverse direction
3 pulls - Come to the surface
4 pulls - Stop, don't move
Diver to Tender
1 pull - Okay. Okay?
2 pulls - Advance line
3 pulls - Object found
4 pulls (or more) - Need assistance/back up diver (This may or may not be an emergency depending on how firmly the signal is sent. Four EASY pulls would not be interpreted as a diver in dire trouble yet four sharp pulls or continuous line pulls would obviously indicate a more urgent need for a safety diver.)
THE “NEW” PADI SIGNALS
Tender to Diver
1 = Stop
2 = Okay
3 = Take up slack
4 = To be determined by the team
5 or more pulls = Come to the surface
Diver to Tender
1 = Stop <--- I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK... WHY WOULD THE DIVER TELL THE TENDER TO "STOP?"
2 = Okay
3 = Give more line
4 = Target located
5 or more pulls = Something wrong or help
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