Dive Planning & Decompression Tables

Dive Planning

A dive begins, not when the diver enters the water, but days to hours before the time, when the intention to dive is conceived.  From that time on, the diver must progress through a logical sequence of planning.  The greater the complexity of the dive, the longer and more thorough the period and detail of planning.  The safety of a dive relates directly to how well it was planned.  This allows no room for complacency or tardiness, no matter how routine or minor the nature of the dive.

Correct dive planning will make your diving more enjoyable and rewarding.  Problems that may arise unexpectedly during a dive will be more easily managed, because all possible eventualities have already been run through mentally and solutions planned.

Every dive must be regarded as a new dive with new experiences, no matter how familiar the location or conditions.  No two dives will ever be the same

When planning a dive, here are a couple of key point to cover:

1. Pre-dive planning: This is performed from when the intention to dive is conveived
   • Information. You can never gather to much information about the dive site, climates, temperatures, tides, winds, currents, depth, dangerous marine animals & boat traffic.
   • Logistics.  Depending on the dive you are preparing to undertake, ensure that you have all the correct and neaded equipment to perform the dive in a safe manner, such as torches, compasses, ropes, Buoys, Demand valves, Boats, Four-wheel-drive vehicles,oxygen cylinders, helmets, scuba cylinders and thermal suits.
   • Personnel. Make sure you have the right persons to assist you in perfoming the planned dive, as in accordance with the complexity of the dive, such as: Dive boat skipper, Dive master, Medical personnel, compressor operators navigators, instructors, standy divers and snorkelers, chamber operators.
   • Emergency. Ensure that a person, or persons, are aware of the planned dive including the planned return time. Ensure that they have access to: Emergency telephone numbers, transportation, evacuation routes, first aid equipment, oxygen cylinders, available rescue skills, emergency personnel such as paramedics.
   • Finance. Ensure that you are able to pay, where applicable, for the amount of backup and equipment that you may need.  Are you covered by insurance for the cost of rescue and treatment due to diving-related accidents?
2. Pre-dive routine: This is performed moments prior to undertaking the dive
   • Site survey. The imediate dive site and prevaling physical conditions are examined to evaluate execution and safety of the intended dive under the prevalling conditions.
   • Emergency procedures. Ensure that the is access to: first aid kit, emergency telephone numbers, evacuation routes, oxygen cylinders, standby divers, emergency/medical trained divers, location of nearest compression chamber
   • Dive activity. The procedure to be followed during the dive in discussion, and cover points such as: entering the water, descent, where divers will meet under the water, buddy pairs, dive master appointment, time of dive, surfacing procedures, decompression stops and intervals, lost diver/buddy signals, general dive signals.
   • Equipment check.  Check that your equipment is functioning correctly, such as: ABLJ/BC inflates and releases correclty, DV or DV's and Octo are functioning correctly.
   • Air.  Check that you have adequate air to perform the required dive. Check that the gauge is functioning.
   • Gear & Buddy check.  Check all gear, including weight belt, tank release, strap check, power inflator, and air capacity checked by your diving buddy.

Dive planning must also take into consideration special conditions and types of diving, including wreck diving, night diving, cave diving, deep diving, drift diving, navigational diving, search diving and Cave diving. Do ensure that you hold the required skill level before undertaking any speciality diving.

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