Responsible Diving

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May as Responsible Diving Month

Or how to stretch May out for the year...

May has been designated as Responsible Diver Month, and a time when we should be thinking about just that: diving responsibly. So a bit of last years article, and some updates for the new year.

So what does it mean to be a responsible diver? Surely we can all enhance our own enjoyment, along with the safety of the sport, if we look seriously at what it means to be the responsible diver.

For many divers May is the first month free of snow and cold waters. Thoughts of getting wet are foremost on divers minds. So it should also be a time to prepare ourselves and our gear.

Are you doing well physically? When was your last physical? Additionally, how suited are you to a dive? We should all be concerned with our health, have our check-ups regularly, and have maintained some sort of physical routine through the winter so that the first dive of the year isn't like jumping into a marathon race unprepared.

Is the gear in shape? The tanks need VIP's and hydro's, regulators should be checked through and if need be have maintenance performed by an appropriate technician. Lights need to be checked, batteries replaced, and extra batteries thrown into the gear bag. BC's, wetsuits, and drysuits need to be checked well and serviced if needed. Sharpen the knives and scissors, especially with the new generation of fishing lines waiting to entangle a diver.

How responsible have we been in our own dive education? Maybe now is the time to be doing some thinking about an advanced class, NITROX, or possibly an O2 or rescue class. Alternatives to the classroom type education are in abundance currently, such as videos, and the CD-ROM's. We should be staying up on our knowledge, because as educated divers we are better capable of handling situations easily and calmly that may otherwise have become emergencies.

How about your buddy? Is he or she getting ready for the season? Maybe all it takes is a reminder, or a call to meet and go over a video or gear together, drag out some magazines and maps, and plan the trips and dives that you want to do for the year.

So now that you and your gear are prepared, do you dive responsibly? Diving responsibly is not only the planning, but the execution.

Do you plan your dive? Plan your dive in advance, as well as reviewing on site, and even more important is performing the dive according to the plan. This year's DAN report showed that 35 divers were injured by not using computers or tables, just following a buddy or divemaster. So whether you use a computer or tables, you are the one that is responsible for you, and you can easily say that you want an extra bit of surface interval, or a slightly shorter bottom time.

Do you know the area? Divers should have an idea of the environment they are headed into before the dive, and if they do not know the area, should seek advice from someone who does.

Do you know your buddy and their limitations? Dive in accordance to your buddies limitations. You may be knowledgeable about specialty techniques and environments, but if the buddy is not, the dive needs to be conducted at their comfort and knowledge level.

Pre-plan what you might do in case of an emergency. Do you know the EMS numbers in the area? How will you call? How about each other's medical information? The best way to beat "Murphy" is to be ready for him.

Execute the dive responsibly as a buddy. Check on the buddy routinely, stay in visual contact as governed by conditions, and communicate throughout the dive. Monitor each other's air consumption rates, and review your air emergency techniques.

Dive responsibly for the environment. Be careful of the coral, and touch only that which comes to you. Leave the place better than when you found it, with only the bubbles as a trace that you were there. Take the game as allowed, but not excessively or illegally.

Do the dive charters around you work responsibly? Are cancellations without penalty allowed for sites and conditions that may exceed a divers comfort levels? Encourage smart diving in your area.

Make May the month that you put a bit more effort into diving responsibly, but hopefully by forming the habits it will carry over through the year. You will most likely feel safer and more confident by doing so.

So have fun responsibly, and as always, I'll see you on the bottom!