Chapter 2- Continual Improvement
Continual Improvement
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carefully agreed to. Communicating the change underwater
is difficult and usually incomplete or impossible.
As you dive think ahead. Your dive planning will
have covered many contingencies, but remain observant
during the dive. Potential problems can be avoided if
you and your buddy stay aware and look ahead. Avoid
areas that could cause problems. Examine channels and
swim-throughs before entering. Remain aware for signs
of current change. Keep your fins high as you enter silted
areas. Pay attention to your navigation.
Any diver should feel free to end the dive at any time
and for any reason. It could be because you are low on
air, or it could be because something just does not feel
right. The signal to end a dive should never be questioned.
You can discuss the situation in your post-dive
debriefing. If the dive is called early, return to your exit
point and make a normal exit if possible, including your
safety stop.
What you do in the event of separation from your
buddy should have been discussed as part of your predive
planning. In relatively clear water, the usual lost
buddy procedure is to look around from side-to-side
and in a complete circle, remembering to look above
as well as on the bottom (figure 2-6). Ascend several
feet and look in a circle again, watching for your buddy’s
bubbles. If you do not locate your buddy within one
minute at the most, begin a normal ascent to the surface,
continuing to turn in a circle as you look around, below,
and above. Your buddy should be using the same procedure,
and you should surface within a short distance of
one another. If your buddy is not at the surface, inflate
your BC fully to raise yourself higher in the water and
look for his or her bubbles breaking the surface. Swim
over to the bubbles and wait a minute or so for your
buddy to surface. If necessary, follow the bubbles downward
to rejoin your buddy.
Buoyancy Control
Finely tuned buoyancy control is the mark of a
skilled diver (figure 2-7). Comfortable, enjoyable diving is
directly related to the ability to achieve neutral, positive,
FIGURE 2-6. LOOK IN ALL DIRECTIONS TO LOCATE A LOST BUDDY.