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Scuba News
March 25, 2025 by HAL
Dive briefings are crucial for ensuring that scuba diving teams are well-prepared and understand their roles. They create a shared mental model, allowing everyone to know what to expect and how to respond in emergencies. Using the UNITED-C framework, divers can effectively cover key aspects of the dive during the briefing. This approach helps reduce […]
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March 18, 2025 by HAL
Effective communication is vital for successful scuba diving, especially in mixed teams. During a dive, misunderstandings arose when a group leader signaled a direction that was interpreted differently due to cultural differences. Debriefing afterward revealed the importance of ensuring everyone understands the message. To communicate effectively underwater or on the surface, divers should break their […]
March 14, 2025 by HAL
Scuba diving is often seen as a safe and accessible sport, but true safety involves more than the absence of accidents. It requires active safety measures, training, and a culture that learns from mistakes. Events like the tragic death of Linnea Mills illustrate how hidden systemic issues can lead to disasters when teams overlook potential […]
March 9, 2025 by HAL
Diving is often thought of as a safe sport, but true safety goes beyond just avoiding accidents. It involves building barriers, defenses, and a culture that promotes learning from mistakes. The tragic death of Linnea Mills highlights how multiple issues—like inexperienced instructors and mismatched equipment—can accumulate and lead to deadly outcomes. The diving community can […]
March 5, 2025 by HAL
Developing good situational awareness (SA) is the most important skill for divers. SA involves not only perceiving and processing information but also projecting what that information means for the future. For instance, divers may see a spool of line coming loose but fail to address it, thinking it is unimportant. Building mental models helps divers […]
February 20, 2025 by HAL
In the scuba diving world, instructors and dive masters are often seen as leaders. Their words and actions set examples for students, which can impact safety and learning. It’s crucial for diving professionals to adhere to standard operating procedures and to model the behavior they want their students to follow. Acknowledging mistakes can create a […]
February 19, 2025 by HAL
In scuba diving, leaders like dive masters and instructors play a crucial role for beginners. Their actions set an example for new divers, making it important for them to follow standard procedures consistently. If they cut corners, students may imitate those unsafe behaviors. Acknowledging mistakes can build trust and psychological safety in the learning environment. […]
February 12, 2025 by HAL
Stress can significantly affect your performance while scuba diving. It can distract you from important decisions or skills you need to execute. To manage stress, it’s essential to recognize potential stressors like hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness (HALT). Learning to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively can improve your diving experience. Practicing the mantra “Stop, […]
February 5, 2025 by HAL
In scuba diving, understanding the difference between teams and buddies is vital for safety and success. Teams consist of two or more divers, instructors, and support staff working interdependently towards common goals. Effective teamwork requires clear communication, trust, and shared accountability to ensure everyone returns safely from the dive. Everyone involved in a dive, even […]
January 30, 2025 by HAL
The story of a lost dive fin highlights the importance of situational awareness in scuba diving. A student diver impulsively chased after his fallen fin, neglecting safety protocols. His instructor had to balance ensuring the group’s safety while rescuing the diver. Both diver and instructor became fixated on the immediate problem instead of considering the […]
January 22, 2025 by HAL
Cognitive biases can affect our decision-making in scuba diving and related incidents. When accidents happen, we might believe outcomes were obvious because of hindsight bias. Similarly, severity bias makes us judge situations more harshly based on the outcome’s severity. Lastly, confirmation bias leads us to look for single causes for incidents instead of understanding the […]
January 14, 2025 by HAL
Awareness of surroundings is crucial for divers. A student’s impulsive decision to chase a lost fin during a training dive led to a chaotic situation. Both the student and instructor became fixated on the task at hand, which resulted in overlooking safety considerations. This incident highlights the importance of structured debriefing to understand decision-making and […]
January 8, 2025 by HAL
Changing the way we talk about diving can significantly improve safety. For example, how we phrase statements about incidents can shift focus from the diver to the situation. Focusing on what happened rather than who is to blame can lead to better learning and understanding of risks. Using precise language helps clarify issues and encourages […]
January 7, 2025 by HAL
Changing the language we use in diving can greatly improve safety. For example, saying “the diver ran out of gas” places blame on the diver, while saying “the gas ran out” opens up questions about the situation’s context. This shift helps focus on learning instead of blaming individuals. Language shapes our understanding of events, especially […]
October 19, 2024 by HAL
On February 3, 2024, a scuba diving accident occurred in Cenote Nariz which involved three divers. One diver, a local instructor using a KISS Sidewinder CCR, experienced distress underwater and began losing consciousness. Despite attempts to assist him, he was unable to switch to an open-circuit system and ultimately drowned. The investigation revealed possible hypoxia […]
September 23, 2024 by HAL
On February 3, 2024, a fatal drowning incident occurred in Cenote Nariz, Mexico, involving a local cavern instructor and two other divers. The three divers began their survey dive at 2:51 PM, and the deceased exhibited distress shortly after turning back towards the exit. Diver 2 attempted to assist but could not revive Diver 1, […]
September 9, 2024 by HAL
Nurkowanie rebreatherowe niesie ze sobą skomplikowane wyzwania i zagrożenia, które wymagają zrozumienia zarówno technologii, jak i czynników ludzkich. Kluczowe jest zastosowanie myślenia systemowego w celu poprawy bezpieczeństwa przez zrozumienie, jak elementy sprzętu, szkolenia i kultury organizacyjnej wpływają na bezpieczeństwo nurków. Oczywiste jest, że umiejętności nietechniczne, takie jak komunikacja i praca zespołowa, są równie ważne jak […]
September 7, 2024 by HAL
Rebreather diving, while offering unique underwater exploration, poses significant safety challenges due to its complexity. It requires an understanding of both technical skills and human factors that influence diver performance. Key themes in improving safety include adopting a systems-thinking approach, fostering a just culture for reporting errors, and emphasizing non-technical skills like teamwork and communication. […]
August 17, 2024 by HAL
The way we talk about diving accidents is very important for learning. Using blame in accident analysis makes people defensive and can prevent useful conversations. To improve safety in diving, we need to focus on understanding the circumstances that led to the incident, rather than just pointing out mistakes. Read the full article at www.thehumandiver.com
July 24, 2024 by HAL
Mistakes in scuba diving can be valuable learning experiences, assisting divers in remembering key lessons. Debriefing sessions after mistakes occur help students understand what went wrong, why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future. This critical thinking process enhances memory retention and skill development. Read the entire article at www.thehumandiver.com
July 17, 2024 by HAL
People may struggle to communicate effectively due to various barriers such as language differences and stress, impacting scuba divers who rely on hand signals underwater. Psychological safety and imposter syndrome can also hinder communication among divers, while apathy can lead to disengagement in conversations. Encouraging open communication and understanding potential obstacles can enhance diving experiences. […]
July 11, 2024 by HAL
The Dunning Kruger effect explains how people with low ability often overrate themselves, while those highly skilled may underrate their abilities. In scuba diving, novices might wrongly assess their skills as they lack the experience for accurate judgment. Experienced divers, on the other hand, might underestimate themselves when comparing to a diverse set of experiences, […]
July 3, 2024 by HAL
Explaining decisions in scuba diving can be challenging, as diver experiences and knowledge vary. One diver faced difficulty justifying avoiding a silt-filled tunnel dive despite its apparent simplicity to a colleague. Effective communication, shared knowledge, and experiences like encountering a cramp underwater can help convey decision-making rationale. Read the entire article at www.thehumandiver.com
June 23, 2024 by HAL
New scuba divers may struggle with knowing what questions to ask due to lack of experience. The “Johari Window” model can help categorize knowledge gaps: public skills, hidden knowledge, blind spots, and unknown areas. Curiosity is key for beginners to learn and ask relevant questions to improve skills. By seeking information from trusted experts and […]
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