DRYSUIT AS BUOYANCY COMPENSATOR?

When I am home and dive at Lake of Garda, in Northern Italy, I am used to temperatures between 22-14°C in summer and 12-6°C in winter, so one of my first specialty training has been, of course, Drysuit Diving.

Over time I have been drysuit diving with many buddies and some of them use the drysuit as a primary buoyancy compensator, giving the BCD or wing a role of mere redundancy and using it only as a floating device for positive buoyancy on the surface. This way, they have to manage only one single volume of air during the dive, still having the BCD as a redundancy and safety option.

SSI at least, discourage this practice, opting for jacket or wing as a primary buoyancy compensator and recommending to transfer to the drysuits only the minimum quantity of air necessary to detach it from the body preventing squeezes.

I personally fully agree with this orientation, in the light of following:

1. less air volume in the dry suit impacting on buoyancy and trim position. In fact, a greater volume of air in the drysuit can move from the waist area to the legs, creating problematic situations that can be solved only through specific techniques;
2. the extra air pressure in the dry suit, in connection to ungraceful body movement, could lead to air loss through cuffs and / or collar, increasing the risk of flood;
3. given its great surface, the dry suite is more likely vulnerable to lacerations and punctures;
4. bcd are easier to control and do not require extra body movement to deflate.

Even though the majority of newest training standards seem to follow the same direction, I keep hearing of divers using the drysuit as as BCD, so I am happy to read your opinion! What does your training agency recommend?

DAN & A.DI.SUB RELEASE 10 RECCOMENDATIONS ON COVID-19 RISK MITIGATION FOR SCUBA OPERATORS

Waiting for the reopening of SCUBA Diving activities in Italy, DAN in cooperation with A.Di.Sub, releases a document with 10 reccomentation on the correct risk mitigation protocols for SCUBA Diving Operators: click here or on the image below to read and download the full documentation (in Italian).

 

ATTIVITÀ SUBACQUEE: PROTOCOLLO TECNICO PER I COMPORTAMENTI CORRETTI

Finally in Italy something is moving in the direction of setting new guidelines for the prosecution of SCUBA activities in the phase 2 of COVID-19 emergency.

SIMSI, ASSOSUB, AISI and Diritto & Subacquea are working on a joint technical protocol about correct behaviours during the Phase 2 of the pandemic: click here to read the article.

Let us wait until the 27th of April before any further consideration.

 

SURFACE AIR CONSUMPTION (SAC)

Many entry level, but also more experienced divers, are unfamiliar with SAC: many times, when speaking to students and divers about this topic, they look back at me with the eyes wide open!

Not all teaching systems include SAC calculation in entry level courses material. Anyway in my opinion is essential that divers get acquainted to its calculation in order to be independent and be in the condition of planning their dives and knowing their personal limits, for their own safety.

Even when dive planning plays a secondary importance, like for example in the case of diving tourism, knowing your own SAC can simplify the activity of your divemasters and facilitate the choice of the right cylinder size, making the dive more comfortable out and in the water.

Let us have a look at the SAC formula and at the data necessary for its calculation [metric system].

Air Consumpton (AC).

This is our total air consumption during the dive, indicated in bar. This data can be calculated by subtracting from the initial pressure of the full cylinder the pressure left when we exit the water (e.g. 200 bar - 50 bar = 150 bar).

Volume of the cylinder (V).

Easy to understand, this is the volume of the cylinder in use, expressed in liters (e.g. 10l, 15l…).

Time (t).

Total time of the dive, in minutes.

Absolute pressure at depth (P).

This is the absolute pressure, indicated in bar, corresponding to the average depth of the dive. To obtain this value we simply need recall from your dive computer the average depth of the dive in meters and convert it in bar. Make sure that the value indicates the absolute pressure!

These data can be put toghether in the following formula to calculate the SAC:

SAC = AC x V / ( t x P)

Now a concrete example, assuming that we have been 50 minutes underwater, at an average depth of 12 meters (corresponding to 2,2 bar absolute pressure), and we used a total of 150 bar from a 12 liters cylinder:

150 bar x 12l / (50min x 2,2 bar) = 16,36 l/m

Now that we have our SAC we can easily plan our next dive (depth, duration and gas supply needed) or check if it will be within our personal limits!

It is important that we record our SAC in our logbooks on a larger number of dives, so that we dispose of a significant average value. In fact, SAC rate may vary by many factors such as water temperature, level of fitness, ambient conditions, buoyancy and trim, underwater activity and air leaks.

Moreover, by monitoring the SAC you will be able to track any improvement of your gas consumption over time and experience!

BUDDY CHECK

Before entering the water all of us diving professionals always remember to our divers to perform a complete buddy check with their buddies.

But are we looking at them during their check? Do we pay attention and correct them if we notice something wrong?

In my day to day activity I see a lot of experienced divers directly skipping this step, or carrying it on very superficially, just inflating the BCD and taking some deep breathes from the regulator. Moreover, all the attention of the divers is usually directed to their own equipment, they only give a brief look at their buddies configuration.

When performing it, divers must keep in mind that the buddy check is the moment where they have the chance of knowing and getting familiar with their buddy’s equipment: this step is very important especially when divers are on holiday and they get assigned potentially to a new buddy every day.

But why is this step so important? If we think about the role of the buddy, we all agree that he’s the person that will help us in the water in case of necessity (this works of course both directions). He must be in the condition of using and operating with our equipment, by example by arranging our BCD, removing / adding weights to our pockets, fastening the cylinder, and so on...

Thus, the buddy check has two specific purposes: making sure that we are ready to dive safely, but also making sure that we know exactly where to locate and how to operate our buddy’s gear.

We all remember the magic formula for the buddy check “BWRAF", so go through it together again:

B - BCD

• Is the low pressure hose attached and functioning properly?
• Check if the BCD has any air loss.
• Check and operate all the damp valves.

W - WEIGHTS

• Did we wear the appropriate amount of weights?
• Where are the weights located?
• Is our buddy familiar with how to release our weights, in case of necessity?

R - RELEASES

• Are all the releases closed properly and easy to locate?
• Is our buddy familiar with the releases of our BCD? Is he able to open them indipendently in case of necessity?
• Divers often forget the most important release(s): is the cylinder properly secured on our back?

A - AIR

• Is the cylinder open?
• Enough pressure to dive?
• No leaking between cylinder and 1st stage?
• Take a couple of deep and long breathes from the regulator, by looking at the manometer. If the needle is not moving from 200 bar, the cylinder is open.
• Check also the alternative air source same way as above, make sure that your buddy is familiar with its position and operation.

F - FINAL OK

• General final check.
• Are all the hoses in the right position?
• Mask ok?
• Fins ok?
• Computer ok?
• Other instruments (torch, compass…) ok?

And you? Do you have your magic formula for the buddy check?

GEAR CONFIGURATION AND ALTERNATIVE AIR SOURCE

Jacket style BCD, backplate, wing, double cylinders, single or redundant first stage, hogartian configuration, sidemount, closed circuit…

Major agencies normally do not require a specific gear configuration for teaching purpose, they only mention a list of the minimum standard necessary equipment and, SSI at least, specifically requires that the instructor, during the course, shall use the same configuration of the student.

In this scenario, there is not any prohibition, for the instructor, to choose any of the above mentioned configurations also for recreational entry level courses, under the condition, of course, that ALL skills can be performed properly by the student.

Given this many different configuration options, it is essential that the instructor, from the very first lesson, acts as a role model and an example, showing the correct gear set up and hoses positioning. Monkey see monkey do, they say: the first impression received by the students will impact on how they will set up their own gear in the future, when diving independently.

In this direction, in my own opinion primary relevance must be given to the management of the alternative air source (the yellow hose 😁), also in the light of the almost infinite possibilities offered by the many BCD brands and models available on the market. It is essential to remember that the alternative air source must be fastened in an accessible position and must be reached and released quickly and easily.

Too many time I saw divers just folding the yellow hose and shoving it through a random D ring of the jacket! Moreover, in any dive shop we walk in, we can see a vaste range of clips and hooks of any shape, that are “designed" to fasten the alternative air source to the jacket by the hose, or even worse, directly by the mouthpiece… 🤔. In addition, how often do we incur more or less handmade solutions such as O-ring, plastic ties, bungees, neoprene cuts?

Finally, taking into consideration the way we fasten the alternative air source to the jacket we should ask ourselves following questions:

 

1. Will I be able to locate and access the alternative air source in the shortest time possible, if needed?
2. How much strenght will I need to free the secondary regulator from its clip?
3. Am I sure that I am not going to damage (or worse to lose!) the mouthpiece if I pull too strong?
4. In case of necessity, is my buddy in the condition of locating, reaching and independently accessing to the alternative air source even without my cooperation?

In the light of my personal experience, the best solution is the simplest. When using recreational jacket type BCD, just fold the hose and put it in the octopus pocket right below your right armpit!

 

And you? How do you fasten the alternative air source to jour BCD? 

HOW TO PREPARE A SCUBA RESUME

Even though agencies promote professional careers in the scuba industry as a dream job, this is still a business and most of the diving centers and schools are profit oriented. Needless to say, even the smallest diving centers rely on revenue in order to keep the activity going.

I often see dive professionals posting generic applications on many Facebook groups, with none to very little personal information.

In this business, finding a good position is frequently a hard task as we apply for positions located in the other side or the World, and employers are likely forced to take their decision without any personal meeting. That’s why a good cv and a good personal presentation are fundamental.

In the following I give you some advice about how to prepare a good resume and a valid application.

PICTURE

Your picture is the first contact with your future employer. You are going to work as a professional, so you should look like a professional:

• avoid silly underwater poses and shabby outfits;
• show your face, no sunglasses or underwater pictures with mask and regulator;
• wear a tidy t-shirt or a polo, clean yourself up and take a nice medium close-up picture;
• pictures with beers or cigarettes are a no-go!

COVER LETTER

You need to prepare a short personal presentation including your motivation.

If you post a generic application on Facebook or in one of the agencies' portals be short but specific, avoid general applications, try to pick up a target country or a specific geographic area, indicate the typology of diving center you are looking for and your temporal availability.

If you send a targeted application to a specific diving center via e-mail:

• your presentation should be in the body of the message. I discourage the choice of separate attachments because they are often overlooked;
• the message must not be too long and must include information that let you stand out from the mass of other applicants with a single look;
• spend a couple of minutes personalizing your cover letter for every diving center you are addressing. If you use the same template for everybody, they will notice. You want your future employers to have the impression that you like their philosophy and that you want to work specifically with them. Visit the shop website, learn about the activity of the diving center and mention what makes them special for you!

CV

Use a standard cv structure:

• personal and contact data;
• personal scuba experience, including highest certification level, specialties, number and tipology of dives;
• education;
• work experience;
• other relevant personal information;
• language skills (it may be very relevant for your employer so I recommend to put this information in the first part of the cv).

📸 www.padi.com

Keep it short and brief. I recommend a maximum of 2 pages as normally employers do not have time for reading a document with 4 pages. You can give extra information at a later stage.

Insert only the information that you assume relevant for the targeted position. Keep in mind that also non scuba related experience could be a plus (e.g. sales position, marketing, customer care, retail). Do not forget to list your duties and operation by your previous diving center (compressor care, gear maintenance, tour guide, shop activity) and, of course, courses you attended and related certifications, if any.

The resume must have a clear look and be easy to read. Use a standard font (arial is perfect), opt for black and white and keep an homogeneous, fluid format (e.g. for lists and titles). Send a .pdf, the format will be always the same and this kind of file can be opened by any device.

Always remember that your final objective is to make life easier for the person reading your cv. If the employer is in a good mood, he will be more likely to talk to you!

SOME GENERAL ADVICE

• Avoid miss-spelling and grammar mistakes, go through your file 10 times before sending it!
• Agencies use very specific names for different professional positions: a SSI Dive Guide is not the same as a PADI Divemaster or a ***CMAS. A “simple" OW Instructor is not the same as an Advanced OW Instructor! Avoid trivial mistakes in the description of your qualifications.
• Always include your references, when available. The world of scuba is small and knowing the right person can be really helpful!
• Be honest, employers will always find out if you lie about your qualifications and skills.
• Be persistent and follow up your application! Employers often do not reply not because they do not like you, but just due to lack of time! It is enough to send a new e-mail and ask if they received your e-mail and that you hare available for a Skype call at any time.
• If possible, go personally to the shop and present yourself. Personal contact is very important! Anyway, I would send my resume via e-mail first and pop up in the shop after a couple of days asking if they received the documentation.

I hope you'll find all of this information useful. Please comment or write me a PM if you have any further question or you need help with your cv.

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