‘Something I could’ve done better’ – perhaps this is something you have thought a few times about your dives. But what did you do about it? This blog post is about taking tech diving beyond diving skills. It’s about the other things that ensure you have a safe dive and why they matter just as much as the technical skills. Both are part of tech diving courses.
What Makes A Technical Dive Successful?
Discovering a new wreck, adding more line to what was considered the ‘end’ of a cave? What is your benchmark for a successful technical dive? The answer is much more basic than that for most: successful tech diving means everyone in the team returns from the dive healthy and ideally within the planned dive time and other parametres.
It does not mean no one had to make any adjustments to ‘plan A’. It does not mean everyone returns patting themselves on the back, thinking they are invincible. It simply means there was enough room in that plan to fail safely. What we mean by that is that any changes that needed to be made, any adjustments that were necessary, fitted within the plan. They could be accommodated.
Wait, what? Aren’t All Successful Dives Going To Plan?
Ahmm, no. They are not. Successful technical dives are completed within the margin for error they were allowed. Whether this means a down current slowing down your ascent on a reef (and you having enough gas / scrubber time to make up for it), or a restriction and lack of visibility slowing you down on your way out of a cave (but you having enough gas / scrubber time to figure things out), you can complete your dive successfully if you allow it to fail safely. Failing safely means building levels of safety into a dive.
This was not our idea. It’s been around for decades, and was applied to the diving industry a few years ago by Gareth Lock when he established The Human Diver. In fact, Gareth has much more nuanced and clever ways to describe these concepts, so apologies if this is lacking. The goal was to help all of us avoid making preventable errors. It’s about understanding how we act underwater and why – with a view to doing better next time.
Something I Could’ve Done Better
A few years ago, our IT Yvonne participated in one of Gareth’s courses. One of the phrases that was repeatedly used when assessing dives etc. was ‘something I could’ve done better’. Full disclosure, this phrase was preceded by ‘something I did well’. Both were part of a dive debrief and equally important.
So, why focus on something you could have done better? Because these are the small things that make you safer, better, more reliable as a teammate, more able to help your team. Rarely, your ‘something better’ will be shaving five seconds off a shutdown drill. More often, it will be something relating what we like to call the glue that holds a dive together: communications, procedures relevant to that particular dive, small issues of equipment finetuning.
The point is – on their own, none of these points are deal breakers. Counted honestly across a complex dive, they can be the difference between the team succeeding or an incident.
What’s In A Phrase?
The phrase stuck with us. ‘Something I could’ve done better’ became what in German is called a ‘word with wings’. It’s something that’s part of dive preparation, the dive itself and the formal or informal debrief.
It’s about making a conscious note to self – whether that’s in your mind, your wetnotes or in front of your team – to remember something you can improve on for the next dive. In case you are wondering what our preferred way of remembering is: it’s making a comment in front of your team. This is for the sake of openness, honesty and back-up brains: if you are looking to make an adjustment to your kit and your telling your teammates, they may remind you. You win in two ways: you get a back-up brain and an accountability buddy at the same time.
Why Are Non-Technical Skills Important?
All of this is important because it has the potential to change the way you dive. Focusing on things you could have done better and remembering them for the next dive will make your whole team’s tech dive better. Here’s a promise: there will never, ever be a dive where there is nothing you could’ve done better.
Think of it as compound interest: one day all these minor improvements will get you out of a tight spot.
We love tech diving. We love drifting along reefs or exploring wrecks or just enjoying the scenery. We also love working on those last 10% – the something we could’ve done better. None of this stops you enjoying your dive. In fact, it will help you and your team enjoy it more. And it will increase your safety.
What does it mean for your next dive? When you are preparing, when you are in the water, and especially once you are back on shore or on the boat, think about the little things. The things that would have made your dive a little more comfortable, a little smoother and a lot safer.
The Small Print
If those concepts are new to you, check out the Human Factors in Diving (HFiD) Essentials class offered by Gareth Lock and his team. If you are a diver, you will benefit. If you are an instructor or a dive guide, it will change your perspective. If you are considering joining a tech diving course with us, we recommend it as a prerequisite. If you are doing instructor training with us, it is required.
Why? Because we feel that learning about these concepts will benefit any diver, especially if you are looking at more advanced diving.
P.S. If you loved the pictures in this post, please visit deeperdreaming.com for more of Thomas Ozanne’s awesome images.