One critical component of a good pre-dive plan is the equipment check. This is a time where the team goes over each one’s equipment. There are two reasons for this: 1) verify that all equipment is working properly before entering the water, and 2) review all available team resources (i.e. backup masks, cutting devices, SMB, etc.). This video will discuss how to perform an equipment check prior to gearing up and jumping in the water.
Dive Safe,
Duane Johnson
Precision Diving
About Duane Johnson
A good check list! The only thing you forgot however is to check your gauge to see how much gas you have.
Hi Dean,
I actually had it in the video, but the tanks I had setup only had abou 200 psi and I didn’t think it would look good to show tanks with so little gas. But you are correct, everyone should check how much gas is in their tanks. But that could also be done when they discuss their gas plan.
Nice checklist, Duane. Got me on the two dumps; after I check the inflator, I deflate the wing with one dump but never check the other. Which one I use depends on if the rig is on or still on the bench when I check it.
One other thing about the SPG. I always like to look at it and make sure the pressure doesn’t flux while I test the regs. I did a dive this spring in Key Largo and a guy I was with tested his regs (rentals) and they beathed fine at the surface, but started to breath hard at 50 feet. We went back up, and the filter screen in the first stage was covered with black crud, so there was almost no airflow comming out of the tank.
This was really good and I was happy to know that I do meet most of these requirements. I’m not always checking the lower-left dump valve. I have yet to get a knife. I also try to make it a point (if I remember) to check the mouth piece on the regs to make sure they’re not about to fall off, etc.
Why do you open your valves all the way, instead of doing the quarter turn closed? I thought I remembered the reason for that was so the valve would not get stuck, i.e., in an emergency where you have to shut off your gas valve.
Hi Abhishek,
We open the valves completely in order to remove the confusion of which way to turn them to open/close when underwater. So, if I’m diving double tanks and I have to shutdown a valve, if it’s all the way open, I know the direction I’m turning it will close it. With today’s newer valves, you don’t need to do the partial close anymore.
Duane