Diving Etiquette

BY CLAUDIO DIMANAO

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe… Divers' nerves on fire off the shoulder of Shark Reef… I watched canister light beams glitter in the dark near the Labyrinths of Thistlegorm. All these moments will be lost in time, like cameras off the side of the boat – unless we talk about it?" - Roy Batty - if he had been a diver.

Humans do not behave instinctively in the way birds or ants do People need to be trained to collaborate effectively as a group They need role models and leadership The same is true for scuba diving Yet, somehow, we are expected to function effectively together as a group, or with a dive buddy we hardly know, and to do so in a highly complex environment.

I have also been intrigued by the spontaneous Brownian-like motion of a group of scuba divers commencing a dive: just like gas molecules, they eventually seem to try and fill all the available space The phenomenon is remarkably predictable, almost like a law of science It usually starts off well enough, with the divers descending, generally, in a straight line However, eventually, they almost always end up in a ball It may be entertaining to watch with easy open water diving However, when diving in a canyon or inside a shipwreck, this can quickly become dangerous So, what should divers do to prevent this from happening?

The Magical Power Of A Good Briefing

I'll be the first to admit that there is a certain similarity between a dive briefing and adding sugar to coffee Within less than a minute, it dissolves! This is where the skill of a divemaster or leader comes in: Their ability to engage the divers so that they stay together and listen from beginning to end without the attention wandering off defines them as true professionals versus just another dive tour guide.

One of the Golden Rules I've learned from experience is to put the least experienced divers closest to the dive guide, leaving the more experienced ones further down in the queue.

Another simple intervention is to assign numbers to buddy teams Once given a number, people - including divers - tend to order themselves automatically without needing further. intervention

Who's Watching Whom

A common mental (albeit unconscious) mistake is thinking that a group of divers are one big buddy team That is a very wrong notion with potentially disastrous effects For starters, it erodes one of the most fundamental principles of diving safety – the buddy pair system in which divers are conditioned to look out for each other's wellbeing underwater! It's not monogamy but the safe practicality we are promoting! Divers should be actively encouraged to look out for their buddies irrespective of gender or experience In another issue on Diving etiquette: The Buddy, we get into this in greater detail.

The Fantastic Benefits Of Being In A Lineshaped Group

Once buddy allocations and numbering have been assigned, it is far more likely for a line to be formed with divers diving side-by-side (like the animals entering Noah's Ark) As they steadily fin in their pairs and explore the reef wall, the divemaster (DM) can also better point out something interesting, like a particular clownfish family Then, as the divers go by in their pairs, each successive team points it out to the next as the procession progresses The instructors or more experienced divers who choose to dive at a slightly deeper level (for instance, if they decide not to have bubbles blowing into their face all the time), may do so This type of diving is pure bliss and any divemaster's dream Yes, this is Paradise.

Here is an example of the opposite, undesirable, scenario: The DM spots the clownfish. All the divers rush to see what they are pointing at. And it's bubbles and fins everywhere. Suppose the clownfish aren't already scared off by the onslaught of divers darting towards them, the underwater jacuzzi of bubbles will undoubtedly make them more challenging for others to see. On top of that, the flailing fin collection will likely dislodge someone's facemasks or regulators. Nobody will enjoy this.

SO, WHAT ARE THE RULES DIVERS CAN FOLLOW TO AVOID THESE PROBLEMS

1 – Don't overtake the buddy team in front of you

In the same way, you wouldn't jump the queue in a supermarket, don't overtake the divers in front of you. Stay in your lane. There may be exceptions, such as when the current is strong, or the diver in front of you suddenly stops to take a picture Still, usually this overtaking is the result of finning too fast The problem is easily remedied, fin more slowly It's not rocket science.

2 – Respect safety distances

Bearing in mind that conditions such as currents and visibility may influence the rules we are sharing here, for the most part, and with good to excellent visibility, keeping the distance of about one diver's length between buddy pairs avoids crowding, getting your mask dislodged by fins, unnecessary disturbance of silt, and aggregation of bubbles that make the scenery invisible or make the water murky There are special techniques to avoid unnecessarily dislodging silt, but unless you're very thoughtful about it; use a special finning technique; or dive on a rebreather, a certain amount of silt will inevitably decrease viz a little as the line progresses.

Less experienced divers tend to be quite heavy on their air supply, so allowing them to swim closer to the DM makes good sense. It sets a better pace for the group.

3 – Don't monopolise

Getting back to the discussion of diving in a line, let me mention one truly irritating behaviour I see occasionally. Let's say a group of divers are fortunate enough to discover a lovely nudibranch; the stage is set for a dive from hell unless the divers keep the line and don't linger unduly. Everyone deserves a chance to see it.

This brings me to photographers! It is wise for photographers to position themselves towards the end of the line. Hiring a private guide is often even better, and -- yes -- I know it incurs extra costs. However, the reduction in frustration will likely make up for it. Photographers also often eventually fall so far behind that they even become separated from the group, so there is yet another reason why having your own tour guide may be a good idea If this is impossible, well, then stick to the rules, but don't let your camera take the place of following the divers in front of you.

4 - Be on time

Even reasonably minor delays during the initial part of a dive can influence the entire dynamic of the rest of a dive Note that I'm not advocating people jumping off willy-nilly and hitting each other on the head with their dive cylinders However, a carefully counted down: "one two three go" can work wonders in getting everybody in the water simultaneously, allow for a quick head count and allow the dive to commence the dive before any prevailing currents start to splay the group over the size of a football field Put in the extra effort to make yourself visible to the DM, and you will have done them a great favour.

5 – Watch your buddy

I realise we've gone on a bit about this issue. Still, successful buddy diving is not only fundamental to diving safety but also to diving enjoyment As humans, we live in a twodimensional world – for the most part: we look left and right but very seldom the up and down! In addition, although divers focus mainly on the bottom to avoid hazards, the reality is that the most dangerous things are usually close to the surface, such as other divers and the dive boat propellors A steady, smooth descent is the objective, with buddy pairs looking out for each other What is to be avoided, as far as possible, is one or two divers having buoyancy or year equalising issues, being delayed during their decent, and the DM -- upon arriving at the bottom to make sure that everybody is still together -- going to one of the former buddy pairs, asking them about their missing buddy, and getting a blank or wide-eyed expression in response Please behave accordingly.

6 – Thou shalt not harass

One of the mantras of scuba diving is "take only pictures, leave only bubbles" Sadly, it is not uncommon to find divers coalescing around a single sea creature, such as a moray eel or reef shark, and scaring it into oblivion Divers holding onto turtles don't realise that this may lead to drowning them Overly aggressive approaches toward sea creatures are not only potentially dangerous but harmful for the sea creatures as well Also, by being negligent in this way, they may very well be denying the divers behind them the opportunity of sharing in the enjoyment.

7 – Shakers, horns, and other noisemakers

In the past, the DM's and other dive leaders have used 'Shakers', underwater 'hooters', and other noisemakers to try and attract divers' attention.

These are fallen out of fashion, not only because of the harm they might inflict on the divers but also because of the havoc they cause to the sea life. Unfortunately, not everybody is up to speed on this, so if you have one of these devices, use it responsibly at modest noise levels unless there is a true emergency Otherwise, believe it or not, just talk! When buddy pairs dive that I tune with each other, it's very easy to hear the other person talk (or, if necessary, scream!) through the regulator.

8 – Surface where and when you are supposed to surface

No one will ever blame a diver for surfacing far from the planned exit point, or sooner than planned, if they ran low on air or got caught by a strong current However, reckless disregard of prior arrangements or surfacing far away from the entry point is often the first step in the sequence of events leading to a missing diver situation.

9 – Waiting for the deco guy

Be thoughtful in planning your dives so that you do not have to spend obligatory decompression while everybody is waiting for you on the dive boat? Many divers prefer to stay near the boat, in the shallows, waiting for their turn to board and minimising the time on the boat (especially if they are prone to motion sickness) But don't deliberately build in a prolonged deco-stop that will keep the other divers waiting for you Also, even if you are very light on air, don't be inconsiderate and leave your fellow divers developing motion sickness on board as you slowly wait for your dive gauge to reach 50 bar Note that this does not apply in safety situations where the unforeseen delay in the wreck requires a slightly longer stop However, while a five-minute stop is acceptable, spending half an hour is not, especially if the sea is choppy.

10 – Be kind

As a customer on a dive boat, you have many opportunities to be thoughtful towards others and kind to your DM DM's, no matter how seasoned they may be, still have your safety nagging in their head If they know they can count on you to be thoughtful and communicate with them if there are any problems, you're one less diver they need to worry about Remember, they are in charge, which also comes with a certain amount of liability for your safety So be considerate, communicative, and courteous.

About The Author

DAN Member since 1997, Claudio Di Manao is a PADI and IANTD diving instructor He's the author of a series of books and novels about diving, including Shamandura Generation, an exhilarating portrait of Sharm el Sheikh's diving community He collaborates with magazines, radios and newspapers, talking and writing about diving safety, marine life and travels.