Quest Volume 25, No. 2 May 2024

The Journal of Global Underwater Explorers

Quest

REC 1 DIVER

Is this entry-level scuba course the diving industry’s best kept secret?

CCR CONFIGURATION

Sometimes an alternative to the JJ-CCR is the solution

DEEP CORE PROJECT

Citizen science to support survival of deep coral reefs in Spain

UW COMMUNICATION

The key to team coherence and achieving goals

EDITOR’S LETTER

Communication

Ioften ponder how the logistics of different leisure activities add to their charm. In skiing, for instance, you have those moments in the chair lift between your runs down the slopes. In skydiving, there’s that period of waiting on the ground before you board the plane for your exhilarating freefall. And in golf, the trek, be it on foot or by cart, from one hole to the next, is all part of the ritual. While these activities usually involve groups, and the chitchat in between the active bits is part of the fun, they can all essentially be done alone. Diving, though, is a different kettle of fish.

“IDiscussing and evaluating each dive is crucial, making communication a central element of the entire diving experience.

In the late 1940s, when Jacques Cousteau’s dive team had a close call with a member getting trapped alone deep inside a wreck and needing to ditch his cylinder harness to escape, the French crew made a pact never to dive solo again. This was the genesis of the “always dive with a buddy” strategy that has been a paradigm of recreational scuba diving ever since. While some agencies and some seasoned divers adopt a more flexible stance on solo diving, it’s well known that team diving is a core principle in the GUE approach.

As a sensible diver who always dives in a team, communication is a crucial and unescapable aspect of every dive. Essentially, each new GUE course is about learning a specific language that enables efficient communication related to the activity at hand. Activities like decompression diving, cave diving, and CCR diving each have their own set of hand signals and

communication devices, tailored to the unique needs and scenarios of these diving styles. Effective communication in diving encompasses not just clarity and intention during the dive, but also before and after it. Creating a straightforward dive plan that everyone comprehends and agrees upon demands good communication skills. Similarly, post-dive debriefings, whether they are part of a course or not, hinge on the quality of communication. Discussing and evaluating each dive is crucial, making communication a central element of the entire diving experience. This issue of Quest is dedicated to communication. Brad Beskin’s CQ corner, featured on page 6, underscores the significance of feedback, and our comprehensive three-part series starting on page 50 explores the various underwater communication methods available to divers, illuminating the diverse techniques they can employ.

Jesper Kjøller Editor-in-Chief jk@gue.com

Quest

Editor-in-chief

// Jesper Kjøller

Editorial panel

// Michael Menduno

// Amanda White

Design and layout

// Jesper Kjøller

Copy editing

// Pat Jablonski

// Kady Smith

Writers

// Brad Beskin

// Kees Beemster Leverenz

// Oliver Ober

// Kirill Egorov

// Daniel Riordan

// Nuno Padrao

// Dorota Czerny

// Erik Wurz

// Marc Gray

// Tom Goosens

// Fred Devos

// Todd Kincaid

// Chris Le Maillot

// Jarrod Jablonski

Photographers

// Kirill Egorov

//Jesper Kjøller

// Bori Bennett

// Sean Romanowski

// Guillermo Martín Cozzi

// Javi Sanchez

// Rafa Camacho

// Brandi Mueller

// Andrei Voinigescu

// Julian Műhlenhaus

// Imad Farhat

Illustrations

// Alexandra Huth

IN THIS ISSUE

6

12

QC CORNER // FEEDBACK

Every GUE course concludes with a feedback session. Trainees also give verbal and written feedback to the instructor and agency about their experience. Why is this so important for the quality assurance process?

REC 1 // DIVING’S BEST KEPT SECRET?

In this exclusive dive into the recreational diving space, German diver Oliver Ober takes us along on his personal odyssey to become a GUE Recreational Diver 1 instructor (and make it a viable business).

22

CORAL SOUL // CITIZEN SCIENCE IN SPAIN

The Deep Core Project in Punta de la Mona, Spain, led by Coral Soul, aims to conserve the threatened cold-water coral Dendrophyllia ramea, emphasizing the need for active intervention to protect the local marine ecosystem from human-induced damage.

34

ALTERNATIVE CCR CONFIGURATIONS

In specific scenarios, the JJ-CCR encounters certain limitations, and a more streamlined and flexible configuration can be a solution. Kirill Egorov shares his experiences with sidemount rebreathers.

44

PORTFOLIO // BRANDI MUELLER

Obsessed with the ocean from a young age, Brandi has always wanted to show everyone what she sees underwater—be it a tiny nudibranch or the inside of a WWII wreck.

50

UNDERWATER COMMUNICATION PART 1

Effective underwater communication is crucial for divers, as it enables the clear and concise exchange of information, reinforcing team coordination and goal achievement during dives.

60

CAVE DIVING // EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Diving training focuses on emergency preparedness due to potential issues like equipment malfunctions or a lost buddy, especially in cave diving where no direct route to the surface exists. This comprehensive training ensures safety and success in such challenging environments.

QC CORNER

FEEDBACK

Every GUE course ends with feedback. The instructor debriefs the trainee by identifying the improvements gleaned over the course, along with opportunities for continued improvement (either toward the next level of certification or before attempting the course again). Similarly, each GUE trainee has the opportunity to provide verbal and written feedback to both the instructor and agency about their course and progression.

I’ve told you previously that I read each bit of substantive feedback GUE trainees provide about our instructors and courses. This Quality Control (or “QC”) data indicates key trends, which I believe to be basic success factors for any given course. While GUE Standards outline the basic requirements for both trainees and instructors—i.e., the minimum threshold for “quality”—these trends are what differentiate an exemplary experience for a trainee from one that could use improvement. This insight is essential. Its utility from a corrective point of view is obvious. But we also focus heavily on the positive indicators in the QC data in our attempt to harness our own success factors and propagate them. This is a promise I made to GUE and our instructors when I assumed this role, and we are expanding the QC footprint to emphasize that function.

Boogeyman function

Yes, I am acknowledging imperfection on our part. To wit, not every course goes according to expectation. When feedback indicates a less than stellar experience for a trainee, the QC department tries to identify why. It may boil down to a lack of congruence between trainee and instructor personalities. It may owe to misaligned expectations, distractions on either side of the equation (or both), or even a personal misunderstanding. We then work with our instructors to galvanize these learning opportunities into plans for improvement—coaching, development, mentorship, etc.

It is rare that a course presents no opportunity for improvement. I’m confident I could debrief each trainee and tease out some aspect ripe for coaching, development, or mentorship. These are not failures; rather, they are inherent to the human condition—a recognition that even our

TEXT BRAD BESKIN // PHOTOS BORI BENNETT

Communication is essential to a stellar trainee experience. Instructors must communicate clearly before, during, and after the course.

PHOTO BORI BENNETT

most masterful instructors can still hone their razor-sharp craft.

And, fortunately, it is even more rare that a substantial and material violation of GUE Standards occurs such that our disciplinary process is invoked and sanctions issued (what one ScubaBoard user recently referred to as our “boogeyman” function). While I’ll confess the name makes me chuckle, it is my least favorite part of the job.

So, what are these positive trends that make for an outstanding GUE course? Perhaps it is finally time for this QC Corner to talk about QC? None of you wants to look at graphs or trendlines, so I have attempted to distill the data into a few key narrative themes. I have highlighted these themes with real, positive feedback from actual GUE trainees, scrubbed for anonymity as to both trainee and instructor. Emphasis is mine unless otherwise stated.

Organization and efficiency

These aspects are paramount to a first-rate course and the second most common source of constructive feedback. Instructors must use trainee time wisely and maximize quality training time, especially when they expect rigid punctuality and efficiency from their trainees. Our courses are expensive, and they often require trainees to take days away from work and family. Therefore, trainees do not tolerate wasted time on forms that could be handled in advance, poorly planned logistics, and other unnecessary wastes of time.

“…The entire organization of the course has been spectacular, with respect to days, number of dives, theory class, field drills. Along with my fundamental course, these have been the most well-organized courses I have taken. I can only have positive comments to describe this course and the very high level of my instructor, who has played a formidable role throughout the entire process. In summary, with GUE Cave I have had the opportunity to enjoy the highest level training in my career as an instructor.”

GUE Cave 1 trainee

Communication is equally essential to a stellar trainee experience. Instructors must communicate before, during, and after the course. This is both, by far, the most pivotal quality I see throughout student feedback as well as the most common cause of complaints. Instructors who communicate clearly, often, and thoroughly generate more positive feedback than those who do not and, by that indicator, produce more satisfied trainees. Instructors who embrace standardized pre-course communications about logistics and expectations tend to end the course with more satisfied students. And, when a provisional or incomplete becomes necessary, it is my observation that instructors who have over-communicated can deliver these less desirable outcomes to students who understand without indignation why they received them.

“Great class, great learning environment, [Instructor] effectively communicated the material and the requirements. [He/she] worked with the students to achieve the standard and explained the why’s and how’s. Highly recommend.”

GUE Fundamentals trainee

“…[Instructor] was an excellent instructor for my GUE Fundamentals Course. [Instructor] was professional, kind and respectful at all times, he/she clearly explained every aspect of the course and fostered a very positive learning environment. [Instructor’s] extensive knowledge and experience ensured that I was safely executing the learning objectives (both in the water and on land) and [he/she] was instrumental in my progress throughout the course.”

GUE Fundamentals trainee

Professionalism

This is a tricky quality to ascertain. It is a catchall for many other qualities and a demonstration of synergy between them. But, nevertheless, our trainees identify it as an important part of their satisfaction.

Interestingly, many of our first-time trainees note how surprised they are by our instructors’ professionalism. While I would hope our repu-

Instructors who communicate clearly, often, and thoroughly generate more positive feedback than those who do not.

tation would precede us, I nevertheless appreciate the fact that our instructors create this wow factor for those engaging with GUE for the first time.

Our trainees equate professionalism with humility—passion bridled by compassion—and demonstrable mutual respect. No one wants to spend the week with a self-indulgent walking ego. Locker room banter is more often a knock on professionalism than an enhancement. War stories must align with the trainee’s aspirations.

“…[Instructor] is by far one of the best instructors that I’ve had a chance to meet in my entire diving career. Despite the fact that [he/ she] has an amazing set of skills and extensive experience, [Instructor] is humble and understanding for the students. [Instructor] not only shared knowledge and skills required for the course itself but found extra time to focus on skills that will be useful for the next classes I plan to take. After the class, [Instruc-

tor] shared and extensive set of additional materials which should support me on my way to Excellence. Definitely I will recommend [Instructor] and [his/her] classes to other divers.”

GUE Cave 1 trainee

“…In spite of [his/her] extensive experience and knowledge, [Instructor] is humble and is adept at communicating complex ideas about diving and diving-related techniques to [his/ her] students.”

-GUE Sidemount Trainee

Criticism must be constructive and focused. The trainee should leave the class feeling that the instructor carved a path for them toward those aspirations.

“…I particularly appreciated the time [Instructor] took at the beginning of the course to discuss my expectations and goals, and then even more importantly [he/she] helped me

PHOTO BORI BENNETT

work directly towards those goals throughout the course. To end the course we again discussed my goals once more during a feedback session and during which [instructor] requested any feedback I have for him.”

GUE Fundamentals trainee

Feedback matters

Of course, not every student finds the time to provide substantive feedback for our instructors. We get a lot of five-star reviews without any feedback. We also get some data-driven complaints without any substantiation. These are less helpful to us, and we are working on revising the mechanism to produce more substantive data to help our instructors grow.

If you are a trainee, please take the time to provide meaningful written feedback to your instructor and to GUE. We read it, we take it seriously, and we cannot do without it. We need to know where our instructors succeed and where they can grow.

If you are an instructor, you should be asking your trainees to provide this feedback to you, and you need to honor it with respect and a commitment to applying it. Finally, if you are an instructor who wants their feedback to sound more like the examples above, the QC department is at your service. Let’s talk about coaching, development, and mentorship opportunities.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite bits of trainee feedback in recent months:

“From the outset, it was clear that [Instructor] was not only deeply knowledgeable but also genuinely passionate about diving, teaching, and

GUE. [Instructor] struck the perfect balance between being supportive and demanding, pushing us to exceed our own expectations while ensuring we always felt safe and confident in our abilities. [Instructor’s] feedback both on land and in the water as well as the use of videos during our dive debriefs was hugely helpful. It was specific and clear, which enabled us to improve our skills by leaps and bounds in a relatively short period. [Instructor] was personable and funny, making this rigorous course more enjoyable. Yet, when the situation called for it, [Instructor] was appropriately strict, reminding us of the importance of safety and precision in GUE diving. It was clear he/she took our development and GUE standards seriously. What truly set this experience apart was [Instructor’s] extraordinary patience, particularly during moments when I was struggling and becoming increasingly frustrated with myself. [Instructor] provided the reassurance and guidance I needed to overcome those hurdles, never once making me feel inadequate or rushed. Thanks to [Instructor’s] expert instruction, support, and guidance, I became a significantly better diver and feel so much more confident in my and my teammate’s abilities. We felt welcome and comfortable throughout the course, and despite how challenging it was, we thoroughly enjoyed the course. I cannot recommend this instructor highly enough. [Instructor’s] dedication to his/her students, GUE, and diving is truly exceptional.”

GUE Fundamentals trainee

I cannot convey the pride with which I read feedback like this. This is our commitment to excellence at work. 

Brad Beskin has been diving actively for approximately 29 years. He first became involved with GUE by taking Fundamentals in 2001, and then Cave 1 with Tamara Kendel in 2003. He is now a proud GUE DPV Cave diver and is actively working his way through

GUE’s technical curriculum. When he is not diving, he earns his living as a civil litigator in Austin, Texas, and he also finds time to act as Director of Quality Control and the Chair of the Quality Control Board for Global Underwater Explorers. Brad Beskin

Is GUE

Recreational

Diver 1 the best-kept secret in diving? In this exclusive dive into the recreational diving space, German diver Oliver Ober takes us along on his personal odyssey to become a GUE Recreational Diver 1 instructor (and make it a viable business). This article inspires future dive professionals to embark on the journey with a clear vision. From equipment essentials to navigating logistical challenges, discover why GUE courses offer some of the most rewarding experiences for divers.

RECREATIONAL DIVER

Oliver often needs to be inventive with his mobile dive center approach. Benches serve excellently for practicing finning techniques during dry runs.

RECREATIONAL DIVER 1

– The best kept secret in the diving world?

GUE's entry-level course efficiently hones key diving skills like trim, buoyancy, and propulsion, offering intensive training in a content-rich format.

The idea for this article stems from the invaluable advice and encouragement of my friend and mentor, a GUE instructor. It narrates my personal journey and the challenges I encountered en route to becoming a GUE Recreational Diver 1 instructor. It does not pretend to offer a definitive roadmap to instructor success but rather serves as my own personal reminder to commence your journey with a clear vision of your ultimate goal. I strongly advocate for beginning with the end in mind, the motto for the Rec 1 course.

My journey began twelve years ago when I started my Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) training at a small, quiet dive center at a large German lake. A three-month internship before my instructor course began was mandatory. Here, I got to know the daily routine of a professional diving center and what efficient logistics look like in the diving industry: I learned to juggle tanks, that the sizes of diving suits usually do not match normal clothing sizes of a diver, and

that a diver’s most individual piece of equipment is their mask. Each weekend, I learned that no matter how much I prepared for the diving guests, I always experienced a new level of unpredictability. That was fun.

Don't dig too deep into the past

Almost a decade and many training experiences later, I became acquainted with the Global Underwater Explorers recreational diver training programs. It became a goal of mine to pursue an instructor rating, and so I began the process of GUE instructor development. First, an internship with passive observation of a course, then the instructor training course (ITC), then participation as an intern with live students during real GUE Fundamentals courses, and, in between, lots of video theory sessions to develop my teaching and presentation skills.

There are two paths to becoming a GUE instructor—the recreational or Fundamentals path. I made a conscious decision to take the Recreational Diver 1 & 2 instructor path.

GUE's entry-level course is efficiently tailored to hone essential skills, and it is filled with valuable content. It provides students enough time for intensive training in trim, buoyancy, propulsion, and procedures. In my opinion, it's a true gem in the diving world. Unfortunately, the diving community is underexposed to the Recreational Diver 1 course. Most beginning divers are unaware of its existence, and only a few discover it via thorough research online or recommendations from active, ambitious divers; many Rec 1 participants want to start over as open water divers after a modest beginning in diving life.

It felt like there were already a lot of GUE Fundamentals instructors in Germany; when I looked at the course calendar, there were plenty of Fundamentals classes already scheduled. But Recreational Diver 1 and 2 courses were almost not represented at all. And I didn't even have to limit the search filter to Germany.

Ever since I started instructing beginners, I've cherished the gleaming, radiant eyes of students after their first open water dive, no matter how

poor the visibility was in a German lake. This underwater world, previously known to them only from the surface or from stories from other divers, became their new reality. I've come to learn that these Rec 1 graduates often become the better divers. A diver who never learned to kneel during procedures or to manage stress in their entry-level diver course will never do it unconsciously in real situations. Quite logical, isn't it?

Big business

The day of my instructor evaluation (IE) for Rec 1 came quickly. After the stress of preparing for the IE and the joy of passing, a new challenge loomed: How to make my instructor business work.

I was not affiliated with any dive centers as an instructor, nor did I know more than a few dive center managers—and they were scattered around the world.

After approaching a few local diving centers in my area, it became clear that they all appreciated the quality of education provided

PHOTO SEAN ROMANOWSKI

by GUE and its instructors. However, when it came to potential new customers in the form of novice divers, the previously enthusiastic and discussed collaboration seemed to be slightly disillusioned again. What now?

I had to come up with a concept that met the requirements of a GUE instructor willing to travel while also wanting a certain independence from other diving centers. My concept was based on the idea of a mobile diving center. This way, I could offer and conduct Rec 1 courses nationally at any time. I was independent of the logistics of traditional diving centers and could keep costs down.

World Wide Web

Any service must be backed up by a good website nowadays. As I built my website, I considered what was important to me. Since each course contains many details that can make a difference, I placed great emphasis on a detailed description of the content, procedures, objectives, and expectations.

Hiring a professional web design company wasn't really financially feasible, so I started by researching which platform or provider would be most beneficial to me. Frankly, up to this point, I had no idea how to create something like this. After consulting with my IT friends, I opted for an open and expandable system without a website builder. After numerous YouTube tutorials on Wordpress, themes, backups, data protection regulations, long nights, and lots of coffee, my website was online six weeks later.

Equipment

So, I could borrow everything made of neoprene from the nearest dive center for upcoming students. Since I have a friend in my circle who is the CEO of a drysuit manufacturer, I could also rent those at a fair price.

Nevertheless, renting GUE standard equipment was the biggest challenge. I solved this quite easily by investing in it myself. Single tanks, more doubles, backplates both large and small with single tank adapters, contents of drysuit pockets, you name it. As a long-time technical diver, I only had to replenish my own stock of diving equipment.

“I had to come up with a concept that met the requirements of a GUE instructor willing to travel while also wanting a certain independence from other diving centers.

The goal was always to provide complete, premium-quality rental equipment kits for two divers. This wasn't just for Rec 1 training, but also for Discover Scuba Diving programs. I also wanted some variety in the manufacturers of the various equipment items for demonstration. The beginner diver should have a precise image of very good equipment according to GUE standards after Rec 1. Thus, the basement of my apartment quickly turned into my own mini GUE dive center. When it comes to personal equipment for the new-to-diving Rec 1 students, I set the standard for very close supervision and consultation. To avoid making a wrong purchase, I always emphasize the possibility of getting to know and understand dive equipment with my rental materials during the course.

Proud of my digital product, I kept my momentum. I made a plan of the equipment I needed as an instructor for beginners. Where could I easily obtain rental equipment under the premise of "quality in education and equipment?" Dive centers were enthusiastic at the prospect of renting equipment to my students.

Yet, who doesn't know this feeling? When someone is eager, they want to have their own equipment that they can use during the course. A Rec 1 student consciously chooses a Rec 1, so they usually also understand the costs of good equipment. Most students gladly accept my rental offer but still need to buy some things beforehand. This includes the ABC equipment with two masks, solid fins with booties, a snorkel, and wetnotes (as a lifelong reference after GUE courses). The book Fundamentals of Better Diving is also always suggested as preparation for Rec 1.

The Rec 1 graduates, having experienced the German lake's underwater world previously known only through surface views and tales, often emerge as superior divers.

PHOTO SEAN ROMANOWSKI

“

I had to come up with a concept that met the requirements of a GUE instructor willing to travel while also wanting a certain independence from other diving centers. My concept was based on the idea of a mobile diving center.

A diver who never learned to kneel during procedures or to manage stress in their entrylevel diver course will never do it unconsciously in real situations.

“Due to my willingness to travel, each course differed in terms of planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up.

The offer to provide equipment advice naturally extends beyond the course with me. From my experience, it is gladly taken advantage of.

Training locations

Every beginner wants to train in water with clear visibility. In Germany, unfortunately, this is only possible in a pool in 99% of cases. Although the term "confined water" allows for some leeway for the first training dives, I wanted to ensure the possibility of initial training in the pool. Now, it should be noted that the vast majority of swimming pools in Germany are publicly owned, and they were simply booked solid by clubs.

Moreover, the pool operators were afraid of the scuba tanks damaging the tiles. Even if I could alleviate these fears, the exorbitant price for renting a pool lane for several hours was not justified. Established diving centers did have access to time slots in public pools, but it was only 1.5 hours per week. Thus, integrating with a dive center for pool training as part of an intensive multi-day training concept was not feasible.

There are indoor dive pools scattered across Germany. These ultimately became the solution for the beginning training sessions.

Fortunately, sufficient breathing gas logistics support the various lakes used for the open water sessions. The good storage capacity of several double 12-liter tanks minimized the need for multiple filling trips. This ensured that we never had any shortages in breathing gas supply, and that we could carry out subsequent dives almost without delay.

The subject of nitrox 32, on the other hand, is a whole different story. Our beloved sport diving breathing gas seems to be as scarce as helium. Although every diving school offers nitrox cer-

tifications in their course programs, the filling facilities themselves are very limited and often require a considerable amount of time and distance. Despite the challenges, at least every Rec 1 course could begin with a nitrox 32 fill. The availability of additional filling gases depended on the presence of a mixed gas filling station.

Backup

A factor that demands attention has to do with spare parts, which are crucial. During the planning phase for Rec 1, I emphasize to the students who bring their own equipment that they should have appropriate spare O-rings for safety, for instance. With my rental gear, I make sure to have the necessary spare parts on hand. When it comes to regulators, I err on the side of caution and carry a backup first and second stage each.

My spare parts kit includes seal tape, a drysuit repair kit, O-rings, corresponding LP and HP rubber hoses for the GUE configuration, bungee cords, technical greases, screws, and nuts. A well-organized toolbox with a medium-pressure gauge is also part of the setup.

After conducting several Recreational Diver 1 courses, I can offer a preliminary assessment. Due to my willingness to travel, each course differed in terms of planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up. I constantly had to adjust to students, locations, and logistical challenges. To ensure nothing slipped through the cracks, I developed a checklist in accordance with GUE PLAN. Despite meticulous planning, one must remain adaptable enough to calmly resolve any unexpected issues that arise during the course.

Ultimately, these GUE courses conducted outside of the usual routine proved to be the most enjoyable experiences.

Oliver has been immersed in the world of diving since 2005, captivated by the mysteries beneath the waves. Quickly driven to share his passion, he became a recreational instructor. However, a profound negative experience while diving in a jacket-style configuration initially led him to consider giving up teaching. Yet, fueled by his dedication

to CCR and cave diving, and his perpetual quest for skill development, he encountered the GUE Recreational Diver 1 curriculum during his GUE Fundamentals training. Captivated by the concept of "beginning with the end in mind," he found his path as a GUE instructor.

www.intoabyss.de

Oliver Ober

DEEP CORE PROJECT

PHOTO JAVI SANCHEZ

– Citizen science divers supported the Coral Soul project in Spain

TEXT ERIK WURZ, MARC GRAY & TOM GOOSENS

PHOTOS GUILLERMO MARTÍN COZZI, JAVI SANCHEZ & RAFA CAMACHO

The Deep Core Project, highlighted in Quest Volume 23, Issue 2, is a crucial conservation effort led by Coral Soul in Punta de la Mona, La Herradura, Spain, focusing on the cold-water coral, Dendrophyllia ramea. This area's unique coastal upwelling zone offers ideal conditions for sustaining the local marine biodiversity. However, the coral population here has been severely impacted by human activities such as fishing and pollution, with discarded fishing gear and other debris, termed “residues,” posing a significant threat. These residues not only damage the coral physically but also lead to harmful infections. Contrary to the notion of natural recovery, the Coral Soul team's findings emphasize the urgent need for active intervention to ensure the survival and health of these corals, and in turn, the entire ecosystem of the region.

The working depths of the project are between 30 m/100 ft and 46/151 ft, so the GUE Coral Soul team is always on the lookout for technical divers who can help at those depths. The coral support project was initiated by Erik Wurz, who is one of the very few GUE Scientific Diver instructors. To support Erik and the Coral Soul team, a handful of GUE Tech 1 and Scientific Diver-trained divers who share a profound interest in marine protection work joined the team. The team developed out of curiosity, not only about how to apply the techniques from our training but mainly about how to support the Deep Core Project and the objectives of Coral Soul.

The team placed three levels of coral “nurseries” between 30 m/100 ft and 39 m/128 ft with an approximate depth spacing of 3 m/10

ft, and corals are repopulated within this area. The 30 m/100 ft zone is already “recovered,” meaning that plenty of corals have been repopulated in the surrounding area. So, let’s talk about working depths below 30 m/100 ft. This is the zone where helium-based breathing gases are preferred instead of nitrox, especially under difficult conditions with plenty of task loading.

Complexities of project diving

Before we dig into the details of the completed tasks, we must mention that project diving comes with its own complexities and risks— and these should be minimized and counteracted to have safe and efficient dives. Stress and exhaustion build up and errors can happen quickly. These challenges must be mitigated and managed effectively to ensure safe and efficient operations.

Coral farming is hard work. Despite the toll of two dives daily, the team continues to perform flawlessly even after six days of diving.

The inherent task load demanding continuous attention, the management of various equipment, and frequent context switches within and between diverse dives mean that project days can be intense. This intensity is further compounded by challenging conditions such as depths, strong currents, and considerable distances to cover. Moreover, equipment failures are not uncommon during project dives. Maintaining situational, self, and team awareness amidst these factors is paramount.

Turning to the scientific aspects of the project, it's evident that expertise in coral maintenance and handling doesn't develop overnight. However, task efficiency must quickly improve, especially considering the value of time at depths exceeding 30 m/100 ft.

With this understanding, let's delve into our team’s tasks.

Coral cleaning

Your hands are cold and stiff from scootering to the coral nurseries—the perfect time to get your coral maintenance bag out. Grab the wooden toothbrush and start to “clean”—or, more accurately, “maintain”—a cute Dendrophyllia ramea

While it is common sense to keep your hands warm during a dive, especially for safety reasons, drygloves with thick undergarments make your life much harder here. Hence, you see the friends from Coral Soul mostly with very thin neoprene gloves.

Want to know how to do coral maintenance? Here is how:

Hold the preselected coral carefully on the lower part after removing it from the nursery structure, taking care not to touch the orange (tissue-covered) parts whenever possible. Once securely held, gently shake the coral to remove sediment, handling it with care and attention.

PHOTO RAFA CAMACHO

Dry runs for mastering tool handling and the delicate procedures are a crucial part of the preparation.

PHOTO GUILLERMO MARTÍN COZZI

After shaking, proceed to brush the ”contaminated” parts in a single direction away from the coral polyps (with care, of course). This method minimizes the risk of spreading contaminations to the healthy parts and polyps, thus safeguarding the coral's well-being.

Why do we do this and what are we looking for? We’re mainly looking to identify and remove epibionts, which are parasites that are constantly in search of vulnerable spots and can slowly but steadily destroy or necrotize the coral.

Coral repopulation

You might get a cramp in your hands from mixing the two-part (2K) epoxy on the boat manually. So, now it’s the perfect time to plant a very delicate coral. But, hurry up—you don’t have much time to think about it. Using an already cured epoxy below water is almost impossible, so the clock is ticking. Now is the time to be both relaxed and efficient, and dry runs are an important part of the preparation. To ensure a high-quality repopulation process, we were constantly guided by Marina Palacios Miñambres. The last thing you want to happen now is to destroy a coral that has been monitored, cleaned, and fed with love for the last several months and will need years to grow again, if ever.

We begin by selecting a suitable coral and finding an appropriate spot for it, ideally a hole that provides just enough room for the coral and some 2K epoxy. Once we choose a spot, we thoroughly clean the wire brush from the repopulation tool bag to ensure a clean surface for the epoxy to adhere to. Carefully, we coat the coral’s “foot” with just enough epoxy to not harm the rest of the coral. Using drygloves to portion the 2K epoxy glue proves almost impossible, so it's best to avoid attempting it. Occasionally, confusion may arise in recalling the selected and cleaned spot on the wall, as these spots are not easily memorized, but with repetition, this becomes easier. The shaft of the toothbrush is handy for sealing the epoxy around the coral. Once all corals are placed, a proper cleanup ensues, ensuring everything brought is taken back; the repopulation tool bag is securely stowed to prevent any mishaps. Back on the boat, it's time for a well-deserved break to appreciate the

efficacy of the 2K epoxy on the drysuit surface, followed by a relaxing drink with the team.

Nursery structure removal

Finding a suitable attachment point for a 50 kg/110 lb rusted steel structure amidst sharp coral grid remnants akin to needles poses a considerable challenge. Additionally, transporting such a structure through heavy currents back to the harbor presents further complications. In such circumstances, the most prudent response might indeed be reconsideration. Nursery structures serve as essential supports for corals requiring active maintenance, necessitating periodic exchanges due to ongoing corrosion. Despite their relatively small volume, these structures exhibit near-equivalent weight both above and below the waterline, accentuating the complexity of handling and transporting them in challenging conditions.

CCR luxury

Finning away proved ineffective, prompting us to devise an initial strategy: opening the heavily rusted shackles to carefully detach the structure, then endeavoring to keep it buoyant using a lift bag while one hand guided its movement as the scooters pulled us. However, this approach quickly led to exhaustion, and this posed significant risks, particularly for our rebreather divers. Patience and time were paramount in tackling this task, with the closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) offering the luxury of extended time but also necessitating a deliberate pace.

Ultimately, a safer and more effective solution emerged: attaching two scooters directly to the structure while steering clear of the needle-like rusty spots. One person controlled the lift bag with a scooter, making it a task feasibly managed by two but significantly safer with a team of three—a true testament to teamwork. Upon surfacing after 40 minutes of decompression, four individuals were required to lift the structure onto the boat.

The residue removal effort extended beyond mere surface debris. One notable challenge involved a substantial rock, approximately 10 m/33 ft in diameter, obscured by a ghost net at a depth of 41 m/135 ft. This obstacle, en-

countered during our initial check dive, became the focal point of our first removal action at the Piedras Altas location in Punta de la Mona.

Our subsequent removal action ventured deeper, with the rebreather team descending to 46 m/150 ft and the open-circuit team to 41 m/135 ft, targeting areas below the canyons of Punta de la Mona. Here, we discovered and lifted nets, artificial anchor buoys from fishing activities, and tires. To contribute to the ongoing cleanup and preservation efforts, the open-circuit teams concentrated their efforts on clearing tires and nets in the 39 m/128 ft areas.

Hard work

The tasks at hand mirror the diversity of the residues we encounter. Retrieving a lost octopus trap, for instance, means grappling with the intense water drag while scootering, an experience that underscores the physical challenges inherent in our work. Even seemingly straightfor-

ward tasks like collecting fishing lines or untangling net remnants can swiftly escalate, demanding the dexterity of five hands to navigate potential entanglements. The process of lifting nets is far from simple, requiring both experience and thorough training to ensure safety—a topic that warrants extensive discussion beyond the scope of this article. Our encounters have revealed that these seemingly innocuous nets don't offer consistent break loads after spending decades beneath the surface.

Deploying lift bags—whether for a small tire or a larger object—demands a high level of team coordination and situational awareness. Have you ever deployed a lift bag containing 100 kg/220 Ib of dense ballast from a depth of 46 m/150 ft? It's a task that underscores the precision required in our operations.

And, of course, mistakes are part and parcel of our daily routine. Even the expensive lift bags inadvertently left behind at 38 m/125 ft during

PHOTO JAVI SANCHEZ

a momentary lapse of memory can be retrieved during subsequent projects. Quick errors, we've learned, are an inevitable aspect of project work.

Lessons learned

If you're accustomed to diving with a bare standard configuration and only brought along a single double-ender, you'll quickly encounter limitations. Beneath the surface, the scenario often involves a flurry of actions: clipping things here, measuring there, using tool “Y” somewhere, and (inevitably) a request from your buddy to hold something momentarily results in the disappearance of three double-enders and a sudden two-kilo change in buoyancy until resurfacing. The GUE Scientific Diver course stands as a prime example of training that addresses this challenge, broad-

ening your understanding of equipment handling and safety in project contexts.

The escalating costs of helium remain an ongoing concern, presenting a challenge for projects like Coral Soul, which operate within limited financial means. While the notion of universally standardized gases for open-circuit diving may seem enticing, our reality demands a more pragmatic approach.

Javi, from DifferentScubaSchool demonstrated remarkable dedication in blending our gases, infusing them with passion. This underscores the potential value of developing project-based standard gases. For instance, a 21/35 mix, although a luxury option for some, may be suitable for depths akin to those of our first nursery. However, for more cost-effective solutions, it's worth considering

A couple of hours’ deco gives ample time to reflect on the dive and plan the work ahead.

The steel frameworks supporting the coral nurseries are enveloped by a rich diversity of marine life.

a project-specific approach. Instead of aiming for uniformity across all contexts, we should tailor our gas mixes to the specific parameters of each project. Why not harmonize our gases not universally, but rather on a project-by-project basis? This could lead to more efficient and economically viable diving practices.

Think it, plan it, agree on it, build the tables, write them into your wetnotes, set up your computers, there you go. Too loose? Margin for task load needed? Better to have a less dense gas for the CCRs? Plan with your team and have safe dives.

Do you remember questioning your own abilities before your last serious dive training? You might have these same questions before a project, and the answer is: Yes, you can. And even if something is too hard to handle at one moment, the next moment comes soon, and your team is at your side.

Tom looks like he was born with that scooter attached to him. But we are not going to reveal that the project dives were his first ten hours of scootering.

Dedication

Embarking on a project entails more than just financial investment. It requires precious time and effort, often at the expense of personal commitments: being away from loved ones, adapting to different climates, and managing various emotions. Take, for instance, a minor delay at a sunny harbor in southern Spain, which could dampen the spirits of even the most seasoned diver from the north.

It's crucial to remember that you're not expected to function like a machine. Just because the schedule outlines two daily dives doesn’t mean you must adhere to it rigidly. If you find yourself pushing too hard or you’re feeling strained, it's perfectly acceptable to take a day off from project diving and simply relish the moment. Shut off that internal pressure to perform simply because you've traveled a long distance. Doing so significantly enhances your safety and that of your team.

As Javi wisely pointed out, we engage in project diving while striving to maintain the safest environment possible. While experience

PHOTO JAVI SANCHEZ

Replacing rusted steel structures is a delicate task, best undertaken using a CCR that allows more time.

undoubtedly contributes to efficiency, it's essential to recognize the creeping effects of exhaustion, particularly after several days of rigorous diving. Nevertheless, the team consistently delivers top-notch work, even amid the challenges, as evidenced by their meticulous maintenance of corals on day six.

Project outlook: What is next?

Marina’s initial presentation of static numbers during the first days piqued our curiosity, but it was the immersive experience of witnessing the vibrant life flourishing around the corals during our dives that truly left us awe-inspired.

Subjectively, long-time divers in the area noted the reappearance of species unseen for years in areas where corals had been repopulated. Objectively, Coral Soul's efforts were validated by a 42% greater abundance of species in the restored areas compared to the control zone. The prospect of future life thriving around the corals we planted filled our hearts with anticipation and joy.

“It's crucial to remember that you're not expected to function like a machine. Just because the schedule outlines two daily dives doesn’t mean you must adhere to it rigidly.

Reflecting on our journey, we realize that our next endeavor won't be a fresh start. Armed with insights and lessons from our previous project in La Herradura, we approach the upcoming tasks with confidence and efficiency. Continuous efforts are crucial to maintain the progress achieved thus far, especially as we venture into deeper waters. Moving the first nursery to the deeper area of the second nursery looms as a significant task for 2024, given the persistent challenges between 35 and 39 m/115 and 128 ft.

Despite our progress, the area around Punta de la Mona remains vulnerable to fishing and

anchoring activities, undermining the efforts of the Deep Core Project. Collaborating with Coral Soul, Coral Guardian, and differentscubaschool, we've worked tirelessly to provide research data to the Andalusian government, advocating for the establishment of a marine protected area (MPA). While bureaucratic processes unfold, the urgency of our mission propels us forward. Indeed, there is much more work to be done, and we remain steadfastly committed to the

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

cause. We invite others to join us—whether in La Herradura or the expanding efforts in Sardinia—to experience the impact of our collective actions firsthand. Coral Soul offers a purpose-driven dive project where every contribution makes a tangible difference. The sense of fulfillment is unparalleled, whether it's returning home with 200 kg/440 Ib of nets or witnessing the transformation of underwater ecosystems. 

We extend heartfelt gratitude to the entire Coral Soul, Coral Guardian, and differentscubaschool teams for their unwavering support, to Emilio of malagadive for providing DPVs and stunning photos, and to Rafa of buceonature for his invaluable assistance and beautiful imagery. Together, we continue to strive toward our shared vision of a healthier marine environment.

Marc is a traveling software developer, originally based in Munich, who found a passion for ocean conservation and project diving. He has been diving since 1997 and is a GUE Tech 1, GUE Scientific Diver, and IANTD KISS Classic CCR trained diver who recently discovered the beauty of cave diving.

Erik is a marine biologist and holds a PhD in deep-sea sponge physiology. He serves as the Dive Safety Officer for the Wageningen University in the Netherlands and is running scientific diving courses for students and staff. Erik is also one of the few GUE instructors teaching the Scientific Diver program.

Tom has been diving since 2016, and his passion for aquatic life and its protection was ignited after encountering GUE in 2020. To enhance his skills and contribute more effectively, he completed the Scientific Diver and Tech1 course.

While traveling, he participates in local beach cleanup projects and volunteers on eco farms and for a chicken protection organization. His future plans are definitely centered around nature protection.

Since then, he has participated in various projects aimed at preserving our fragile natural environment. Continuously committed to this cause, Tom is set to join the upcoming Coral Soul project this year.

Erik Wurz

Tom Goosens

Marc Gray

It is a rewarding feeling to return home with 200 kg/440 Ib of ghost nets.

PHOTO CORAL SOUL

ALTERNATIVE REBREATHER

CONFIGURATION

– When sidemount becomes the solution

Most divers who are certified to use the JJ-CCR in the GUE configuration agree that it is highly effective in exploring wrecks and caves and that it offers everything they could ask for. With over a decade of tried and tested performance, it continues to be a reliable choice for ambitious and challenging dives worldwide. However, in specific scenarios, the JJ-CCR encounters certain limitations, and a more streamlined and flexible configuration can provide the solution. In this context, Kirill Egorov shares his experiences with sidemount rebreathers.

Starting in 2008, and for a few years thereafter, GUE began to seriously investigate the feasibility of introducing CCR courses into the curriculum. Initially, a lot of senior instructors were relatively reluctant; but as helium became more expensive and less available, and our projects took us to deeper and more remote locations, the use of closed-circuit rebreathers looked more and more promising. Eventually, the JJ-CCR was chosen, and Richard Lundgren drove the development of the CCR program with his usual determination. As a result, we released our closed-circuit rebreather diver program, GUE CCR, in 2013.

As a base configuration for the class and for all GUE related activities, Richard suggested backmounted, manifolded tanks for diluent and a backmounted oxygen tank. The logic behind this configuration seems unbeatable to me to this day, and it remains my main configuration of choice.

The GUE CCR standard configuration certainly has advantages:

• All the skills acquired during our open-circuit training (e.g., valve manipulation, stage management, and auxiliary equipment placement) stay the same as a diver transitions to CCR diving.

• There is consistency between GUE CCR and PSCR configurations.

• Divers are carrying enough immediately accessible bailout gas either via bailout or DSV (dive surface valve) without the need for a gas-switch procedure.

• This configuration is compact enough to transport in a car or on a boat while providing an exceptionally stable platform underwater.

So, if the JJ-CCR in the GUE configuration seems like an all around winner, why are we even having this conversation?

The mother of invention

I guess I should explain a little bit about my personal experiences. Over the last seven or eight years, my diving adventures have brought me to more and more unique locations where I began to encounter certain limitations of the standard GUE CCR configuration. The caves were getting more and more remote. Sometimes they required trekking through the jungle, or navigating dry passages inside the cave. Some passages and cave entrances were becoming progressively more and more restrictive, and sometimes narrow to the point that using backmounted rebreathers became impossible.

I strongly believe that since we have both Global and Explorers in the name of our organization, the size and weight of our equipment should not be a limiting factor in our exploration and documentation activities.

That’s where my configuration discovery process began, and I was lucky to be guided by people like Brett Hemphill, Andy Pitkin, and Matt Vinzant when I joined Karst Underwater Research (KUR).

My first challenge came as I was allowed to dive at Twin Dees/Weeki Wachee cave system. I was given full access to the cave to photo document it. I quickly realized that doing it on open-circuit would be extremely complicated from a configuration perspective—and the cost of gas required would probably make it impossi-

SIDEBAR // fO2 DROP

In semi-closed rebreathers, like any rebreathers, divers breathe in a loop. When they exhale, the carbon dioxide (CO2) in their breath is removed, and the remaining oxygen (O2) is supplemented to keep the diver supplied with fresh air. The fraction drop refers to what happens to the concentration of oxygen in the breathing loop over time. As the diver breathes in and out, some oxygen is consumed with each breath. In a semi-closed rebreather, the system adds oxygen periodically to maintain a certain level of oxygen in the loop. However, because the diver is consuming oxygen with each breath and the

ble. There was no way I could push the GUE CCR configuration through the narrow entry tube, and it would be equally impossible to scooter through the first 400 m/1,300 ft of the fragile and decorated passage with a low ceiling.

That’s when my teammates carefully guided me towards what can be described as the KUR CCR configuration: A backmounted rebreather with standard 3-liter tanks mounted on it, oxygen on the right and inflation gas on the left, and bailout/diluent gas carried in two sidemounted tanks. Either of these tanks can be connected to the ADV/BOV using a quick disconnect. This allows the diver to carry a large quantity of bailout gas while keeping a relatively streamlined profile, and it facilitates a transition to an even more streamlined profile during the dive by unclipping one or both tanks. This setup also makes it easy to connect any gas (safety or decompression) to the rebreather at any point during the dive.

Fine tuning

As is often the case with any sidemount configuration, the setup and finetuning process is meticulous and painful. Every tiny detail matters: backplate adjustments, sidemount attachment types and positioning, tank material and buoyancy characteristics, and amount of gas in the tanks. But once it’s set up and dialed in, it turns into quite an efficient option.

system only adds oxygen intermittently, there can be a slight decrease in the oxygen concentration over time.

Similarly, in a semi-closed rebreather, the oxygen level in the breathing loop gradually drops as the diver consumes oxygen faster than the system adds it. This is why divers using such systems need to monitor their oxygen levels and occasionally manually adjust or "top off" the system to ensure they have enough oxygen for the duration of their dive. It takes anywhere from five to eight breathing cycles for gas to be refreshed/re-injected, and the fraction of O2 in the loop drops roughly by 4% with every exhalation.

“

I strongly believe that since we have both Global and Explorers in the name of our organization, the size and weight of our equipment should not be a limiting factor in our exploration and documentation activities..

Even though the standard JJ-CCR setup remains the preferred choice, exploration sometimes necessitates an alternative approach.

Disclaimer

All information in this article is based on my personal opinion. It is not intended to teach anyone, to spark any arguments, or undermine anyone’s courses, opinions, or choices. These are nothing but my own thoughts on the topic.

“As is often the

case with any sidemount configuration, the setup and finetuning process is meticulous and painful. Every tiny detail matters.

Sidemount rebreathers not only offer a sleeker profile for penetrating narrow passages but also provide more easily transportable units in remote locations.

The KUR configuration is the solution for exploring deep caves where relatively short restrictions prevent entering either the whole cave (like in Twin Dees) or sections of the cave (like Eagle's Nest).

But what if the whole cave is restrictive and either deep or very extensive?

True and pseudo

In these contexts, the idea of sidemount rebreathers really comes into play. We can say that there are two main types of sidemount rebreather: true and pseudo (my own terminology).

True sidemount rebreathers can be easily detached, pushed, pulled, or left in a cave. They should be as self-contained as possible (built-in counterlungs and on-board oxygen and possibly diluent tanks). Examples of these are the Liberty SM, Flex, and Halcyon RB80.

One of the problems I find with this type of rebreather is that they are quite large and will have to replace one of the bailout sidemount tanks on your body, which I personally find extremely disconcerting. While you can definitely increase the amount of bailout gas by adding stages, if the path is truly a sidemount type passage, stages will unfortunately increase damage to the cave, and they can be hard to reach.

With all the help I could get from Chris Le Maillot and Julien Fortin from CINDAQ/MCEP to figure it all out, I learned that a sidemount RB80 does the trick and makes it possible to keep both sidemount tanks on my side where they belong. It is robust and simple, and given the flat profile, it works just fine. But, you need to select a reasonable drive gas that takes care of the socalled fraction drop (see sidebar fO2 drop) that still works as your open-circuit bailout at a given depth.

The drawbacks of this approach are the need to perform multiple gas switches on a multilevel or a sawtooth profile and the fact that the gas efficiency on the RB80 is less optimal compared to CCR.

As an additional feature, both the sidemount CCRs and the RB80/RBK can relatively easily be converted into bailout rebreathers. They are easily sidemountable, they can be driven by any of the bailout bottles, and they are very robust.

Pseudo sidemount

So, what is a pseudo-sidemount rebreather? These are units that can easily be added to a regular sidemount setup without any modification of the open-circuit components. However, once you put it on, you will not be able to remove it again. And their profiles are slightly

Setting up and finetuning a sidemount configuration requires meticulous attention to details. Once properly configured, it becomes an efficient option.

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

TRUE SIDEMOUNT UNITS

PSEUDO SIDEMOUNT UNITS

CHESTMOUNT UNITS

1. Halcyon RBK

2. Divesoft Liberty SM

3. iQSub FLEX2 CCR

4. KISS Sidewinder

5. Fathom Gemini

6. Dive Rite O2ptima CM

7. SubGravity FXCCR

8. Triton CCR

larger than the typical true-sidemount rebreather. Currently, there are two units of this kind: the KISS Sidewinder and Fathom Gemini. While I have really enjoyed diving my KISS, I also found that the unit has very low to no flood tolerance, the scrubber size is fairly limited, and it requires a lot of modifications to fit my requirements.

There are also some options that I have not personally tried but that are becoming fairly popular. These are chestmounted rebreathers, both semi-closed and fully closed (Triton, O2ptima CM, and SubGravity). These rebreathers have some very attractive features: they are exceptionally easy to travel with (some can be taken as carry-on baggage) and they can be attached to any regular gear configuration without any major changes. They can be clipped to a backplate and wing, a recreational jacket-style buoyancy compensator, or a sidemount harness. Thanks to the counterlung placement,

these units feature an incredibly low work of breathing and a great flood tolerance. On the other hand, they increase the combined height of your profile, and when scootering, they can deflect the prop wash towards the bottom (leading to significant visibility reduction).

Back to the JJ

As you can see, when choosing to deviate from the well-designed and well-conceived GUE CCR configuration and venturing into the world of deep, long caves featuring some nasty restrictions, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all configuration.

While I find it extremely fun to take photos and explore some of the coolest caves while playing with new rebreathers and configurations, I always feel the best whenever I can get my JJ-CCR with backmount tanks and go for a dive on a wreck or in a big, fun cave. It feels familiar, comfortable, and stable. 

Dedication

While writing this article, I learned that a friend and a teammate of mine did not return from an exploration dive at Phantom Springs, Texas. A lot of what I know about the use of CCRs and sidemount in caves I learned by diving with him and other divers in the Karst Underwater Research group. I would like to dedicate this article to the memory of Brett Hemphill, The Explorer.

While experimenting with different rebreathers is exciting, Kirill is most comfortable using the trusted JJ-CCR with backmount tanks for most wreck and cave diving.

“As

you can see, when choosing to deviate from the well-designed and well-conceived GUE CCR configuration and venturing into the world of deep, long caves featuring some nasty restrictions, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all configuration.

Kirill Egorov

Kirill graduated from Moscow State Pedagogical University as a teacher of Physics in 1999 and attended a course of archaeology at Moscow State University. These two specialties allowed him to participate in multiple scientific research programs. After his first try-dive in 2000, Kirill was totally amazed with the underwater world, and made it his hobby first and profession later. He became a PADI recreational

and technical instructor in 2003-2004 and joined GUE in 2005. Since that moment he has concentrated on two main passions: diving and teaching diving. Kirill is currently teaching for GUE at the Cave 2, Tech 2, and CCR levels and working on GUE training materials. He resides in High Springs, Florida, which allows him to cave dive as much as possible.

PHOTO

BRANDI MUELLER

Obsessed with the ocean from a young age, Brandi has always wanted to show everyone what she sees underwater— be it a tiny nudibranch or the inside of a WWII wreck. She started diving 25 years ago as a teenager and couldn’t get enough of it. To get closer to the water, she moved to Florida to study marine science at university and became an instructor. Working as a dive instructor and boat captain, she has been able to live and work in places that include Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, the Dominican Republic, and Turks and Caicos. Brandi is also passionate about travel. She has visited over 75 countries and has dived in more than half of them.

Obsessed with the ocean

Starting out with a small point-and-shoot, her camera kit continued to get bigger and bigger over the years; currently, Brandi is an Ikelite Ambassador shooting a Nikon D850, a Z7ii, and a Kraken Sports Pro. She has been published widely in print and online, including National Geographic publications, Smithsonian Air and Space, Scuba Diving, X-Ray Magazine, and many others. She has a book on WWII airplanes called The Airplane Graveyard and has a second book coming out at the end of 2024 about WWII wrecks throughout the Pacific. She loves capturing interesting behaviors underwater and recording the underwater museums of war wrecks.

Brandi currently spends half the year captaining the MV Truk Odyssey in Chuuk, Micronesia (to feed her WWII wrecks obsession) and spends the rest of her time traveling, diving, and taking images for books, magazines, and diving operations. She teaches underwater photography workshops and leads trips around the world.

www.brandiunderwater.com

TITLE Inside the Spiegel Grove

LOCATION Key Largo, Florida, CAMERA Nikon D850 HOUSING Ikelite LENS 8-15mm Fisheye

EXPOSURE f/7.1, 1/100s, ISO 250

STROBE Dual Ikelite DS161s COMMENTS A CCR diver explores the engine room of the USS Spiegel Grove

TITLE Out of the Light LOCATION Mexico

CAMERA Nikon Z7ii HOUSING Ikelite LENS 12-28mm

EXPOSURE f/6.3, 1/60s, ISO 2500

STROBE Ambient Light COMMENTS Sarah Pulitzer leaves the light at Azul Ha.

TITLE Preparing for Parenthood

LOCATION Philippines

CAMERA Nikon D850

HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 105mm

EXPOSURE f/18, 1/200s, ISO 200

STROBE Dual Ikelite DS230s

COMMENTS A cardinalfish with a mouthful of eggs.

TITLE Upside-down Smiles

LOCATION Galapagos

CAMERA Nikon D850

HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 8-15mm Fisheye

EXPOSURE f/8, 1/125s, ISO 500

STROBE Dual Ikelite DS161s

COMMENTS A playful sea lion in the Galapagos comes in to say hello.

TITLE Otoch Ha

LOCATION Mexico

CAMERA Nikon Z7ii

HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 12-28mm

EXPOSURE f/11, 1/50s, ISO 2500

STROBE No strobes, about 50,000 lumens of Kraken Sports and Big Blue Lights

COMMENTS Mauro Bordignon sets the stage with over 50,000 lumens of Kraken Sports and Big Blue lights inside Otoch Ha. This passage makes me think of melting candle wax.

TITLE Inside an Avenger

LOCATION Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

CAMERA Nikon D850 HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 8-15mm Fisheye

EXPOSURE f/13, 1/125s, ISO 500

STROBE Dual Ikelite DS 161s

COMMENTS Looking out from inside a TBM Avenger that was blown off the USS Saratoga during the nuclear tests of Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll.

TITLE Martin PBM Mariner

LOCATION Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

CAMERA Nikon D750 HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 10.5mm Fisheye

EXPOSURE f/8, 1/80s, ISO 400

STROBE Ambient Light

COMMENTS A diver explores a Martin PBM Mariner, a twin-engine American patrol bomber from WWII.

TITLE Shy

LOCATION Philippines

CAMERA Nikon D850

HOUSING Ikelite

LENS 105mm

EXPOSURE f/14, 1/200s, ISO 200

STROBE Dual Ikelite DS230s

COMMENTS A clownfish tries to hide within its anemone home.

TEXT NUNO PADRAO WITH KIRILL EGOROV, DOROTA CZERNY & JARROD JABLONSKI

PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER, JULIAN MŰHLENHAUS, IMAD FARHAT & ANDREI VOINIGESCU

ILLUSTRATIONS ALEXANDRA HUTH

UNDERWATER COMMUNICATION

Effective underwater communication is crucial for divers, as it enables the clear and concise exchange of information, reinforcing team coordination and goal achievement during dives. Conversely, inadequate communication can potentially compromise both the mission's success and the team's safety. Given that verbal expression is not possible underwater, divers rely on alternative methods like hand signals, light signals, touch contact, and writing messages. In this three-part series we will review and explain effective communication methods.

UNDERWATER COMMUNICATION

– Part one: hand and light communication

To prevent any misunderstanding, the thumbs up signal, indicating the end of the the dive, must be acknowledged with a corresponding command signal.

PHOTO IMAD FARHAD

“GAs different types of communication are reviewed, specific methods of interacting underwater in a manner that is efficient, standardized, and mutually understood by all members of the dive team will be clarified.

UE standardization procedures, team formations, planning, and acute awareness allow for general understanding between team members, usually without the need for further clarification. But each dive, be it a simple dive to visit a reef or a more complex project dive, requires clear and understandable communication between and among divers.

It is natural for beginning divers to have habits already, and some of those are reflected in the way they communicate. Divers communicate underwater with “divers’ language.” When the definition of the “words” is in a common language that everyone understands and agrees upon, communication is much more efficient.

As different types of communication are reviewed, specific methods of interacting underwater in a manner that is efficient, standardized, and mutually understood by all members of the dive team will be clarified.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF DIVING SIGNALS

Command signals

Command signals can be performed by using either hand or light and require a response and, frequently, a reaction. These signals are simple, but they carry an important message. They are used to communicate in a scenario of urgency

or when immediate action is needed. Command signs from one diver must be responded to with the same sign from the other diver (apart from the OK question sign and when a diver is not OK).

Command signs are: OK, terminate the dive (raised thumb), stop/hold.

When a diver sees a command sign, they should respond, even if the motivations of their team member for such communication seem strange at the time. Abusing command signs can be counterproductive, e.g. signalling frequently to ask if a dive buddy is OK will diminish the message's meaning, leading the teammate(s) to devalue the communication.

Emergency Signals

Emergency signals, much like command signs, can be performed using a hand or light. As the name indicates, emergency signals are used to communicate an emergency to the team. When such a sign is used, it requires an efficient reaction from teammates in order to take control of the situation and stabilize the diver in distress before trying to solve the issue at hand.

Information Signals

Any signal that is not a command signal or is not one that conveys an emergency is a general signal or an information signal. These signals allow divers to communicate a wide range of information or situations. When combined, divers can pass quite complex messages to their teams.

TYPES OF DIVING COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Hand communication

One of the primary and most intuitive ways for divers to transfer information is by using their hands to signal what is intended to communicate. Hand signals are generally divided into three main categories: command, emergency, and information signs.

Communication through hand signals must be clear, obvious, and to the point. Some gestures, such as nodding the head in agreement or shaking the head from side to side in disagreement, are familiar and recognizable gestures from day-to-day life. Speaking fast, rushing through or cutting short the message, or not being concise is also commonly seen. Underwater, though, while using a hood, mask, and dive gear, small gestures can easily be confused or misinterpreted.

In order to avoid confusion and improve understanding, a number of guidelines must be followed:

• Get the attention of the team before communicating.

• Get the attention of the other diver(s) with which communication is desired.

• Establish eye contact.

• Communicate with exaggerated signals performed in a very slow and deliberate manner in the field of view of the diver(s) being signalled.

• Do not use quick and rapid movements, which will not only be unclear but also could be perceived as aggression or stress.

• When answering, confirm the signs with the same sign even if it is not a command sign; this verifies understanding of what was communicated (and expect the same from teammates). By doing this, divers also make sure the signal received was a question (information) and not erroneous communication.

• Do not point at a teammate trying to show what they need to do; instead, a diver should point to themself and demonstrate on themself.

• If illumination is needed to make hand signals visible, use one-handed signals, point the light beam at the “talking” hand, but make sure that light is not directed at any teammate’s eyes. The diver should point the light downwards or toward their own chest.

In dim or murky waters, light signals are essential for communication. While effective over long distances, the signaling vocabulary is limited.

PHOTO ANDREI VOINIGESCU

Signal clearly by exaggerating movements slowly within the divers field of view. Avoid rapid gestures, as they may cause confusion or be interpreted as hostile or stressful.

Light Communication

Light signals are a diver’s most efficient means of communicating in dark and/or murky waters or generally in limited light conditions (e.g. night dive). In these environments, a diving light (torch) is a mandatory piece of equipment.

Light signals are effective because they can be used over great distances; however, the signalling “vocabulary” is fairly limited.

To facilitate successful communication, divers require a light with a focused beam powerful enough to penetrate the water so other team members can see it (even when swimming one after the other). It is equally important that divers in a team have lights with similar light output to ensure that all light beams are easily visible. When diving in dark conditions, divers can also use the light to illuminate hand signals, enabling the other teammates to correctly read and interpret sign language.

Light communication requires finesse and etiquette. Due to the strength of the light, moving

a light randomly and at varying speeds can be disruptive to others. Such ongoing, erratic movements could also cause teammates to ignore the communication, assuming a lack of skills eventually. This could spell disaster in the event of a real emergency when a diver needs to alert their teammate(s).

There are two categories of light communication: passive and active.

Passive communication

Passive communication is defined as a way of staying in contact with the dive team without the demonstrative effort of articulating specific information. It is a subtle yet effective method of communicating, as it allows divers to remain aware of the presence of one another in their peripheral vision. During passive communication, a diver shines their light in an area and at an angle so that the diver in front or beside them can always see it. This tells the other divers that the team member is properly positioned, that they are well,

and that team integrity is intact. When using the light to enjoy the scenery, divers are able to maintain passive communication by systematically bringing their beam back into the field of vision of team members (approximately once every 30 seconds). They may also sweep the beam across an area where team members are most likely to be looking (often the point or feature on which the team member’s light is shining).

A dive team that is accurate and mindful of its passive communication is substantially more efficient than teams that lack the ability to track their divers. Reaching this level of refinement requires that divers be mindful of the way they use their lights. Proficient divers avoid rapid, jerky light movements and maintain constant, passive contact with their team.

To develop good light discipline and to avoid blinding or distracting teammates, a diver should make sure that whenever they are performing tasks with their left hand (e.g. checking the left valve, reaching to their left pocket,

dumping gas via rare dump valve, or reaching for the SPG), they temporarily move the light head into their right hand while maintaining passive communication.

As divers are moving their light from left to right, they should point the light down and slowly move it, keeping the light beam toward the bottom and in the field of vision of the team to prevent erroneous “attention” signals. (For more information regarding passive communication and positioning, refer to the team formations saction in the next article.)

Active communication

Active communication is used to convey command signals and to express more precise messages to the team. It may also be used when passive communication breaks down or is inadequate. Sometimes divers use active light signalling just for the comfort of conversing with a team member in the alien (underwater) environment.

PHOTO JULIAN MŰHLENHAUS

Touch contact is essential in specific scenarios, such as when sharing gas horizontally or in low visibility conditions. Additionally, it can calm stressed or buoyancytroubled divers divers, offering reassurance.

To actively communicate with a diving light, divers move the light beam in different patterns with varying speeds and intensity to deliver clear information. When they use a dive light in this way, they should think of the light beam as their “voice” underwater. Divers may adjust the intensity (loudness of the “voice”) of their light movement to reflect the urgency of their message. The speed of the light movement should be equivalent to a person's ability to speak, to speak loudly, and to shout.

The three primary light signals are as follows:

OK: Moving the light beam in a circle is the equivalent of an OK sign. This command signal is used to ask and confirm that divers are OK, to highlight underwater features or routes of interest (by making an OK signal over the object), or to solidify team integrity if passive communication is uncertain.

Attention: A flick of the light beam across another diver’s light, or moving the light slowly back and forth (or side to side), tells the team that a diver seeks attention. Alternatively, a brief pass of the light across the diver’s mask can get attention, too, but care should be taken not to blind the diver. The attention-seeking diver can

then direct their beam to the point of interest/ concern or use additional signals to convey the message.

Emergency: In an emergency, divers should move their light rapidly (direction is not important, e.g. back/forth or up/down) to signal urgency and the need for an immediate response. Divers must take care only to use the emergency signal in a truly threatening situation. There must be a clear distinction between a calm but determined attention signal and the rapid, urgent movement of the emergency signal. As an example, the most common use for emergency light signals would be an out-of-gas situation, which would require immediate and unequivocal action.

TOUCH CONTACT

Divers who have experienced issues underwater may need to stay in physical contact with one another. Touch contact is a mandatory practice in certain situations. Travelling horizontally while gas-sharing or in an environment with significantly degraded visibility will require touch contact to maintain integrity and ensure the safety of the dive team. It may also

PHOTO IMAD FARHAD

be advisable to make physical contact with divers who are experiencing stress or having buoyancy problems, as touch contact can have a calming effect and may be reassuring to a distressed diver. Touch contact is a good way of gaining attention when other methods fail (when the diver is not attentive to other forms of attempted communication).

A diver will typically establish contact by lightly and respectfully grasping the arm or leg of their team member. The diver can communicate simple messages in this position by squeezing or gently pulling the team member's arm/leg. Divers should note that touch contact is a fairly primitive (but highly intuitive) form of communication. Divers must, therefore, be precise in their movements in order to avoid misinterpretation.

• Stop/hold: a single firm squeeze means stop or hold. Stopping/holding is also mandatory if the touch contact is temporarily broken, e.g. touch contact is required during horizontal movement in an out-ofgas emergency; when the receiver feels the donor has released the grasp of their arm, the receiver should stop and wait for further instructions. Similarly, in touch contact while swimming in a single file,

Side note: Some divers may feel uncomfortable when touched, thus, the option of such communication must be briefed to all team members, and approval must be obtained before a dive. Any physical contact has to respect the personal comfort, ethnicity, culture, and gender of the divers involved.

when the diver in front feels the touch contact is broken, they will wait for the diver behind to re-establish touch contact (or initiate a search for the diver using the protocol for team separation).

• Move forward/back: a firm push forward or a tug backwards tells a diver to either move forward or back.

• Emergency: rapidly shaking the diver’s arm or leg signals an emergency.

• Cross the line (change the side): finding the teammate's hand that is holding the line and making a “door knob” motion by twisting their hand twice will communicate that the team will change from the side they are on to the opposite side, where they will continue swimming.

• Out of gas: using the line, the out-of-gas diver would follow it with their hand until they found their teammate’s hand on it, then follow it to their teammate’s face. They would then locate the regulator the teammate is breathing from and tug lightly on it. 

NEXT TIME: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION AND TEAM FORMATIONS

CAVE DIVING

TEXT FROM THE GUE PUBLICATION DEEP INTO CAVE DIVING WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KIRILL EGOROV, JARROD JABLONSKI, DANIEL RIORDAN, FRED DEVOS, TODD KINCAID, & CHRIS LE MAILLOT PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV & XXXXXX

TEXT FROM THE GUE PUBLICATION DEEP INTO CAVE DIVING WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KIRILL EGOROV, JARROD JABLONSKI, DANIEL RIORDAN, FRED DEVOS, TODD KINCAID, & CHRIS LE MAILLOT PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV

If we knew that we never would run into trouble when diving, training courses would be considerably abbreviated. However, the reality is that diving education predominantly revolves around preparing for and responding to potential emergencies,w ranging from minor equipment malfunctions to critical incidents like a lost diving buddy. Nowhere is this emphasis on emergency management more pronounced than in cave diving, where the absence of a direct route to the surface heightens the stakes. In such an unforgiving environment, a comprehensive arsenal of emergency protocols becomes imperative to ensure safe and successful cave exploration.

Emergency situations are rarely the result of only one thing going wrong; rather, they tend to emerge out of a synergy of several poorly managed problems. Major equipment failures are rare in diving, but poor decisions are quite common. A minor problem such as a light failure can easily escalate into a more serious one if a team fails to act responsibly. Astute divers can often eliminate potential problems well in advance and, with minimum effort, greatly increase the safety of their dive. By staying within personal and agency-mandated limits, by striving to maintain a high level of awareness, by remaining cognizant of other team members, and by following a well-structured dive plan, divers can do a great deal to eliminate confusion during their dive. Dive teams can also minimize problems by meticulously maintaining their equipment and by configuring it in a clean, efficient manner.

Conscientious divers, who remain within their comfort zone and who can function independently, are true assets to their dive team. Overly dependent divers, on the other hand, can be a liability both to their team and to themselves and must be forthcoming and open enough to articulate whatever discomfort they are feeling. Divers should never allow peer pressure or careless exuberance to push them into places that are well beyond their comfort level or ability. All divers must determine their limitations and accept the responsibility of diving within their abilities and training. Ignoring such reasonable guidelines can place both the individual diver and the team in unnecessary danger.

A few good rules would dictate that responsible divers:

• Invest in preparation.

• Are aware of their surroundings.

• Know their limitations.

Crisis management

Occasionally, problems arise that even the most perceptive and experienced divers cannot anticipate. Resolving small problems, however, is often a very simple matter if trained divers

pause to make sound decisions. Yet, quite often, divers act in a hurried, unthinking manner, which exacerbates their problem rather than addresses it. When encountering a problem, divers should stop, stabilize their position, evaluate the problem, and then move to resolve it. For example, a primary light failure should be little more than a nuisance. However, if divers are careless and crash to the floor while trying to activate their reserve light, a team may find itself in poor or zero visibility, which may then lead to confusion or even separation. In fact, few problems require a quick response. Even situations in which time is of the essence (e.g., an out-of-gas situation) require deliberate action during their resolution. For example, when given an out-of-gas signal, donors should respond immediately by passing the regulator from their mouth; concurrently, however, they should be mentally noting the team’s location, position with respect to the line, silting probability, and the status of the out-of-gas diver. Imme diately after the out-ofgas diver receives the regulator, the donor should evaluate their status, stabilize their position, reference/communicate with other team members, and otherwise ensure the safety and unity of the entire team.

The key to problem resolution is to avoid allowing small problems to escalate into life-threatening ones. How divers respond to a problem is the key factor in determining how dangerous a situation becomes. Therefore, when trying to resolve a problem, divers should:

1. Stabilize their position and breathe deeply.

2. Evaluate the proper course of action.

3. Act in a purposeful but controlled manner.

Loss of visibility

A complete loss of visibility is very uncommon. Nonetheless, cave divers should always be prepared to effectively manage such an eventu-

In an out-of-gas situation, while it’s critical to quickly share gas, it's equally important to assess the team’s position.

ality. If cave sediments are sufficiently stirred up to cause a serious reduction in visibility, then a team should terminate the dive. During a limited-visibility exit, teams should be careful not to become separated. This risk can be managed by maintaining physical contact, usually by holding onto another team member’s arm or leg. Such a touch-contact system incorporates a rudimentary set of signals for navigation. During poor- or zero-visibility exits, teams traveling along their guideline should not seek to remove their guideline; rather they should tie off their reel and exit using their guideline as a reference. Seeking to remove the line in such a situation can create additional stress and increase the likelihood of entanglement, separation, or confusion.

Light failure

In the event of a light failure, the divers should stop immediately and stabilize their position so as to not drift away from the line or their team. Once this is done, they should deploy their reserve light and signal their team to initiate an exit. Given that a diver’s reserve light is likely to be weaker than another diver’s primary light, this diver should move to the front of the team (or to the middle in a three person team). It is difficult for team members with stronger lights to see a weaker light behind them; therefore, team order must be revised to accommodate a primary light failure. If not, signaling between team members becomes more difficult and sets the stage for a potentially dangerous situation during the exit. Placing a diver with a failed primary between team members with brighter lights is also a good way of ensuring the diver’s safety. In fact, it is always a good practice to place divers with weaker lights in front of at least one stronger light, regardless of whether this decision is the result of a light failure or of a pre-dive equipment evaluation. Of course, proper preparation would find all divers with lights of similar intensity.

Consequently:

1. Divers with weaker lights should move in front of divers with stronger lights.

2. Divers who experience an equipment failure should be careful not to drift, as they may distance themselves from the line and/or team.

Lost dive buddy

“In the event of a light failure, the divers should stop immediately and stabilize their position so as to not drift away from the line or their team.

Divers’ first response to a lost dive buddy should be to stop, stabilize their position, locate the line, and determine the direction of the exit. Often, a quick scan of the surroundings will reveal the lost dive buddy. To assist in this initial survey, divers should occasionally cover their lights while looking for the glow of the lost diver’s light. When searching, divers should avoid shutting off their lights, as these can fail during reactivation. By searching first with one’s own light, and then looking for the other team member’s light, divers may be able to catch a nearby lost diver before they wander further from sight. If this preliminary search is unsuccessful, then divers must initiate a more thorough search. When undertaking such a search, things to consider would include noting that team members leading the dive are more likely to be located deeper into the cave, while trailing team members are more likely to be lost closer to the exit. How long divers look for a lost team member is a function of available gas; there is no established time. Nonetheless, divers must be aware of the risk in searching with too little gas. Divers that use the emergency one-third during their search may have insufficient gas to assist a buddy who has depleted their gas supply.

The much-debated question of how long divers should spend looking for a lost team member can only be decided on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, in the past, some inexperienced divers who were separated from their team members exited the cave as soon as separation

It's good practice to position divers with weaker or failed lights ahead of those with stronger lights to enhance safety, whether due to equipment failure or a predive equipment evaluation.

PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV

occurred, leaving other searching team members alone in the cave. The argument against an extended search for lost divers contends that searching divers may find themselves unable to provide the needed assistance when reunited with their team member or that they may run out of gas themselves. In truth, divers that properly and responsibly manage their gas supply should rarely have to contend with this eventuality. The reserve third maintained in all cave diving is designed for emergency situations and, principally, to assist an errant dive buddy. Therefore, the issue becomes searching efficiently while concurrently deciding when to initiate an exit. Leaving one’s buddy is not an acceptable practice and is only permissible when no remaining options exist.

In a lost diver situation, divers should:

1. Stop and stabilize their position.

2. Evaluate the situation by checking for exit direction and available gas reserves.

3. Initiate the search.

Tough call

Clearly, divers who have not reached their turn pressure when a team member becomes lost have ample gas for assisting that team member. As we discussed earlier, the “rule of thirds” was formulated with three thirds in mind: one third for diving/penetration, one third for exit/return, and one third for emergencies/team member use. Therefore, in the case of a lost team member, divers should use whatever gas supply is not necessary for them to return to the surface to search for that team member. Of course, maintaining appropriate reserves for exiting while simultaneously engaging all possible resources for assisting one’s buddy is the key to safe emergency management.

For example, consider a team separation that occurs during the initial penetration phase of the dive. Usually, in such a case, teams will not have hit their turn pressure (initial one third) and, therefore, will have enough gas for reuniting/assisting team members. In such circumstances, divers might reasonably opt to search deeper in a cave (when circumstances lead them to believe a diver

Lost line drill: After the initial search, lost divers should secure their safety spool to an object to mark their location and establish a secure tie-off.

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

might be lost). Should these divers reach their one-third turn pressure, they should be wary of continuing further into the cave. Using additional gas beyond that one-third portion could leave them with insufficient reserves to provide gas to an out-of-gas diver should they be located.

Anticipating the state of a lost team member is a vital component of gas management during a search. Lost team members may only be in need of minor assistance; they may have become entangled in, or separated from, the guideline. In such a case, when looking for a lost team member, the conservative use of one’s emergency supply can provide life-giving aid. However, a lost team member can also be in dire need of assistance; they can be on the verge of running out of gas or near panic. In such an event, if searching divers penetrate deeper into the cave, and in the process make liberal use of their emergency supply, they run the risk of finding their panicked team member out of gas and themselves without sufficient reserves to lend assistance. They run the risk of consuming all their gas supplies before they can exit the cave.

It is reasonable for divers to search further in the cave in the hope of finding a lost team member before they reach their one-third turn pressure since they have not yet compromised their reserve supply. However, once divers believe that further penetration is neither safe nor beneficial (they have reached their one-third limit and/or the diver is obviously not farther into the cave), divers should begin a slow exploratory exit (searching for the lost diver while exiting). While exiting, divers can use their emergency reserve to continue their search, as long as they monitor how much gas they will need for both of them to exit the cave, assuming the worst case scenario—that the buddy is found completely out of gas.

Historically, these topics have been considered too complex for those learning how to cave dive. Unfortunately, this means that many cave divers are unprepared to handle important emergencies like the one above. Nonetheless, there is no definitive answer here; what a diver chooses to do in the above scenario will be the result of several intangibles. Certain divers will risk a great deal for a beloved friend or partner, and most instructors would hopefully be willing to take additional risk

In an entanglement situation, the optimal approach is to seek assistance from a teammate.

for students, where others are not greatly compromised. In the end, each diver must perform to the best of their ability while not needlessly endangering themselves or other team members. The adage that one death is better than two is accurate here; yet it is equally precise to say that no fatalities is the best outcome.

Lost line

If divers become separated from the line, it is imperative that they fix their location immediately. The divers must stop and stabilize, evaluate the situation, and then act. For the lost divers, fixing their location is of paramount importance. This location is likely to be quite near the line and/or the exit; drifting from this area could further complicate the search. Lost divers should first initiate a preliminary search by alternately looking with the light and then covering the light.

They must look for any clues that may assist in locating the lost line.

Following this initial search, lost divers should remove their safety spool and secure one end to an object marking their current location. They should work to establish a secure tie-off, and even consider a secondary tie-off. This fixed location is a valuable tool in limiting the time it will take to successfully conduct a search. It will also enable them to return to their original position and begin the search again if they become confused or disoriented. The most effective search pattern will vary depending on the structure of the cave, and several different search patterns exist to facilitate the search process. However, what does not vary here is that the lost diver cannot be far from the line and/or exit. Like in any crisis, divers who remain calm and deliberate have an excellent chance of locating the line.

PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV

“In order to reduce the risk of entanglement, divers should always be aware of the line and hold it below them anytime they choose to cross it

In cases of sediment disturbance, poor visibility is usually concentrated in a particular area. As the diver moves from this area, visibility will often improve. During the line search, the diver may find good visibility that allows them to establish the exit direction. In a spring, the upstream side of a silt-out should remain clear because sediments cannot migrate upstream. This improved visibility may assist the diver’s search.

Search patterns

A variety of strategies exist for locating one’s position or finding lost objects; the relative success of each depends largely on the environment, the diver, and the situation. All in all, the most consistent variable in successful searches is a diver’s ability to remain calm and purposeful. Erratic and/or careless behavior is likely to reduce efficiency and will very likely increase the overall

risk. Because the cave environment is confined and irregular, searches present divers with unique challenges. Therefore, what might pass as the most successful search pattern in open water may be of limited use in the cave environment.

Circular search pattern

In a circular search, divers move from a fixed location in ever-increasing circles. Rarely will this standard circular search pattern, so prominent in open water, be of any use in an overhead, as caves are generally too irregular in shape. Moving from a fixed location in ever-increasing arcs may be helpful in some areas, but again, the cave’s shape will often undermine the effectiveness of this strategy. Nonetheless, some caves allow for effective circular or semi-circular search patterns, making the usefulness of this strategy context-specific.

“Even in low visibility, divers will rarely be more than a short distance from the line, making success largely a matter of patience and thoroughness.

Shotgun search pattern

Divers may also venture away from their tie-off point in a more random shotgun-style search. By allowing them freedom of movement, such a search pattern can be particularly effective in an irregularly shaped cave environment. With persistence, a lost diver is likely to find the line or at least clues as to where it is located. Signs like clear water, spring flow, evidence of diver traffic, or even ripple marks, which have the steep side away from flow, may provide a lost diver with helpful information.

Wall-to-wall search pattern

A special type of circular search pattern, one that incorporates a wall-to-wall search, is sometimes particularly effective in large tunnels. During such a search, lost divers would first secure their original position with a safety spool and then swim in large circles perpendicular to the outflow. This pattern works very well in large areas with moderate to strong flow. The flow enables divers to establish the line’s direction, which should run parallel to the flow. When employing this method, divers should move from a fixed point along the floor, carefully swimming close enough to the floor to avoid missing the line. Upon reaching a wall, they should move up the wall, taking care not to miss the line. Upon reaching the ceiling, they should then move along the ceiling, again careful not to miss the line. If divers reach the other wall before contacting the line or snagging it with their safety spool, they can move down the far wall in this same manner. If, during this process, they fail to locate the line, they can repeat the search in a similar manner.

The single most important factor here is for divers to remain calm and conduct a thorough

and repetitive search. Losing the line in zero visibility conditions is highly unlikely. Even in low visibility, divers will rarely be more than a short distance from the line, making success largely a matter of patience and thoroughness.

Line entanglement

If divers become entangled in the line, they should signal other team members to avoid being separated from them. Usually, entanglements are very simple problems to resolve. Often, entangled divers can easily free themselves from the line; however, it is usually more efficient to allow a nearby team member to untangle the diver from the line. The entangled diver must hold still and avoid erratic movement, rolling, or turning the body—this will only make the situation worse. In order to reduce the risk of entanglement, divers should always be aware of the line and hold it below them anytime they choose to cross it. Divers should resist the temptation to swim below the line, as this activity increases the risk of entangling the manifold.

In the vast majority of cases, even a severe line entanglement can be easily managed. If, however, it becomes necessary to cut the line, divers must be careful not to endanger the team. Before cutting the line, it is essential that the entire team moves to the exit side of the line; this prevents individuals from becoming stranded without a continuous guideline to the exit. If a team decides that the line must be cut, after doing so, they should try to secure the line, and, if possible, repair it, or bridge the area cut away with a safety spool, to maintain a continuous guideline. Teams must be careful not to lose the exit side of the line. As a last resort, teams should secure the line

Gas supply interruptions are usually temporary and complete losses rare. However, failures like a defective high-pressure seat can cause rapid tank emptying unless the valve is closed.

PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV

Gas supply interruptions are usually temporary and complete losses rare. However, failures like a defective highpressure seat can cause rapid tank emptying unless the valve is closed.

to the floor. If time and circumstances make it impossible to properly repair the line, then every attempt should be made to see that other divers are warned and the line is promptly repaired.

If divers are entangled in the line:

1. They should remain still to prevent further entanglement.

2. They should allow other team members to free them from the line, if possible.

If the guideline must be cut:

1. Divers should establish that the team is on the exit side of the cut.

2. Divers must secure the line, and consider a bypass line.

3. Divers should cut the line, free the entangled diver, and secure the line.

Broken line

If a guideline becomes broken, dive teams should make every reasonable effort to repair it. They may do so by retying the line or by bridging the gap using line from another reel

or safety spool. While a break in the guideline is uncommon, broken line is a danger to all divers and should be repaired in a timely manner.

Loss of gas supply

Several factors can cause a temporary interruption in one’s gas supply; however, a complete loss of gas is very uncommon. Nonetheless, a failure of the gas delivery system, such as a first-stage high-pressure seat, can cause a free-flowing regulator to purge the tank contents in a short time unless the malfunctioning regulator valve is closed.

An O-ring failure can also cause a rapid depletion of gas. In cases like these, divers should signal the team, shut down the malfunctioning valve, communicate the problem, call the dive, and exit. If necessary, other team members will have sufficient gas to easily provide the out-ofgas diver with a reserve supply.

NEXT TIME: CAVE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS – PART TWO

GUE PREMIUM DIVE CENTERS

Area 9 Mastery Diving – Kralendijk, Bonaire

 www.masterydiving.com

Base1 – Sardinia, Italy

 www.baseone.it

Deep Dive Dubai – Dubai, UAE

 www.deepdivedubai.com

Dive Centre Bondi – Bondi, NSW, Australia

 www.divebondi.com.au

Duikcentrum de Aalscholvers – Tilburg, Netherlands

 www.aalscholvers.nl

Eight Diving – Des Moines, WA, USA

 www.8diving.com

Exploration Diver – Hangzhou, China

 www.facebook.com/qiandaolake

Extreme Exposure – High Springs, FL, USA

 www.extreme-exposure.com

Islas Hormigas – Cabo de Palos, Spain

 www.islashormigas.com

Living Oceans – Singapore

 www.livingoceans.com.sg

Scuba Academie – Vinkeveen, Netherlands

 www.scuba-academie.nl

Tech Korea – Incheon, South Korea

 www.divetechkorea.com

GUE DIVE CENTERS

Buddy Dive Resort – Bonaire

 www.buddydive.com

Dive Alaska – Anchorage, AK, USA

 www.divealaska.net

Faszination-Tauchsport – Sauerlach, Germany

 www.faszination-tauchsport.de

KrakenDive – Tossa de Mar, Spain

 www.krakendive.com

Living Oceans Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 www.livingoceans.com.my

Moby Tek Dive Center – Pahang, Malaysia

 www.moby-tek.com

Paragon Dive Group – Arizona, USA

 www.paragondivestore.com

Plongée Nautilus – Quebec City, QC, Canada

 www.plongeenautilus.com

Scuba Adventures – Plano, TX, USA

 www.scubaadventures.com

Scuba Seekers – Dahab, Egypt

 www.scubaseekers.com

Tauchservice Münster – Münster, Germany

 www.tauchservice.info

Tech Asia – Puerto Galera, Philippines

 www.techasia.ph

Unique Diving Center – Shanghai, China

 www.uniquediving.cn