Order of events during a diving trip and behavior in case of emergency

Behavior before the diving trip

• On the diving base of the station, you will have to follow the directives and instructions of the scientific and technical staff of the HSFS.
• Once on the boat, you will have to follow the orders of the captain.
• If you want to join a diving trip, you have to put your name on the posted list in the diving base at least the day before (until 20:00) so that we can plan accordingly.
• Just before the trip, do not eat anything or only a small snack.
• Please appear in the diving base at least 30 min. before the trip.
• The equipment is to be mounted and checked (pressure of both tanks etc.) in the diving base.
• Prepare all equipment you will need for two dives in your personal box and make sure it is on board when leaving.
• Aid in organization of equipment transport to the dock and charging of the boat, following the captains orders.
• Help clear the boat for leaving the dock, following the orders of the captain.

Behavior on board

• Follow the captain’s orders
• Short briefing about behavior in case of emergency
• Once at the site, the boat is tied up to the buoy and divers need to get dressed. Do not forget to help each other with equipment!

Behavior in and under the water

• Follow the orders of the group leader and always stay with your buddy.
• Groups gather together on the surface and descend with the sign from the group-leader.
• All members of a group stay within the visible distance from the group leader during the whole duration of the dive.
• If you use diving lights, never shine them directly in the face of somebody!.
• The rule for collecting samples of marine organisms is simple:

Only as much as absolutely necessary and as little as possible!

• Always keep as much distance to the landscape as necessary to avoid accidental touching of organisms or creating a plume of sediment, e.g. by a heedless hit with your fin

Behavior in case of emergency

• In case of loss of your buddy, the diver has to:

  - Let the group leader know (he/she will continue diving while paying attention for the boat engine!)
  - Look for your buddy for 1 minute, then unhesitatingly ascent as fast as possible while remaining safe according to your dive profile. Look for your partner on the surface.
  - In the case you do not meet your buddy on the surface (hopefully only due to wave action etc.), swim back to the boat immediately to wait for your buddy there.
  - In the following cases, all divers will be ordered immediately back to the boat:

  • Your buddy is not on board.
  • Your buddy can not be seen from the boat.
  • Your buddy needs first-aid treatment immediately.
  • The sign for all divers to ascent and go back to the boat is the ignition of the boat engine twice with a one minute interval.

The rule is: Ascent as fast as possible, but slow enough to avoid decompression accidents!

• Once all divers are on board, you should start the order of events for emergency as mentioned in the pamphlet located in the emergency oxygen case. There you will find a radio as well to call ahead to the station. Emergency channel is 16!.

Behaviour after a dive

• Arrange all diving gear so it will not shift during the trip. Help each other with the equipment.
• Help clear boat to leave site, following the orders of the captain.
• Once at the dock, aid in organizing the equipment transport back up to the diving base.
• Any kind of diving equipment owned by HSFS must be cleaned amply with freshwater after the dive and returned to the HSFS staff.
• All lights should be cleaned and handed over to the HFSF staff.
• Empty tanks should be placed next to the compressor in the compressor room.
• You can heat yourself up in the sauna after diving (although we recommend turning the sauna on prior to leaving, ask one of the HFSF staff for help!).
• Faults or defects of station rental equipment have to be announced immediately to the HFSF staff.

We hope that we have hereby offered you a good impression of the order of events of the diving activities at the HSFS, and thus will have successful dives with nice experiences!.

Thank you very much!.

The HSFS Team.