Dive planning

A shotline with decompression trapeze provides a relatively safe and convenient place for in-water decompression.

Dive planning is the process of planning an underwater diving operation. The purpose of dive planning is to increase the probability that a dive will be completed safely and the goals achieved.[1] Some form of planning is done for most underwater dives, but the complexity and detail considered may vary enormously.[2]

Professional diving operations are usually formally planned and the plan documented as a legal record that due diligence has been done for health and safety purposes.[3][4] Recreational dive planning may be less formal, but for complex technical dives, can be as formal, detailed and extensive as most professional dive plans. A professional diving contractor will be constrained by the code of practice, standing orders or regulatory legislation covering a project or specific operations within a project, and is responsible for ensuring that the scope of work to be done is within the scope of the rules relevant to that work.[3] A recreational (including technical) diver or dive group is generally less constrained, but nevertheless is almost always restricted by some legislation, and often also the rules of the organisations to which the divers are affiliated.[2]

The planning of a diving operation may be simple or complex. In some cases the processes may have to be repeated several times before a satisfactory plan is achieved, and even then the plan may have to be modified on site to suit changed circumstances. The final product of the planning process may be formally documented or, in the case of recreational divers, an agreement on how the dive will be conducted. A diving project may consist of a number of related diving operations.

A documented dive plan may contain elements from the following list:[1]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NOAA 4th Ed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Gurr 2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SA Diving Regulations 2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference UK Diving at work regulations 1997 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).