Unit 6: Dive Planning and

Recording
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

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Long Range Planning.

Short Range Planning.
Preparing to Dive.
Conducting Your Dive
Diving Your Plan.
Contingency Planning.
Recording Your Dive.

Instructor Materials: Teaching notes, various training aids use to

demonstrate topics of dive planning and recording.
INTRODUCTION
Attention step: To further reduce the risks in diving, it is essential that you
plan and prepare your dives in advance.
Importance of Value: When you, your equipment, and your buddy are well
prepared for a dive, you will have the best possible chance of having a
pleasurable experience, which is the goal of recreational diving.
Main Points: See presentation slides.
Student Materials and Conduct: note taking material, student book kit, and
your undivided attention
Body: See presentation slides.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Student Performance:

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Describe long range and short range planning.

List the steps to safely conducting your dive.
State why it is important to plan your dive and
dive your plan.
Describe why it is important to record your dive.

Performance Statement:
Describe to the students what, by the end of this lesson, will be expected of
them, and to what degree.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Long Range Planning

If you wait until the night or even the week before a dive to
start planning, it may be too late to pull everything together.
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

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Plan the objective.

Select the location.
Determine the date and time.
Make travel arrangements.
Determine your equipment needs.
Determine whether you need to
refresh your skills.

Plan the objective: you might want to practice your navigation skills or try
out a new underwater camera. Your objective might also be to see a new area
of the world and the diving it has to offer.
Select the location: Your location could be anywhere in the world, and take
from a few minutes to a number of days to reach. You should also discuss an
alternate location in case conditions are unacceptable at your primary location.
Determine the date and time: Be aware of any conflicting activities that
might affect the date you want to dive, including plans you have made for the
night before the dive. You should not consume alcohol within 12 hours of a
planned dive. It is even better if you do not consume alcohol within 24 hours
of a planned dive. You should not be hung over and you must be well rested.
Make travel arrangements: This could be anything from deciding whether
you or your buddy will drive to the dive site to making airline, hotel, and boat
reservations.
Determine your equipment needs: Check to see if your buoyancy
compensator or regulator needs annual servicing. Different diving suits will
change the amount of weight you need to wear to ensure that you have good
buoyancy control during your dive.
Determine whether you need to refresh your skills: If you have not been
diving in six months or more, a refresher is a good way to brush up on your
knowledge and water skills.
It is vital to prepare a to-do list for arranging your dive.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Review on
Long Range Planning
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List the six steps to long range planning.

State how far in advance you should start planning

a major dive trip.
State how far in advance you should start planning
a local dive trip.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:
Emphasize key points of each main point.
State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Short Range Planning

Determine what you need, write it down, and get it in

advance.
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Typical items:
Check conditions:
Let someone know of
your plans:

Typical items:
Typical items include air fills for your scuba cylinders, film, sunscreen,
seasickness medication, fishing licenses, light sticks for night diving,
and defog for your mask. Your list should also include spare parts for
your diving equipment.
Check conditions:
One or two days before your trip check the weather trends, water
conditions, tides, and the long-range weather forecast.
Let someone know of your plans:
Always be sure to leave a copy of your plans with someone. Be sure to
include the following in your plans:
Your destination and dive sites.
Contact telephone number.
The date and time you expect to arrive back home.
This way, assistance can be summoned to look for you if you are
unusually late in returning home. Do not forget to notify the person
holding the plans if you are going to be intentionally late.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Review on
Short Range Planning
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List some of the typical items you might need to

buy for your trip.

Explain the reason for leaving a copy of your plans

with someone.
List three thing you check a few days before your
dive trip.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:
Short Range Planning
Emphasize key points of each main point.
State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Preparing to Dive

The day or evening before, gather all your equipment and

personal articles in one place.
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Pack your gear into two bags:

Pack in the reverse order.
Get a good nights rest.

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Pack your gear into two bags:

One for your dive gear and one for personal items. Your persona l
items include your towel, extra dry clothing such as a jacket, snacks, a
camera, and so on.
Pack in the reverse order:
Pack your dive gear in reverse order of its use. Put your fins, mask (in
a crush-proof box), and snorkel on the bottom, and your buoyancy
compensator and regulator on top, as those are usually assembled on
your cylinder first.
Do not pack your weight belt with your dive gear. The weights will
make your bag too heavy and could damage it, or other items. The
easiest way to carry your belt is to wear it.
Get a good nights rest:
Be sure to get a good nights rest and avoid drinking alcohol at least 12
hours before diving. It is even better if you can avoid drinking alcohol
for 24 hours. You must be well rested, in good health, and have a good
feeling about the dive.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Review on
Preparing to Dive
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List one item that should go towards the bottom of

your dive bag.

List one item that should go towards the top of

your dive bag.
State the number of hours you should abstain from
drinking alcohol.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:

Emphasize key points of each main point.

State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Conducting The Dive

SEABAG is an easy way to remember the series of steps to

planning your dive.
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

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Site Survey
Emergency Plan
Activity
Buoyancy
Air
Gear and Go

Site Survey
Before you even suit up, evaluate the conditions at the site to determine if
they are acceptable for your planned activity. If the conditions are bad,
travel to an alternate location or do not dive. Never be afraid to say that
you do not feel good about diving in poor conditions. The purpose of a
dive is enjoyment, and there is no fun if the conditions are bad.
Emergency Plan
You must discuss contingency plans, emergency procedures, and accident
management. Agree on what to do if one of you runs out of air under
water. Agree on what to do if you get separated under water.
Activity
There are many things you can do while diving, but you should select only
one activity as the purpose of any one planned dive. It is unwise, and can
be unsafe, to try and combine activities on a single dive.
Set your limits for depth, time, and air supply. Decide on your depth and
time limits according to your dive tables or dive computer. Decide at what
point you will turn around and start toward your exit point.
See Chapter 3 for the steps for buoyancy, air, and gear and go. The steps for
site survey, emergency, and activity are covered in this section. A checklist
for the steps is included in Appendix C

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

Review on
Conducting the Dive
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List what each letter in SEA stands for.

State the first decision you should make when you

arrive at the dive site.
State what you should verify about the closest
telephone to your dive site.
List three limits your activity planning should include.

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Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:

Emphasize key points of each main point.

State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Diving Your Plan

You must carry out the plan you have made for your dive.

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You and your buddy must be in accord when you dive.

Plan ahead when you dive.

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

You and your buddy must be in accord when you dive

This is difficult to do even when you agree on your plan before the
dive. If one team member varies from the plan, confusion results.
Plan ahead when you dive
Accomplishing what you set out to do and ending a dive exactly where
you planned is very rewarding. Consider dive planning and the ability
to execute your plan as a challenge. This will add to your enjoyment of
the dive and reduce any risks.

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Review on Diving your Plan

What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

State what happens you one member of the team

varies for the predetermined plan.

List what results form executing your dive plan

properly.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:
Diving your Plan
Emphasize key points of each main point.
State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Contingency Planning

Contingency planning is an important part of dive planning.

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Choosing your site:

Planning your route:

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Choosing your site

When you choose your site, also choose an alternate site or an alternate
activity for the day in case conditions are not right for diving.
Planning your route
When you are planning the direction of your dive, be sure to consider
an alternate route or alternate exit point to be used if conditions change
while you are on your dive. Be sure to consider what you will do if
your buddy has a problem under water.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Review on
Contingency Planning
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List what you should additionally choose when

picking your dive site.

List one other consideration when planning your

route.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:
Contingency Planning
Emphasize key points of each main point.
State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Recording Your Dive

After each dive, you should record information from your

dive in your logbook.
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Spaces on the logbook

pages:
Recording diving hours.
Information in the remarks
box.

Spaces on the logbook pages

There are spaces on your logbook pages in which you record:
The number of your dive.
The date.
The water visibility.
Your starting air pressure.
Your ending air pressure.
Your deepest depth.
Recording diving hours
On the right side of the NAUI Logbook pages are three boxes for
recording your diving hours. Use these to keep a running total of your
dive time.
Information in the remarks box
Your remarks about the dive can include information such as the diving
suit and the amount of weight you were wearing, whether you liked the
site, what you saw, and so on.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Review on
Recording Your Dive
What have you learned so far?

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

List three pieces of information you record in the

boxes at the top of each page of your logbook.

Explain the purpose of the Hours box in the NAUI

Logbook.

List two pieces of information you can record in the

remarks box.

Summarize this section

Review the main points of each slide:
Recording Your Dive
Emphasize key points of each main point.
State the objective statements as questions .

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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Dive Planning
and Recording
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Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

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End of Unit 6

Long Range Planning.

Short Range Planning.
Preparing to Dive.
Conducting Your Dive
Diving Your Plan.
Contingency Planning.
Recording Your Dive.

Transition Statement: You need to know the steps of planning so you can
enjoy the best kind of dive. Planning ensures you have all the equipment you
need in good working order, that you know what to expect at the dive site, and
helps you avoid any last minute rush.
Review of Main Points: See this presentation slide.
Emphasize Key Points:
Long Range Planning: If you wait until the night or even the week before a dive to start
planning, it is too late to pull everything together to have a successful dive.
Short Range Planning: Determine what you need, write it down, and get it in advance.
Preparing to Dive: The day or evening before your scheduled dive, gather all your
equipment and personal articles in one place.
Conducting Your Dive: The acronym, SEABAG, is an easy way to remember the series of
steps that you follow to plan a dive and check each others equipment.
Diving Your Plan: You must carry out the plan you have made for your dive.
Contingency Planning: Contingency planning is an important part of dive planning. For
each step of your plan, you need to have a contingency plan.
Recording Your Dive: After each dive, you must record information from your dive in your
logbook. There are spaces on your logbook pages in which you can record the information
Ask Students for Questions:

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Student Performance:

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Unit 6- Dive Planning and Recording

Describe long range and short range planning.

List the steps to safely conducting your dive.
State why it is important to plan your dive and
dive your plan.
Describe why it is important to record your dive.

Restate the students performance statements as questions:

Assignment:
Instruct the students read chapter 7 in preparation for the next lesson.

Unit 6 - Dive Planning - Inst Notes

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