3 ms·
Long time member of BSAC here. The classic example I use when describing this to students is torch batteries. If you're at home and you notice that your dive li
by gaius 10y ago
Long time member of BSAC here. The classic example I use when describing this to students is torch batteries. If you're at home and you notice that your dive light batteries are flat, no biggie, just swap them out. If you notice while on the boat that's a bit more annoying, but the chances are someone will have a spare you can borrow, and if they don't, you will have to miss the dive, which is unfortunate but you're not in any danger. If you're in the water, you can still call the dive (abort and return to the boat). But if you're at 50m and entered a wreck and your buddy has just swum round a corner taking their light with them and you switch yours on and nothing happens, then you have the rest of your life to try and find the way out.
Same, seemingly trivial, failure, but very different consequences depending on at which point of the dive you notice it.
By the way I mainly dive with GUE now who mandate a primary light and two backups as part of standard kit!
- joshuaheard 10y agoI lived on a boat and traveled around North America for 2 years. We called what you describe here "the boat rule", which is to do something when you think of it because later on, the failure to do it will have increased negative consequences. Replacing flashlight batteries is a great example.
- Daviey 10y agoFellow BSAC member here.. We recently started calling it the "Pit of death"
- Nexxxeh 10y agoI came to the comments because I was struggling to "get it" from the Wikipedia page. Your comment was what I needed. Do you know if that example is somewhere that can be cited on the wiki to make it more accessible?
- NTripleOne 10y agoJesus Christ I think I just had a mini panic attack reading that. I am clearly not good diver material.
- aaron695 10y agoWouldn't it be, underwater you find out your batteries perhaps are low in power, but you continue on since even if they go out you still have all your companions as backup. But you just stared down the incident pit? You still have multiple layers of security, but normalizing the removal or weaking of one goes against the point of having the multiple layers in the first place. In your example you seem screwed immediately?
- gaius 10y agoIt's just an illustrative example. A real incident pit is dangerous because you need the experience to recognise one, and you need the courage to be the one that aborts a dive that people might have traveled a long way, paid money, etc to do. Fortunately you can just say "incident pit" and everyone will immediately perform their own independent analysis, if they're experienced. The "problem" with modern regulated torch designs is that they don't appreciably dim as the power runs down; they're bright and then they just stop over the course of a few seconds. Old designs you could easily spot when the batteries were ready to be replaced/recharged well in advance.