jimbob(Offline)

Hello
Wondered if anyone could tell me what the DIR/GUE buddy check is.
I've had a look at the GUE EDGE but that seems to be more about planning.
I did a dive with Fiona a while ago and she had a very comprehensive check but I'm ashamed to admit I've forgotten it. I've fallen into the habit of using "Are you ready?" as my buddy check and recent events have proved it's inadequacies. I'd like to get back into the habit of doing a proper check before doing DIRF.
Thanks
Jimbob.

Kevin(Offline)

GUEEDGE then the four safety checks

• Mod Valve - Are all our valves in the correct position?
• Equipment match - head to toe. Is the equipment present and in working order?
• Bubble Check - Check valves, hoses, gauges and regs. Is anything bubbling that shouldn't?
• Mod S - Fully deploy the long hose to make sure it isn't trapped.

Under normal conditions, I tend to do the Mod Valve first as I want to make sure the valves are in the correct position before testing regs or looking for bubbles. Mod S gets done last.

Of course different conditions may warrent changing the order or even completing some of the checks under water.

Mal Bridgeman(Offline)

If you are doing GUE-F then you will be taught it on the course.

The GUE EDGE serves as both the pre-planning mnemonic and the "just-before-you-dive" check.

When done as the "just-before-you-dive" check, the first E is for equipment match where you run through the head to toe equipment check, modified V and modified S as well as bubble check.

In full though, the pre-dive check is:

G oal - Objective of the dive
U nified Team - Team order and roles
E quipment Match - as above

E xposure - How long you are going to dive for
D ecompression - your deco plan
G as - How much you have and what mix and what is min gas
E nvironment - other things to consider like other dive teams, slack, visibiliy etc etc etc

HTH
Mal

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dsteding(Offline)

It is part of GUE EDGE, you'll get through it in fundies.

In the meantime, do a head-to-toe gear/buddy check. I won't give an exhaustive gear list, just make sure it is all there.

Include in it all the gear that you need for the dive, check your valves to ensure they are on (I do this two ways, with a "flow check" that you'll learn in fundies and by breathing my regs on the surface for three breaths).

Check inflators and deflators.

Compare pocket contents.

The above should happen BEFORE you get in the water. Particularly the gs supply parts.

In the water, breathe your regs again underwater (make sure there are no funny exhaust valve leaks). I usually do this while doing a "bubble check" which involves looking at all your buddy's possible sources of leaks (first stages/valves/hoses and then the front-SPGs, hoses, inflators).

Make sure the longhose is deployable.

If needed for the dive, check lights and backups (most DIR divers use a can light, so this would involve making sure it fires-if it is an overhead/night dive, backups would have been checked beforehand as well, I admittedly get lax about this on my OW dives).

You'll find that most teams develop their own specific procedures. In fact, you probably saw Fiona's way of going through things when you dove with her, and this may be a bit different. Variances do occur. For instance, sometimes it makes sense to do the bubble check on the surface, sometimes at 10 feet. But, by going head-to-toe you'll have a sequence to remember, and it forces you to think about whether all your gear (and your teammate's) is in place. Another example is whether you do a complete s-drill on the bottom and a full valve drill or not. Situation/team dependant, imho.

Most important thing, in my opinion, is availability of gas, both for breathing and inflation. Keep that in ming throughout.

jimbob(Offline)

Thanks guys, very helpful.

jimbob(Offline)

..although....I wish the Environment and Equipment were the other way round, knowing the way my brain works I'll be at six metres doing a bubble check before realising that we haven't had a chat about
Exposure
Deco
Gas
and Environment.
Still that's my problem I guess.

Mal Bridgeman(Offline)

Good point ... it does need to be adapted .....e.g. in UK, me and my buddy do most of the check on the boat with the bubble check done at 6m, with a week's liveaboard diving in the Red Sea it gets adapted because many of the parameters remain the same, in training siuations though we tend to do it in water and in full, as practice.

When we did our Cave course the first thing we did when we got in the water was do the modified V-drill and bubble check then did the equipment match. The point being if there was a problem and we needed to get out to fix it then best done before you have swum all the way to the cave entrance.

We then did a final run through just before the descent.

So like all things DIR, no absolutes, but a series of things that need to be done, adapted to the particular circumstances of the dive.

HTH
Mal

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Opinions and beliefs are correct at the time of posting but are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the author.

XPD(Offline)

Good post mate.

Now we will try to work it out on Sunday.
Cannot wait.

By the way take the camera.

Here we come just 3 more days....

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Gav(Offline)

Not when we're diving together!

jimbob(Offline)

Good because I have a tendancy to get fixated on making sure that I'm ready and frankly I wouldn't notice if my buddy was wearing water wings, speedos and a pair of goggles.
I'm determined to improve though.