Accidents happen, in the water, out of the water, or in the car ride to the water. All technical divers should understand the risk of the hobby – gas bubble disease, drowning, oxygen toxicity, etc. Acknowledging that risk is one of the first steps in your training process and should be reevaluated personally on a continual basis to ensure the risk reward ratio is still appropriate for you.

While we may understand the risk, that’s not where the risk assessment should end. All technical divers should be trained and refreshed in basic first aid procedures specific to the sport. This isn’t because technical diving carries such high risk – it’s because EVERYONE should be trained in basic first aid and “the acronyms”. CPR, bleeding control and AED use are critical for layperson rescuers to understand even if they can’t spell SCUBA. These skills are even more important for technical divers because:

  • Sometimes we’re in relatively remote areas without cellphone reception.
  • Being in the water increases drowning risk.
  • Delay of care for major diving related issues might lead to exacerbated long term effects.

CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a process that all people should learn and maintain knowledge of. The 2015 ILCOR review highlights the importance of regular practice in providing high quality CPR. While CPR practices are tweaked from time to time, the importance of practice centers around muscle memory and confidence in action. CPR is relevant for technical diving because:

  • Cardiovascular events can be exaggerated in water environments.
  • CPR is a critical first aid in the case of drowning.

AED

AED’s are very easy to use but practicing with a trainer AED will give you the confidence to deploy and use one in the right situations.

Bleeding control

Injury induced bleeding is one of the leading accidental causes of death. Layperson training for bleeding control is typically lacking but is crucial for life saving efforts. Being trained in bleeding control practices can be the difference between life and death at the dive site when a buddy accidentally impales themselves on a spear, gets in a car accident, or gets hit by a boat prop.

First Aid

Basic first aid for injuries can make a big difference in topside care. 100s of pounds of equipment might keep you alive underwater, but all it takes is one misstep on the boat for a broken leg, or concussion. You and your dive buddy should have training to help treat basic first aid situations like breaks, blows and marine life injuries. 

Oxygen Administration

In the event of gas bubble disease oxygen is the first and immediate response. Breathing off of your oxygen 40 regulator might be better than nothing, but it also isn’t the appropriate response for all types of gas bubble disease. A non-rebreather mask can address more maladies. Having a demand valve system is also a good idea. Dive boats or dive teams need to have an emergency oxygen kit with adequate supply until a higher echelon of care can be reached. Training on when and how to administer oxygen is highly recommended for technical divers.

Equipment

Technical diving requires thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in gear. First aid equipment should be a part of that. A basic bleeding control kit is a minimum for boat diving. For remote diving, a larger kit that will allow you to respond (within the scope of your training) to a variety of realistic problems is needed. All dives need surface oxygen. Either a medical kit or adaptive device are appropriate.