“Beyond Buoyancy Control: The Human Side of Safe Diving”
This month’s safety topic is a two‑parter, and it comes to us from fellow Snooper (and pilot!) Les Brown. We’re diving into Human Factors in Diving — a topic that applies to every diver, whether you’re on dive #10 or dive #1,000.
The article we’re reviewing was written by Gareth Lock, Mike Mason, and Pedro Paulo “PP” Cunha from The Human Diver. You can download the full guide directly from their site (instructions below). I encourage everyone to read it during the month, and we’ll talk about it at the July meeting.
A quick note: HFiD requires an email address to download the PDF. It’s an instant download. I’m not attaching the article here because I want to respect the authors’ distribution requirements. If you’re worried about spam, feel free to use a secondary email.
How to Download the Guide
1. Go to https://www.thehumandiver.com/resources
2. Scroll down to Top Tips for Beginners Guide
3. Click Free Download
4. The PDF will open in a new tab
What Are “Human Factors,” Anyway?
Human factors — sometimes called ergonomics or human‑factors engineering — is the study of how real humans (with real limitations, habits, and quirks) interact with systems, tools, and environments. It’s used in aviation, healthcare, manufacturing, software design… and yes, diving.
In my own world of pharmaceutical research, we run human‑factors studies on drug‑delivery devices like prefilled syringes and auto‑injectors. Engineers watch how people actually use the device — what confuses them, what slows them down, what leads to errors — and then redesign accordingly.
Diving is no different: we perform better when our environment, our team, and our habits support good decisions. The Human Diver, founded by Gareth Lock, brings these principles into the diving world. Their message is simple:
Most diving incidents are caused by human error, not equipment failure.
They teach divers how to improve communication, decision‑making, situational awareness, and teamwork.
Summary of “Top Tips for Beginner Divers” (Spoiler: It’s for ALL Divers)
Before your ego pipes up with, “I don’t need beginner tips — I’ve got X dives under my weight belt.” Yes… this guide is for everyone. This article reframes diving safety around human factors, not just technical skills. It shows how incidents often come from cognitive overload, assumptions, communication gaps, and team dynamics, rather than buoyancy or gear issues. Each chapter uses real-life, short stories to show how divers think and behave under pressure — and how small habits can make a big difference.
Core message: Good diving is thinking, noticing, communicating, and working as a team — not just executing skills.
Skills every diver can sharpen:
• Notice more
• Communicate clearly
• Challenge assumptions
• Debrief honestly
• Support teammates
• Understand how stress and environment shape performance
Chapter Highlights
- Introduction
• Core Non‑Technical Skills (NTS): communication, situational awareness, decision‑making, teamwork, leadership/followership, psychological safety, and error management. - Decision‑Making
• Decisions degrade under stress, task load, or sensory limits.
• Common cognitive traps: plan‑continuation, sunk‑cost fallacy, overconfidence. - Situational Awareness (SA)
- SA failures include tunnel vision, lost buddy, gas surprises, and disorientation.
- Perception (“I’m swimming harder”) →
- Comprehension (“There’s a current”) →
- Projection (“I’ll use more gas than usual”)
- Communication
• Miscommunication is a major contributor to incidents.
• Shared understanding before the dive is essential.
• Confidence grows when divers speak up early and often. - Leadership & Followership
• Leadership is influence, not dive count.
• Good followers are active, curious, and assertive — not passive. - Teamwork
• Teams don’t magically form; they require shared mental models.
• Avoid “assumed coordination.” - Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs)
• WITH model: Work environment, Individual capability, Task load, Human nature.
• Explains why skills break down under pressure. - Psychological Safety & Just Culture
• Psychological safety = ability to speak up without fear.
• Just culture = learning from mistakes while still holding people accountable.
• Barriers include group dynamics, fear of judgment, and lack of inclusion.
Final Thoughts
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s steady improvement. Every dive is a chance to notice more, communicate better, and support your team.
Call to Action
To get the most out of this information, take some time to download the article and read through it for comprehension. Bring back at least one key take-away or dive event to share with the club during the July meeting.
