Pool Dive Skills Circuit for Public Safety Dive Team
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Brett Halderson demonstrates how to set up an underwater skill circuit for public safety pool diving. The circuit includes stations for mask removal, cutting exercises, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot tying, out-of-air drills, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange. Additional stations focus on underwater gear-up, entangled diver, and confined space escape. The video showcases a comprehensive training regimen to enhance diver skills in a controlled pool environment before open water scenarios.
Takeaways
- 🏊♂️ The video introduces an underwater pool circuit designed for public safety dive teams to enhance their skills.
- 📈 The circuit includes a variety of skill stations such as no-mask swim, cutting, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot tying, out-of-air drills, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange.
- 👥 Divers perform skills in pairs with one acting as a safety to ensure safety during the drills.
- 🧭 A rope anchored to the pool bottom guides divers through the circuit, with skill reminders attached via Q cards.
- ✂️ Divers practice cutting different materials using various tools to determine the most effective cutting methods.
- 🧵 The body bagging station helps divers become accustomed to handling body bags underwater in low visibility conditions.
- 🔍 Evidence recovery emphasizes the careful handling and transportation of evidence while preserving trace evidence.
- 🪢 Knot tying is practiced to ensure divers can perform essential knots underwater, which is crucial for various diving operations.
- 🤿 The out-of-air drill tests a diver's ability to supply air to a buddy and handle mask removal and replacement underwater.
- 💨 The lift bag station prepares divers for potential future scenarios where they might need to surface heavy objects.
- 🧰 The gear exchange station builds confidence in handling gear underwater and can be beneficial in unexpected situations.
- 🤿 The underwater gear up drill simulates retrieving and donning gear from the pool bottom, enhancing problem-solving skills in unfamiliar situations.
- 🪢 The entangled diver station practices resolving entanglement issues, which is crucial for diver safety.
- 🚫 The confined space escape is a new addition, preparing divers for the possibility of having to remove gear to escape through tight spaces.
Q & A
What is the purpose of setting up an underwater skill circuit for a public safety pool dive?
-The purpose is to enhance the divers' techniques and increase their time in the pool before using them in open water scenarios, ensuring they are well-prepared for real-world situations.
What areas of the pool are used for the underwater circuit?
-The circuit is set up in both the shallow end (4 to 7 ft) and the deep end (12 to 14 ft) of the pool, with the greatest depth change occurring between two vertical DOA lines.
How long does it take to set up the underwater skill circuit?
-It typically takes about 30 minutes for a team of four divers to set up the circuit.
What is the significance of the no mass swim in the circuit?
-The no mass swim is a crucial skill for divers to master, as it involves the regular practice of removing and replacing dive masks, which many dive teams often overlook.
What materials are used for the cutting station and what tools do the divers use?
-The cutting station includes polypropylene rope, small nylon cord, and heavy-duty scuba webbing. Divers use a fixed blade knife, medical shears, and a seat belt cutter.
Why is marker buoy deployment an important skill to practice?
-It's important to master marker buoy deployment to avoid common pitfalls associated with using a small reel, which can be crucial during actual operations.
How does practicing body bagging in a pool help divers?
-Practicing in a pool allows divers to get accustomed to managing body bags underwater and to develop techniques for placing a body inside, which can be especially challenging in low or no visibility conditions.
What evidence recovery practices are performed in the pool?
-Divers practice placing a piece of evidence, such as a pry bar, into an evidence container for transport while preserving any trace evidence.
Why is the notot station included in the circuit despite being the least favorite?
-The notot station challenges divers to tie specific knots underwater, which, once mastered, becomes a routine part of the circuit and enhances their overall diving skills.
What is the purpose of the out of air drill in the circuit?
-The out of air drill allows divers to test their skills and equipment by supplying air to another diver while swimming, also providing an opportunity to practice mask removal and replacement underwater.
How does the gear exchange station benefit the divers?
-The gear exchange station increases divers' confidence in handling their gear underwater and prepares them for potential future scenarios where such a skill might be necessary.
What is the underwater gear up drill and how is it set up?
-The underwater gear up drill involves divers starting on the side of the pool and retrieving their equipment from the pool bottom. It simulates a situation where divers must don their gear underwater, starting with the mask, fins clipped to the BCD, and the tank knob turned on to charge the regulator lines.
What is the confined space escape and why is it included in the training?
-The confined space escape is a recent addition to the training, simulating a situation where a diver must remove their gear to fit through a restriction to escape. It provides experience in a critical skill that could be necessary in an emergency.
Outlines
🌊 Introduction to Underwater Skills Circuit
Brett Halderson introduces a video detailing the setup of an underwater skills circuit for public safety pool diving. The video showcases a pool circuit designed to enhance divers' skills before transitioning to open water scenarios. The circuit includes various stations such as a no-mask swim, cutting station, marker buoy deployment, body bagging, evidence recovery, knot-tying, out-of-air drill, lift bag deployment, and gear exchange. The video footage is from a training session in December 2018 with divers from multiple teams using different equipment and skill levels. The circuit is set up to take about 30 minutes and is guided by a rope anchored at the bottom of the pool with skill reminder cards attached.
✂️ Cutting Station and Skills Practice
The cutting station involves divers using three different types of cutting tools on three materials: polypropylene rope, nylon cord, and scuba webbing. Divers must cut each material with each tool, resulting in nine cuts per diver. This repetition helps divers become proficient in retrieving and sheathing their cutting tools. The video also discusses the importance of marker buoy deployment and body bagging in low visibility conditions, using PVC dummies for practice. Evidence recovery is highlighted, emphasizing the preservation of trace evidence and the handling of evidence containers underwater.
🪢 Knot-Tying and Out-of-Air Drill
Divers are challenged to tie various knots underwater, including bowlines, figure eights, and sheet bends, using a PVC pipe frame with ropes. This station is often the least favorite but is crucial for mastering essential diving knots. The out-of-air drill allows divers to practice supplying air to a fellow diver while swimming, also providing an opportunity for full face mask divers to practice mask removal and replacement underwater.
💨 Lift Bag and Gear Exchange Skills
The lift bag station prepares divers for potential future scenarios where they might need to use a lift bag to bring a weighted item to the surface. This skill is practiced in the shallow end for quick station reset. The gear exchange station, while not directly applicable to regular dive calls, builds divers' confidence in handling gear underwater and presents a challenging situation that could be beneficial in future dives.
🤿 Underwater Gear Up and Confined Space Escape
The underwater gear up drill simulates a diver starting with equipment on the pool bottom, requiring them to find and establish air supply before donning their gear fully. The untangle diver station involves a diver entangled in a net or cords, with a safety diver assisting in solving the entanglement, either by cutting or pulling the cords off. The confined space escape is a new addition, teaching divers how to remove their gear to fit through restrictions in case they need to escape a confined space.
🔗 Conclusion and Resource Sharing
The video concludes with a thank you note and an offer to share diagrams and Q cards for the skills circuit in the video description. The video aims to provide a comprehensive guide for public safety dive teams to enhance their underwater skills in a controlled pool environment before applying them in real-world scenarios.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Underwater Skills
💡Public Safety Dive Teams
💡Pool Drills
💡No-Mask Swim
💡Cutting Tools
💡Marker Buoy Deployment
💡Body Bagging
💡Evidence Recovery
💡Knot Tying
💡Lift Bag Deployment
💡Gear Exchange
Highlights
Introduction to setting up an underwater skill circuit for public safety pool dive.
Expansion on pool skills beyond the usual watermanship test and basic scuba skills.
Diagram layout of the underwater pool circuit for team members to follow.
Description of the shallow and deep ends of the pool and their significance.
Importance of practicing mask removal and replacement regularly.
Guidance through the circuit using a rope anchored to the pool bottom.
Use of q cards to remind divers of skills at each station.
Cutting station with various materials and tools for divers to practice.
Marker buoy deployment as a skill station for divers.
Body bagging practice in low or no visibility conditions.
Use of PVC dummy for body bagging to withstand dive training conditions.
Evidence recovery station for handling and preserving trace evidence.
Knot-tying station to practice underwater knot skills.
Out of air drill to test air sharing skills.
Lift bag deployment practice for future potential needs.
Gear Exchange to increase diver confidence in handling gear underwater.
Underwater gear up drill for divers to start fully geared from the pool side.
Entangled diver station to practice solving entanglement issues.
Confined space escape as a new addition to the pool dive training.
Final thoughts and call to action for viewers to check out additional resources.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello and thank you for clicking to
watch this video my name is Brett
halderson and this video is about how we
set up an underwater skill circuit for a
public safety pool dive there are a few
online examples of pool drills that
Public Safety dive teams use to keep
their skills honed in 2017 our team
decided to expand on what we were doing
for pool skills we have been doing the
usual watermanship test and basic scuba
skills we wanted to increase our time in
the pool and enhance our techniques
prior to using them in Open Water
scenarios we have put together an
underwater pool circuit for the team
members to follow see the attached
diagram the diagram is what we had laid
out in the pool the left side of the
diagram is the shallow side of the pool
about 4 to 7 ft and the right side of
the diagram is the deep end of the pool
12 to 14 ft the area between the two
vertical DOA lines is that area of the
pool where there is the greatest depth
change from shallow to
deep there are a few things I would like
you to keep in mind as you watch this
video the footage is from a training we
did in December of 2018 we have members
from three or four different dive teams
training in the pool and each team has
different equipment techniques and skill
levels the primary focus of this video
is to describe the underwater skills
stations we set up in the pool the
equipment and techniques used by each
diver is unique to their own
team the divers start out in the shallow
end of the pool at the top left of the
diagram they then follow the line which
is a rope anchor to the bottom through
the circuit they do skills at the
following stations a nass swim a cutting
station marker buy
deployment body
bagging evidence
recovery the ever popular notot
station and out of a drill lift bag
deployment and Gear
Exchange there are three stations on the
diagram that aren't along the Rope
circuit those are the underwater gear up
drill entangled diver and confined space
Escape I use the underwater gear up
drill and the entangled diers station as
something for the divers to do as we're
getting the skill circuit set up the
confined space Escape was new for
December's pool dive in the future I may
include this along the Rope circuit or I
may keep it separate as another option
for divers to do while the rest of the
pool circuit is being set up it usually
takes about 30 minutes for four of us to
set up the Rope skill circuit
underwater the first stage of the
underwater circuit is a no Mass swim
this is a simple but important skill for
divers to know well it's surprising how
many dive teams do not practice removing
and replacing their dive masks
regularly this is a dive skill that we
want our divers to
master one thing to point out note is
that all pool skills are performed by
teams of two divers one diver performs a
skill and the other diver is a safety in
case something was to go wrong like I
mentioned earlier divers are guided
through the circuit by a rope anchored
to the bottom of the pool we use weights
anchors and pulleys to keep the Rope as
close to the bottom of the pool as
possible we also have q cards zip tied
to the Rope to remind divers what skills
need to be performed at each station
I'll include a link to those cards
is
our cutting station consists of a 5G
bucket with three different types of
material for cutting the materials are
polypropylene rope small nylon cord and
heavy duty scuba webbing you can choose
whatever materials work best for you our
dive team members have three different
cutting tools on them they have a sheath
fixed blade knife on their upper left
chest area they have a medical shears
and a seat belt cutter attached to their
spare mask pouch their spare MK pouch is
attached to the BCD belt in front of
their right hip the goal for this
station is twofold first the divers are
reminded that some cutting tools are
better than others at cutting different
materials second the diver are required
to return the cutting tool to its sheath
after cutting something and before
making the next cut they also have to
cut each type of material with each
cutting tool for our team members since
they have three cutting tools and three
types of material to cut they are making
nine cuts and each cutting tool is being
drawn from a sheath three
times this repetition makes the divers
more trained in finding and retrieving
their cutting tools
[Laughter]
let's go
marker buy deployment is an easy skill
to master but a diver has to do it a few
times to get beyond the usual pitfalls
associated with using a small reel this
is one of the skill stations required
for resetting for the next dive team
once the main diver performs a skill the
safety diver resets the station for the
next dive team to perform
body baking underwater is a cumbersome
task especially in low or no visibility
doing this in a pool allows the divers
to get used to managing the body bag
underwater and finding a technique to
get the body inside this is a skill that
often takes multiple times to begin to
master we found a PVC dummy works well
for our dive training they hold up well
to the type of abuse we put them through
they're relatively cheap and they're
easy to build I will be creating a video
for making a training man can like this
in the near future
our evidence Recovery Station has divers
taking a piece of evidence in this case
a pry bar and placing it in an Evidence
container for transport team members are
expected to handle the item to preserve
any trace evidence such as fingerprints
biological matter or residue this
station also gives a diver's experience
in opening and sealing the evidence
container
underwater our not station is just a few
6ft lengths of rope on a PVC pipe frame
the divers are challenged to tie a bowl
in 2/2 in a figure8 on a bite and a
sheet Bend this is probably the least
favorite station on the dive circuit
once our divers are able to master the
knots underwater this will just be
another station on a circuit and not
something they would rather skip
the out of drill gives divers the
opportunity to test their skills and
equipment by supplying air to another
diver while swimming a short distance
this is also another opportunity for
full face mask divers to remove and
later replace their masks underwater
we haven't used lift bags during any of
our actual call-ups but it's always
possible we will need this skill in the
future so we have a lift big station
along our circuit it gives our divers
the opportunity to use a lift big to
bring a weighted item to the surface
doing this in the shallow end allows us
to do the major portion of the skill
while still being able to reset the
station quickly
the final skill along the circuit is a
Gear Exchange this isn't a skill that
would directly apply to anything our
divers would do on a regular call out
but it increases the divers confidence
in handling their gear underwater it is
somewhat challenging and something
different that may benefit them on a
future
dive I have been on training Dives where
a diver became entangled in line and had
to remove his BCD to get untangled prior
to continuing the training
[Music]
[Applause]
one of the stations outside of the skill
circuit is the underwater gear up drill
divers begin on the side of the pool
with their equipment sitting on the pool
bottom their mask if using a half mask
and their fins are clipped into the BCD
straps the tank knob has been turned on
to charge the regulator lines and then
turned off for our pool dive there is a
bridge that spans across the center of
the pool the diver performing the skill
in our training is jumping from that
bridge the diver jumps in and grabs
their gear there is one or two breasts
in the charge lines but the diver must
open the tank valve to get more air
divers are warned not to hold their
breath if as a last resort they must go
to the surface the equipment is in
approximately 7 ft of water and there's
a safety diver nearby to assist as
needed once the diver establishes the
air apply they proceed to D all over
their dive gear again similar to the
Gear Exchange I described earlier this
doesn't apply directly to Public Safety
diving but it challenges the divers by
putting them in an unfamiliar situation
with a problem to solve this is also one
of the stations that takes very little
effort to set up I'll have divers begin
at this station while a few of us are
setting up the skill circuit
is
I
the untangle diver station begins with a
diver at the end of a rope and entangled
in a net or a series of cords a safety
diver then comes down the Rope to
provide additional error and solve the
entanglement solving the entanglement
may involve cutting a diver out of the
entanglement or just pulling the
entanglement off of the diver the divers
then surface together I know there are
many different ways for dive teams to
have extra a available for their divers
and there are Arguments for each method
this is a method we are currently using
use whatever method works best for your
team
[Music]
the final station is a confined space
escape this is a recent addition to our
pool dive we are not advocating divers
use a skill to enter confined spaces but
should a diver find themselves in a
situation where their only Escape is
through a confined area we want them to
have the previous experience in removing
their gear to fit through a restriction
in order to escape the
situation the tool we are using is a
55-gallon drum liner with the top and
bottom cut off it's possible for a small
diver to make it through with their full
gear on most divers will have to remove
their BCD to fit through the restriction
[Laughter]
thank you for watching this video I'll
have links to the diagram and Q cards in
the description below take care and safe
diving
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